I installed A/C in my house last winter and it really came in handy this year. But running the A/C is expensive so I try not to use it any more than I have to.
We already had ceiling fans in most of the rooms (which don’t seem to do much good) and standing floor fans (which are about 4 feet high and which really help move the air around and make it seem cooler in the room) and we try to get by with those as long as it isn’t over 95 outside (or over about 85 inside).
My question is simple, does it screw up the A/C’s performance to have all of these fans also running at the same time? I don’t see why it would; but would I be better off just with the A/C running by itself for some reason? It costs money to run the fans too and if it was somehow interfering with the A/C performance I would be taking a double hit. :mad:
I ran several fans in my house this summer in combination with my central unit. My lightbill is nearly half of what it was last year and previous years as well.
It’s not “screwing up” the performance, and it may be helping in two ways. First, if the fans are able to create noticeable air movement through the rooms, you will (typically) feel cooler at a higher temperature, due to increased convective heat transfer. And second, some houses have very “dead” rooms or spaces, where the chilled air does not penetrate or enter very well. If the ceilign fans help even out the cooled air through the house via mixing, then this should help your AC effect as well.
Your air conditioner doesn’t really care if you are running fans also. Most AC systems have the one blower near the evaporator and air distribution is dependent on ductwork layout. Having fans in the individual rooms helps circulate air more efficiently, so you are actually helping the system out. Make sure the thermostat is getting a good mix of air, not all hot or all cold. The thing to remember is that the AC system is pulling a lot more amps than a couple of fans (more power, money).
Fans on their own work well up to a point, that point being where the combination of temperature and humidity of the air just gets too high.
The A/C reduces both air temperature and humidity, which allows the fans to be more effective.
So switch on the fans first, A/C second. You’ll find that you can set the temperature control on the A/C to a higher level and still be comfortable than you could with just the A/C alone.
