Ceiling Fan Directions for the Seasons

A while back, I made entries about Thermostat Settings and Utility Bills as ways the air conditioner and furnace perform the best, and how to save some money. Another inexpensive way that helps are ceiling fans. Current ones are required to have a way to "reverse" the rotation of the fan blades. During summer counter-clockwise and in winter, clockwise.

How can I tell which way it is spinning? Stand under it and look up at the spinning blades. Make sure you have some space above your head so it doesn't whack you. Use the lowest speed setting so you can actually tell which way the blades are going. Here’s why I recommend using the ceiling fan and reversing it for different seasons.

Summer - Counter-Clockwise

1. When spinning counter-clockwise, the fan blows air down on the area covered by the fan.
2. This creates a draft that makes you feel about 4-6 degrees cooler by making your perspiration evaporate more. 
3. Making you feel cooler, you can set your thermostat for the air conditioner a few degrees higher, which save electric usage on the utility bill.
4. A ceiling fan uses less electricity than the air conditioner and furnace (yes, the furnace blower is running in the summer to move the cool air through the house). 

Following this recommendation, I was able to keep my thermostat set at 78 F this summer. This reduced my electric bill tremendously by making it feel like it was actually at 72-74 F. Another suggestion... when you leave for the day, turn the fan off. Ceiling fans do not actually "cool" the air, they cool you. I leave mine on when I go out because I have 2 dogs here, and they need it.

Winter - Clockwise

1. When spinning clockwise, the fan pulls the air UP from the area right under it.
2. Pulling air UP in winter helps because heat rises, so guess where there is more heat? On the floor or along the ceiling? Pulling the cooler air up better combines it with the warm air, when it is circulated down along the walls.
3. Use the slowest speed, you want to circulate the air, now create a draft that will make you feel chilled.
4. A ceiling fan uses less electricity and natural than it takes your large furnace to keep you warm.

Following this recommendation, I was able to keep my thermostat at 55 F this year. Again, my electric bill remains low, but my natural gas bill is almost non-existent. Sure, I still have to bundle up a little more than in July, but I'm comfortable.

Anyway, just wanted to share some thoughts on how you can save some too... it has worked well for me. 

Comparison of Lifestyle

Just thought I would summarize a lot of research I've done for this blog (some entries haven't been made yet, they are in draft). You pick which lifestyle you have, and maybe you can get some advice from the ramblings of my mind...and the research I've turned up.

I've decided that there are 3 basic types of lifestyles out there and I'm going to share MY perspectives about them. Again, these are MY perspectives, so don't waste time telling me that I'm wrong just because YOUR perspective may be a little different from mine. Know also, that I am a bit of each of these, depending on my mood that particular day, the experience I am having, and what amount of time I have to expend.

• Efficient - defined on Dictionary.com as "performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort." My perspective: very busy people (work, school, family, hobbies, etc), that strive to be efficient in experiencing life by simply purchasing objects or hiring others to do the personal projects because they don't have a lot of time or experience.
• DIY - My perspective is that they too are busy people, but strive to experience life by using some of their time & skills as a hobby to save money to create what they want, and will solicit friends to assist if needed on a personal project.
• Hippie - My perspective is that they stay busy by floating through life by finding ways to recycle things they use, collect, and obtain; which is inspired by the things that sift through their minds, how they can use them, give life to something, is a "green way" to live, and yet also reduces the costs of their out-of-pocket costs.

So, what am I "really" getting at in this entry. I had to explain some things, so you can understand the table below, where I share a topic and then compare how each of the 3 will deal with it, IMHO. If the entry is a link, it is to an entry on my blog about it. Yeah, I've lived through this...

