Everyone seems to have their own point of view on this. Some agree, others vehemently disagree. Some manufacturers give you the go-ahead, and others say yes, but give you a list of warnings. The internet is loaded with conflicting information. Who is right, who is wrong? Should you run an air conditioner & ceiling fan together? Let’s answer that.
You can— and should— run your ceiling fan and A/C together. Using both at the same time is a more efficient way to cool a room and will ultimately result in energy savings. But you can’t just walk into your home and turn them on. You have to do it right. Otherwise your electricity bills will shock you-literally.
How You Can Use a Ceiling Fan and A/C Together
It’s simple really:
- Raise your thermostat setting by 4°F.
- When you’re in a room, turn on the ceiling fan.
- When you leave the room, turn off the fan.
Why 4°F?
Firstly, because it has been proven to work. Secondly, because the U.S Department of Energy has recommended it, saying that you can raise the setting by that temperature range without any reduction in comfort. This means that if your thermostat setting is kept at 75°F, and you turn on the ceiling fan, you should bring up the A/C to 79°F. Of course, you don’t have to limit yourself to exactly 4°F – pick what’s most suitable for your case. The AC will keep you cool but at a lower cost. How’s that possible?
Recommended Ceiling Fans on the Market
- MODERN CEILING FAN: The contemporary Dempsey fan comes with LED light covered by cased white glass that will keep home interior current and inspired; Measures 44 x 44 x 11.03 Inch.Wattage 60.5 watts.Voltage 120 volts
- MULTI-SPEED REVERSIBLE FAN MOTOR: Whisper Wind motor delivers ultra-powerful airflow with quiet performance; Change the direction from downdraft mode during the summer to updraft mode during the winter
- LED LIGHT KIT: Energy-efficient dimmable LED light bulbs let you control the lighting and ambiance of the living space; The long lasting bulbs have longer lifespan than traditional bulbs
- UNIVERSAL HANDHELD REMOTE: Adjust the brightness of light and speed of the white ceiling fan with ease from anywhere in the room
- ROOM PLACEMENT: Indoor fan is designed to be used in rooms with low ceilings, the low-profile housing fits flush to the ceiling; Ideal fan for living room, lounge, bedroom, children's room and nursery
- Limited Lifetime Motor Warranty is backed by the only company with over 126 years in the fan business. Airflow Efficiency: 69 Cubic Feet Per Minute Per Watt
- Silicon steel DC motor delivers ultra-powerful air movement, mute rotation, energy efficient and long service life. ETL listed. The average airflow is 5614 CFM, noise level less than 35 dB like whisper, wobble-free operation and no beep buzz. Note: The voltage used is 110V, not 240V.
- Remote Control: All operations can be controlled by the remote control, adjust the lighting switch of the ceiling fan dimmiing, this ceiling fan light is 2000 lumens, 3000k-5700k color temperature and dimmable 0% to 100%, 6 wind speeds, and supports timing (1/3/6 hours) sleep shutdown. The fan or illumination can be turned on separately.
- Hand-painted Color finishes and vivid ABS wood textured finishes, paired with a sturdy metal motor housing, make for a more modern look. The design style of simple home decorators enhances the brightness and high-end feeling of your room.
- Easy to install: We have detailed installation instructions and installation video. It can be easily installed by only one person, which will save you a lot of installation cost. The package contains professional English instructions, remote control, 2 Downrods(6''/ 10'', which can be freely changed to suitable height of the house), etc.
- Applicable Place: 100sq.ft-250sq.ft, living room, bedroom, dining room, office, kitchen, restaurant , etc. We offer 30 days unsatisfied replacement free or return 100% redund service. Lifetime motor warranty.
- CLASSIC CEILING FAN: The traditional Builder Deluxe fan comes with LED light covered by toffee glass that will keep home interior inspired; Measures 52 x 52 x 17.77 Inch
- MULTI-SPEED REVERSIBLE FAN MOTOR: Whisper Wind delivers ultra-powerful airflow fan with quiet performance; Change the direction from downdraft mode during the summer to updraft mode during the winter
- LED BOWL LIGHT KIT: Energy-efficient dimmable LED light bulbs let you control the lighting and ambiance of the living space; The long lasting bulbs have longer lifespan than traditional bulbs
- PULL CHAIN CONTROL: Turn the bronze ceiling fan on/off and adjust the speed quickly and easily with the pull chain
- ROOM PLACEMENT: Indoor fan is height adjustable, via the included 2" & 3" downrods, to ensure proper distance from the ceiling and optimize air movement; Ideal fan for living room, lounge, and bedrooms
How the Ceiling Fan and A/C Work Together
You A/C lowers the temperature of your home by cooling the air. The ceiling fan gives you a wind chill. A wind chill is an effect you get when you’re out in a breeze. Air moves across your skin, disperses heat, some sweat evaporates, and you feel cooler.
When the air conditioner is running, the ceiling fan circulates cooled air and makes you feel even cooler. That way, the thermostat can be displaying 80°F, but you feel up to 5°F cooler due to that wind chill. This will allow you to crank up your thermostat, save on power, and feel cool all at the same time. It also reduces the carbon footprint of your house, which is a welcome bonus.
Ceiling fans circulate the air inside a room. They don’t get outside air into the room or push internal air out. They work by blowing air downwards and removing any hot air around the objects below it. To be clear- a ceiling fan does not cool the air. Cooling is the work of the A/C. The fan just moves the air around.
