I know it takes less energy to set the thermostat on Fan Only. That's kind of a no brainer. Is there any objective evidence that running the fan actually helps keep the house cooler? With no moisture coming out of the air, I find it gets uncomfortable, but I've got a roommate that thinks it helps. Thanks.
2006-06-19 02:38:51 · 8 answers · asked by Vlad 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
I can appreciate the cooling factor of moving air, but there's not a lot of air moving over my body unless I'm standing directly under a vent somewhere. You don't get a lot of evaporative cooling without a lot of air movement. I'm not talking about a fan in the middle of the room pointing at me. That would be an improvement in terms of actual cooling although as someone pointed out, it would add heat to the equation, however minimal.
2006-06-19 03:28:58 · update #1
Thought I would include my two cents. Running the blower fan motor on your HVAC system will not cool the house. It will distribute more air flow, catch additional dust in the filter at the return and cause the rooms to enjoy more even temperatures. The cooling cycle will still cycle on and off. If you have a two story house, and the upstairs is hotter than the downstairs, it will help to eliminate the temperature difference when the cooling cycle is operating. Depending on the size of the system your fan motor is going to pull 3 to 5 amps which will draw more power but not so much that it's going to make a considerable difference on you or electric bill...
2006-06-19 04:52:34 · answer #1 · answered by Jeffrey W 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Moving air "feels" cooler because it helps the evaporation of sweat from your skin, but it doesn't actually cool the air. It also keeps the air moving in the room so you don't end up with warm and cool spots, so yeah, it can help maintain an even temperature in the room, but it won't actually make it cooler.
If your house is already warm, then turning on the fan only circulates warm air, so you are using electricity to move warm air around. It can make a little bit of a difference, but not enough to justify running the fan for hours on end as opposed to running the AC 5 to 10 minutes every hour to maintain a comfortable temperature.
2006-06-19 02:48:37 · answer #2 · answered by boldlygo1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well the basic concept is accurate..... However, there are several factors which affect this. The AC fan itself may not provide good circulation throughout the entire house and ensure fairly even temperatures throughout. Therefore, you end up with "hot" and "cold" spots. If the thermostat is in a "hot" spot the AC will run much more, and conversely if it is in a "cold" spot. I have ceiling fans in every room in my house and keep them running on low most all the time. The way to run them is blowing up in the winter to properly circulate the warmer air, and help keep the heat down in the living space. During the summer, you change the fan direction to blow down. Again this properly circulates all the air in the house, and helps keep you cool by the motion of the air across your body, just as you would by sitting in front of a fan. So the accuracy of the AC fan "concept" is accurate. Most houses require more than just the AC fan running to properly circulate all the air in the house. Some central air systems do a very efficient job of it though. Hope this helps.
2016-05-20 02:04:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're so very fortunate I logged on to Answers this morning. :) I happened to read an analysis of this very question about a year ago in a consumer's magazine. The question was whether a room fan actually generates cool air. The other people who answered you on this one are correct about air circulation and the sensation of coolness, but the interesting conclusion drawn by the article is that contrary to making the room cooler, the motor on the fan generates heat. Not alot of heat, but heat nevertheless. So you may feel a sense of coolness from the moving air, but if you measure temperature in a very molecular and heat-sensitive manner, heat is being added to the room. Unless perhaps the fan that's pushing your air has a motor located on the exterior of the house.
2006-06-19 03:12:41 · answer #4 · answered by nothing 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
With the A/C fan on, it is just that - a fan. If the cooling unit is not running, the air in your house is just circulating and not being cooled or dehumidified. For some people, that may make it a bit more comfortable but for others it seems pointless.
2006-06-19 02:45:59 · answer #5 · answered by ebk1974 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You bet it does, especially if the air outside at night is cooler. Your fan of any type will circulate and exchange the stale and warmer air inside.
2006-06-19 02:42:51 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it does not cool the house. It just keeps the air moving slightly.
2006-06-19 02:42:25 · answer #7 · answered by Gatorz22 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, it is just like in a car
2006-06-19 02:42:53 · answer #8 · answered by Bohdan K 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