Showing posts with label Money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Money. Show all posts

Friday, July 15, 2011

Energy Star Ceiling Fans - Saving Money, Quiet Motors And Top Efficiency!


There are many reasons to install ceiling fans in your home, not the least of which is the money you will save on your home's heating and cooling bills. Energy efficient fans are one of the best things you can put in your home. They keep your home cool and use far less energy than an air conditioner.

About Energy Star

Energy Star is a program that was started by the US government that was designed to promote consumer products that are energy efficient. It has an easily recognized logo.

History

This program was started in 1992 by the Environmental Protection Agency with help by John S Hoffman. It was designed to be a means of reducing the consumption of energy and the emissions of green house gases by the power plants. It start out as a voluntary program that was used to label products that were considered to be energy efficient and has been extended to office equipment, home electronics, lighting and major appliances. It is even applied to some homes and commercial buildings.

Purpose of Energy efficient brand

The Energy Star program has been used to promote the saving of energy and the reduction of green house gases. There are many incentives to using Energy efficient products, not the least of which is the money you will save on utility bills. The environmental benefits are nothing to sneeze at either.

Kits

One of the best ways to make sure that you have Energy efficient fans in your home is to buy the Energy Star rated lighting kit and install it on your fans. This can save you money in that you can retrofit your already installed fans instead of having to go out and shop for new fans. The energy star kit has been proven to cut the amount of energy used by your ceiling fan in half.

Choosing

Choosing the right fans for your home is very important and you should always make sure that the fans you buy are energy efficient ceiling fans. These fans are better for the environment and better for your pocket book. The fan is just as effective as a non-Energy efficient fan, but you have the added bonus of helping the environment and saving money.

Ceiling fans in general can help save money on the heating and cooling costs of your home. Energy Star fans, however, not only keep your home's temperature regulated, they also save you money and cut down on the amount of energy your home uses by quite a bit. When you are shopping for your fan, in addition to looking at cost and style, you should make sure that you are looking for the Energy Star logo. If you have fans already installed in your home, you can buy Energy efficient kits to turn them into energy star ceiling fans.

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To Find More Energy Star Ceiling Fans, ratings and reviews for your home visit http://www.ceiling-fan-wizard.com

Mark is the editor Ceiling-fan-wizard.com which Provides you with the best ceiling fan reviews and ratings. To Find More Energy Star Ceiling Fans, ratings and reviews for your home visit http://www.ceiling-fan-wizard.com



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Thursday, July 14, 2011

Save Money With Ceiling Fans


A common misunderstanding among homeowners is that ceiling fans actually reduce the temperature in a room and allow lower air conditioning settings as a way to save on electricity costs. In reality, in the summer a ceiling fan with blades rotating counter-clockwise creates what is called a "wind-chill" effect by evaporating moisture on our skin. On a hot and humid summer day, this "wind chill" effect can make the room feel at least seven degrees cooler so that you can avoid running the air conditioning even when the actual room temperature is in the mid-eighties.

In the winter months the room can actually be made warmer by rotating the ceiling fan blades clockwise and forcing warm air from the ceiling down into the living area. This warmer air allows you to adjust your thermostat so that the heating system runs less, saving money on heating costs.

Consider the fact that ceiling fans use less than one hundred watts to operate which translates into about a penny an hour while central air conditioning uses up to five thousand watts which translates to as much as thirty-nine cents an hour. Room air conditioners aren't much more cost-effective, using up to three thousand watts.

There's even better news. Most traditional ceiling fans (with a light) uses around three to four hundred kWh per year which translates into about twenty to twenty-five dollars a year. Using ENERGY STAR rated ceiling fans will reduce that electrical energy consumption to around one hundred twenty kWh per year, which translates to about ten dollars. Keep in mind that you do not sacrifice any operating efficiency with ENERGY STAR rated models. The majority of the savings in using an ENERGY STAR rated fan comes from more efficient lighting, which will save up to eighty percent in lighting costs, and provides longer life bulbs.

The bottom line is that well placed ceiling fans can cut as much as fifteen percent or more off of your energy costs.

Ceiling fans are in vogue and in addition to saving energy costs, provide a very nice decorating touch to any room. Most fans operate at more than one speed so that you can adjust the cooling/heating level that best suits you. Unlike central air conditioners and central heating units, ceiling fans require very little maintenance and don't involve changing filters, etc. Periodically wiping off the fan blades is just about all that needs to be done and if a ceiling fans begins wobbling or making cyclic noises, a few simple steps is all that it takes to get the fan running the way it should. Ceiling fans run efficiently and have a long life. Replacing one is far less costly than having your air conditioning or heating system serviced or replaced.

Ceiling fans are available in a wide variety of styles. Some include light fixtures and some can be operated remotely. Ceiling fan costs vary depending on the materials used and the style and features of the fan.

In addition to the cost-savings provided by installing ceiling fans, there are a few other factors to consider. Blade sizes on ceiling fans vary to accommodate the differences in room sizes in your home. Bedrooms generally require smaller blades and thirty-six inch blades will usually provide just the right amount of air circulation for a standard-size bedroom.

