Do ceiling fans really help reduce temperatures in a house during the?
Ceiling fans are NOT air conditioning. They are used to move air to create a breeze. They push air down at the fan so if you are under the fan you feel a breeze. That breeze evaporates moisture off your body so you feel a cooling effect. That simple cooling effect can make it seem 5 F cooler than it would if there was no breeze. Thus you can be more comfortable in a slightly hotter room. If you are not there, the breeze does nothing in the summer. This can significantly reduce the cost of running your AC if you turn up the temperature setting and still feel comfortable. Ceiling fans also help in the winter when they can be used to move hot air down from high ceilings to stabilize temperature in a room. In the winter typically they push air up at the fan so it flows down at the walls so you do not feel the breeze to make you feel colder. Ceiling fans are a LOT cheaper to operate that either AC or a furnace so they can save a lot of electricity.