Beat the Summer Heat Economically

As you prepare for the summer heat, you may be concerned about your home air conditioning unit. Replacement or repair of an air conditioning unit is something that every homeowner dreads. However, have you thought about installing additional ceiling fans in your home?

According to an article published by the New York Times, a central A/C unit costs about 36 cents per hour during operation, and a window a/c unit costs about 14 cents per hour to run. A ceiling fan, though, costs approximately 1 cent per hour that it is being used. I'm not advocating not using you're A/C unit altogether. Let's face it, they are a necessity during these hot summer months here in the South. However, the use of ceiling fans will allow you to set your thermostat up to 12 degrees higher in some situations and maintain the same comfort level — resulting in energy cost-savings and a longer shelf life for your air conditioning unit.

A ceiling fan will not last forever, but the cost to replace a ceiling fan isn't even comparable to the cost to replace an A/C unit. A ceiling fan can be added to almost every room in your home, as well as to outdoor covered porches and patios, at a relatively low cost. A ceiling fan on a covered porch can turn a space that is unbearably hot during the summer to a year-round usable space.