Should I Use a Ceiling Fan While My AC is On?

Updated July 24, 2024

We’re just in the beginning of the summer season, where everything has started to feel hot and sticky. The chances are you’re still looking for ways to make the best use of your air conditioner and cut on your energy bills.

There’s this widespread belief that air conditioners shouldn’t be used alongside ceiling fans, but that’s just a myth. Rather than crank up your AC, it would be best to turn on the ceiling fan so you can cool things down.

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Save On Energy Using AC Together with Ceiling Fans

To a certain degree, the reasoning by those who think it’s a bad idea to use a ceiling fan when the AC is running is understandable. The argument is that the ceiling fans push the hot air downwards, thereby increasing the load on the air conditioners.

However, there’s one thing these opponents fail to consider. Ceiling fans create a breeze that makes people in the room feel cooler and more comfortable. As the cool breeze moves across your body skin, it disperses the body heat, evaporates the sweat making you feel cooler in the process.

A ceiling fan doesn’t necessarily reduce the temperature in the room. If the thermometer reads 27 degrees, a ceiling fan will make your body feel a few degrees cooler.

Using a Ceiling Fan When the AC Is Running

During the hot summer season, the air conditioner runs throughout, and you might be worried about the high electricity bills.

Probably, you found some workarounds, but you can cut the energy bills further by running both the ceiling fans and air conditioner at the same time. However, using a ceiling fan and the air conditioner to lower your energy bill is more than just turning them both on.

If you turn on the ceiling, then your body will feel cooler, which means you can afford to turn up the thermostat without feeling any discomfort.

But how does a ceiling fan save on energy yet we’ve added an extra component? The cost of running an air conditioner is approximately 36 cents an hour while that of a fan is one cent an hour. If you turn on the ceiling fan and turn up the thermostat, the AC cost on energy bill will reduce to 17 cents an hour.

Although there’s not much difference in the costs, with time, that accumulates leading to substantial savings on the monthly energy bills.

Quality Heating & Cooling Services in North Carolina

Putnam Mechanical is a leading provider of HVAC and refrigeration services in Mooresville and the surrounding NC areas. We have certified and insured technicians skilled and experienced with installation, repair, and maintenance of heating & cooling systems. Contact us today for any of your AC needs!