Air Conditioners vs Fans

The debate between air conditioners and fans has lasted for quite some time. Money- conscious homeowners are troubled by this question every summer when temperatures go high. Although it is evident that air conditioners consume a lot of energy, is the extra cost worth the comfort? Combining comfort and cost means that there is no universal answer to which is better. Some homeowners decide to find a balance between the two. It is important to understand the benefits of each. Take a look.

Efficiency

An air conditioner will extract hot air from your office or home and exhaust it outside. Apart from just cooling the home, they dehumidify the home. Modern air conditioners have thermostats that regulate the temperatures of the house in reference to external temperatures. On the other end, fans do not have a mechanism for cooling the air. They operate by blowing the warm air out without cooling it. If the temperatures outside are high, a fan will do little even in cooling a small room.

Initial Costs and Maintenance

The cost of purchasing an air conditioner is higher than that of a fan. Although it depends on the capacity of the unit and features that it can offer, its buying price is higher. The cost of servicing an air conditioner can be high depending on the type of air conditioner you have. On the other end, fans are cheap to buy. The effort required to service a fan is smaller compared to that of an air conditioner.

Molds and Allergens

Molds are common, especially in humid areas. When they grow, they become a problem to clean them. The problem becomes worse with fans as they spread the spores all over the room. This becomes a problem to allergic and asthmatic people within the room. On the other end, air conditioners lower indoor humidity decreasing the growth of molds and dust mites.

Energy Saving Tips

Although fans use less energy than air conditioners, the latter is more comfortable. You can reduce the cost of running an air conditioner by doing the following;

• Buy an air conditioner whose British thermal units (BTU) matches the size of your home. Purchasing a cooler bigger than the size of your house will mean extra energy consumption.

• When buying central air conditioners ensure that the SEER number (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) is at least 15. Units with efficiency lower than 15 will consume more power.

• Clean air filters regularly. When dirt clogs the filters of your AC, it makes it work harder increasing energy consumption.

• Use a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat will keep your air conditioner at the desired temperatures even when no one is home.

• Use energy saver on window units. Before purchasing an air conditioner ensure you buy a modern one, which switches of the fan after the compressor shuts down.

• Block direct sunlight. Use drapes to block direct sunlight as it increases the temperatures in a house by ten to 20 degrees.

Using Air Conditioners and Fans Together

Combining ceiling fans and air conditioners are one way to fan out the big summer utility bills. Additionally, using them efficiently can achieve maximum comfort in your house. Ceiling fans are cheap to operate because they consume less energy than air conditioners.

Which is Better?

After breaking them down, the question is which one is right for you? At the end of the day, the level of comfort during the warm summers will help you decide what is best for you. From the analysis, it is clear that air conditioners are far much better than ceiling fans especially regarding the efficiency of cooling your home and keeping your loved ones healthy. If you need a lower investment and less reward go for a ceiling fan. But if you need high rewards, go for air conditioning. If you want to reduce the cost of running an air conditioner while keeping temperatures low and comfortable, it is advisable to use the two cooling methods in tandem.