This helps heat leave you and get into the air, providing that cooling effect you desire. However, there are whole-house fans in the market that can get air from outside into the house. And when you leave the windows and doors open, the ceiling fan can actually pull air from outside in. Only do this if the air outside is cooler. In such cases, the fan does some of the cooling.
Recommended Air Conditioner on the Market
- QUIET & POWERFUL - Our 4,000 BTU (8,000 BTU ASHRAE) compact air conditioner (16.5 x 11.5 x 26 in,) will keep you cool and comfortable all summer. An adjustable fan speed cools the air to 65°F at the coolest setting. Sleep mode makes it extra quiet while you rest, Casters for easy mobility
- PERFECT FOR SMALL ROOMS - This floor-standing portable AC unit provides steady, fast, effective cooling for rooms up to 150 sq. ft. It’s the ideal small air conditioner for dorms, apartments, cabins, campers, offices, bedrooms, or living rooms
- SIMPLE & QUICK TO INSTALL – Just wheel this portable air conditioner into any room with a double hung or sliding window. Attach the included hose (4’ 11”) & window adapter, & plug it in to an outlet! At the end of the season, just unhook & store. Top mounted control panel with LED display
- EASY TO USE & CLEAN – The simple remote control & top-mounted LED display with 24-hour timer allow you to precisely control the air temperature. To clean the filter, just slide it out twice a month, rinse it thoroughly under running water, & put it back
- 3-in-1 FUNCTIONALITY - Combines 3 energy efficient functions for all of your cooling & ventilation needs with cool, fan, & dehumidifying modes all in one machine. Bucket-less, self-evaporating operation makes your living space cool, clean and dry
- Cools a room approximately 15' x 20'
- QUIET & POWERFUL - Our 5,500 BTU DOE (10,000 BTU ASHRAE) compact air conditioner (16.5 x 11.5 x 26 in,) will keep you cool and comfortable all summer. An adjustable fan speed cools the air to 65°F at the coolest setting. Sleep mode makes it extra quiet while you rest.Controller type:Remote Control
- PERFECT FOR SMALL ROOMS - This floor-standing portable AC unit provides steady, fast, effective cooling for rooms up to 250 sq. ft. It’s the ideal small air conditioner for dorms, apartments, cabins, campers, offices, bedrooms, or living rooms.
- SIMPLE & QUICK TO INSTALL – Just wheel this portable air conditioner into any room with a double hung or sliding window. Attach the included hose (4’ 11”) & window adapter, & plug it in to an outlet! At the end of the season, just unhook & store
- EASY TO USE & CLEAN – The simple remote control & top-mounted LED display with 24-hour timer allow you to precisely control the air temperature. To clean the filter, just slide it out twice a month, rinse it thoroughly under running water, & put it back
- 3-in-1 FUNCTIONALITY - Combines 3 energy efficient functions for all of your cooling & ventilation needs with cool, fan, & dehumidifying modes all in one machine. Bucket-less, self-evaporating operation makes your living space cool, clean and dry
- ULTRA QUIET - The Midea U Smart Inverter AC unit is 9 times quieter than traditional units. The U-shape design uses your window to blocks noise outside and the high efficiency Inverter system warrants ultra low noise and vibration. This design allows for extremely quiet operation as low as 42 dBA - almost as quiet as a library – so you can get a restful night’s sleep or binge your favorite shows undisturbed.
- MORE THAN 35% ENERGY SAVINGS - With the advanced DC Inverter technology, Midea U achieves over 35% energy savings compared to other traditional units, and it's the first window AC to obtain the ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2022 Certification. You may also get exclusive benefits from your local energy distributor.
- FLEXIBLE WINDOW OPENING - Midea U-shaped design allows your window to open, bringing fresh air into your home anytime and allowing you to maintain more of your view even when the unit is installed. The Anti-Theft Mechanism locks the closed window for added security
- SMART CONTROL - The Midea U Smart Inverter Air Conditioner is Wi-Fi enabled and can be controlled from anywhere through the cloud using the MideaAir app on iOS or Android. You can also use voice commands throughout your house, office, or apartment using Alexa or Google Assistant.
- ROBUST INSTALLATION - Install the included quick-snap bracket, set the unit on the bracket, and secure the sidearms. After that, you are all done and ready to enjoy. Available for single-hung or double-hung windows with size: 22"-36", minimal height at 13.75".
- LOW NOISE PERFORMANCE: Operates at sound levels as low as 53dB (in low mode) eliminating unnecessary noise
- ENERGY STAR CERTIFIED: This air conditioner has met the high standards of the energy star program using energy-efficient technologies that translate into electricity savings.
- MULTIPLE FAN SPEEDS: 3 cooling and fan speeds with auto cool allow you to customize your cooling.
- MAXIMUM USABILITY: Easy to use electronic controls with remote
- COOLS ROOMS UP TO 350 Square Feet: LW8016ER is ideal for cooling medium rooms (14' X 25')
What About the Costs?
Let’s assume your central air conditioning runs about 5 kilowatts and costs you about 40 cents/hour. Let’s put your ceiling fan at 5 watts, costing 2 cents an hour. When you run both at the same time, less power is spent by the A/C. That means you’ll be saving on your utility bills. Most households get an average 8% reduction in A/C electrical use for each degree that they raise the A/C.
Modern ceiling fans are very efficient. For instance, in the US they cost around 16 cents a day to run. You spend less when you keep both running. Your total cost savings depend on how much you use the two appliances together.