Family rooms or other larger living areas usually require longer blades and generally forty-eight to fifty-six inch blades will do the job in these areas. If a room is longer than twenty feet, you should consider installing two fans.

A typical room should have the ceiling fan installed in the center of the room to provide a balanced look. Today's market includes a wide variety of specialized designs to fit the function and décor of just about any room. Fans for children's rooms come in styles featuring baseball themes, soccer ball themes, coca-cola logos, etc. Fans designed for use in a nursery include such decorating themes as nursery rhymes or storybook characters.

If you have a sunroom or other room done in a tropical motif, leaf-shaped blades and wicker blade fans are available. Ceiling fans are also available in styles that match period motifs such as Victorian, early American or even primitive (log cabin) styles.

Outdoor-rated ceiling fans are also available for areas that will be exposed to the elements such as a gazebo or porch. Be sure to read the fan specifications to insure that it is rated for outdoor use and will be suitable for the area where you want it installed.

Some final thoughts:

Since ceiling fans are designed to cool people, they don't need to run when a room isn't occupied so turn them off when the room will be vacant for a period of time.

Make sure to balance your thermostat settings to provide the best level of comfort when using ceiling fans. This will involve some trial and error.

Make sure the ceiling fan is hung about seven to nine feet above the floor.

Remember to reverse the blade direction when the seasons change.




Chuck Lunsford is the content manager for LightnBreezy.com, a well-known source for ceiling fans by Westinghouse. LightnBreezy.com features hundreds of products to choose from. To order your discount ceiling fans, visit us at LightnBreezy.com.



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Monday, July 11, 2011

Help To Save The Environment And Money With Ceiling Fans


As our finite natural resources diminish, energy prices are steadily increasing. Now, more than ever, we must do our part to help our environment by conserving energy. The good news about energy conservation is that it can not only help to save our planet, it can help to save you money. A simple way to reduce your energy costs and to beautify your home is through the installation of ceiling fans. When used properly, ceiling fans can be used to save between 15 and 40 percent on air conditioning during the summer. During the winter months, fans can be reversed to run clockwise and save you 10% on your heating bill.

In order to understand how to properly use ceiling fans to conserve energy it is important to understand just how they work. Have you ever been outside on a hot day when, all of a sudden, you felt a cool breeze that instantly made you feel more comfortable? This is called the wind chill factor and it is the same principle behind ceiling fans. Fans do not actually change the temperature of a room. Rather, they accelerate the evaporation of perspiration on your skin which is what makes you feel cooler. It can therefore make a person feel 8 degrees cooler even though the room temperature is technically the same. It is important to understand that fans do not cool rooms, they cool people. Therefore ceiling fans should never run unless people are in the room to benefit from their cooling power. During winter months, fans can actually be used to distribute heat more effectively in a room. Since hot air is lighter than cold air, it rises to the ceiling and gets stuck while cold air remains closer to the ground level. If a ceiling fan is run in reverse (clockwise), which is usually as simple as flipping a switch on the fan's body, it can more evenly distribute the hot air particles. This way the heat will be where you need it rather than being stuck at your ceiling.

Another important point to mention is that in order to most effectively use ceiling fans to save energy and money they must be used inversely with your thermostat. In other words, if you are using ceiling fans to cool yourself, the thermostat should be turned up at least 4 degrees. Likewise if you are using a fan to reduce heating costs, the thermostat should be turned down.

Recently, the energy saving potential of ceiling fans is being further exploited by manufacturers. By using more aerodynamic fan blades and more energy efficient light kits, major ceiling fan manufacturers like Westinghouse and Concord are offering fans specifically aimed towards consumers with conservation in mind. The best way to find these fans is by looking for the "Energy Star" label distributed by the U.S. Department of Energy. Fans that are awarded this label conserve at least 10% more energy than a standard ceiling fan. When shopping, you can find the most energy efficient fans by seeking those with the highest airflow, measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM), and by looking for fans that use the lowest amount of power (watts) at each speed. Using Energy Star approved light kits for your fans, which often contain fluorescent bulbs, will drastically reduce the amount of electricity consumed. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Energy offers various tax incentives for installing products that conserve energy.

In addition to being valuable conservation tools, ceiling fans can be a beautiful addition to your home, office, or apartment. Manufacturers offer fans in a wide array of shapes, sizes, and designs. Fans are now being manufactured in exciting new finishes like oil rubbed bronze and burnished brass, as well as being available with a plethora of light kit options. From traditional, Victorian inspired fans that double as chandeliers, to adventurous designs inspired by modern art, there are surely ceiling fans that will fit your taste and lifestyle. Well crafted fans are a sure way to increase the value of your real estate while adding to the aesthetic beauty of your surroundings.

Since we are in an energy crisis, we all have a responsibility to do our part to help, however small that part may be. Simply purchasing an energy efficient ceiling fan is an excellent way to save money on energy bills, increase the value of your real estate, and beautify your surroundings. Most importantly, while you sit under a beautiful new ceiling fan you can be assured that you are helping to conserve our planet's valuable resources.




Toby Lason is a freelance writer for [http://www.partsconnectionstore.com]



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