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A ceiling fan doesn't typically use much electricity. It depends on the fan wattage and your local electricity cost, but running one 12 hours a day should cost in the neighborhood of 25 cents, or $7.50 per month. The payback for an automated switching system would be a pretty long time. Only you can decide if that's worth the convenience of not having to flip the switch occasionally.
A ceiling fan doesn't typically use much electricity. It depends on the fan wattage and your local electricity cost, but running one 12 hours a day should cost in the neighborhood of 25 cents, or $7.50 per month. The payback for an automated switching system would be a pretty long time. Only you can decide if that's worth the convenience of not having to flip the switch occasionally.
It’s not the ceiling fan cost. It’s the uneven heat distribution.
If I leave the fan on while the heating is running, people downstairs would also complain.
It’s not the ceiling fan cost. It’s the uneven heat distribution.
If I leave the fan on while the heating is running, people downstairs would also complain.
Well, now I'm confused. You started out saying you want the fan to run when the heat is on. Now the people downstairs will complain if you run the fan with the heat? Unless you have an industrial size ceiling fan, the effects running it will be negligible outside of the room it's in.
Well, now I'm confused. You started out saying you want the fan to run when the heat is on. Now the people downstairs will complain if you run the fan with the heat? Unless you have an industrial size ceiling fan, the effects running it will be negligible outside of the room it's in.
I misspoke. They only complain about the fan when the heating is off.
I misspoke. They only complain about the fan when the heating is off.
You should be running the fan to push the air up when the heat is on and down when the AC is on. Pushing the air up forces the air down along the walls and the chances that someone will feel the moving air are slim to none. However, it still mixes the air up in the room. Blowing the fan down causes a breeze that can help with the cooling effect.
I misspoke. They only complain about the fan when the heating is off.
Now I'm totally confused. You never use the fan to cool the room off in summer? Obviously you wouldn't want your heat running at that time.
You can get simple programmable timers for a fan wall switch. If you don't want to get up and turn the fan on/off yourself or you won't be home, set the timer! It won't care whether you are wanting to circulate warm air or cool. It will turn on the fan whenever you program it to, including while the heat happens to be running.
You need the following:
"Smart" thermostat
IFTT account (If This Then That)
"Smart" Fan
Set it up where when the T stat calls for heat, IFTT tells fan to turn on. Then the same where when the Tstat turns off, IFTT tells fan to shut off.
Easy breezy...See what I did there?
So what would OP do in summer when the heat isn't running and they only want the fan for cooling?
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