Topic	Efficient	DIY	Hippie
Colored flames in the fireplace	Duraflame Colorlog	DIY Colored Pinecones	Newspaper Logs & Colored Pinecones
Reduce costs due to cooking	Eat out more!!!	Use a Toaster Oven & Crock Pot vs. a Full Oven	Hobo Pies in the backyard, Newspaper Logs & Collected Firewood
Driving	Limo!!!	Carpool & work local	Walk, ride bike, or work at home
Stay warm in winter	Fire up the furnace!!!	Set thermostat to the recommended settings & layer up a little	Set thermostat to the recommended settings, layer up a little, find a Snuggle Buddy
Stay cool in summer	Warp drive on the A/C all the time!!!	Set thermostat to the recommended settings	Set thermostat to the recommended settings but what are these "pajamas" you are saying are needed?
Media Entertainment	Opera	Movie theater once in a while, Netflix, video store	DVD from the library, read a book, swap movies with friends, look at the stars...
Saving water in the toilet	I use the newest toilet at 1.6 gpf	Install a Dual Flush Kit or use an 1/2 gallon milk carton	"If it's yellow, let it mellow... If it's brown, flush it down..."
Furniture	Arhaus, they deliver & set it up	IKEA, I'll put it together myself	Dumpster Diving!!!
Popcorn	Commercial brand & at the theater	Air popper	Kernels in a brown bag, and I can recycle the bag after.

Save the Earth vs. Utility Bill Reductions

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

People tend to fall into one of three camps. One group want to save the Earth, some tend to be in the "how do I keep my own $$$ by reducing my monthly bills." The last group want to do both. This is a compromise of saving the Earth and money by paying attention to energy used for utilities. Reducing energy demand saves the planet AND reduces your monthly utility bills (which saves you $$$).

Most households use a combination of water, electricity, and natural gas. Reducing your usage of EACH of those effectively reduces the demand on the earth for fossil fuels and your monthly bills. A "win-win-win" for all 3 groups, and it helps bring us all closer together.

The biggest demand on energy is through heating and cooling your home. Yearly inspections and tune-ups by an HVAC professional will help you keep your furnace and air conditioner in the most efficient condition. If they aren't performing at their peak, they will demand more energy which depletes both the Earth AND your wallet. But, there are some simple things you can do on your own:

✔ Change your air filters. Both the furnace and air conditioner depend on air flowing through them to perform best. It is recommended to change them every month in the summer (for the air conditioner) and every 3 months in the other months for the furnace.

✔ Install a programmable thermostat. It will adjust the demand of energy of the furnace/air conditioner for times that the home is unoccupied and overnight. Also lowering the temp in the winter and raising the temp in the summer reduces the energy demand and increases the money in your billfold.  Refer to Thermostat Setting entry for more details. Even if you can't install a programmable one, most thermostats are easy to change manually (like I have to do).

✔ Closing the vents in rooms or areas of your home that are rarely used improves the way the air flows to the parts of the home that ARE frequently used. Obviously, if you live in an area that has dramatic weather in the summer or winter, this is difficult but the majority can consider this.

This is an overview but there will be separate entries about water, electricity, and natural gas. Check back occasionally to keep up with ways you can reduce the dependence/cost of them. "Going Green" helps both the Earth and your wallet.

Thermostat Settings

Being single and living in an apartment can sure change your perspective about the thermostat, furnace, air conditioner, and utility costs. Doing some simple research showed that it can help reduce my utility costs if I utilize the thermostat properly. And now I'm going to share my findings with you. Unfortunately, I'm in an apartment and they won't let me install a programmable one, so I have to push the buttons myself.

One of the best sites I found regarding this was at the Madison Gas and Electric site. Being based in Madison, Wisconsin, I feel that they do have a good background in understanding heating during the winter. Go to their site to read a little more about "why" setting your thermostat back is good and what some of the myths are about doing it. A lot of other sites I researched said the same thing as theirs, but theirs was the easiest to read. I'm going to share the two important pieces of their site here:

The more you set back, the more you save

Set back	8 hours per day	16 hours per day	24 hours per day
5°	5%	10%	15%
7°	7%	14%	21%
11°	11%	22%	33%
13°	13%	26%	39%

Check with your doctor if you have a medical condition that requires different temperatures. If you have had problems with pipes freezing during extremely cold weather, correct the problem before setting back.

Recommended thermostat settings

	Winter	Summer
When you're home:	68°*	78°
When you're not at home:	55°*	85°
When you're sleeping:	55°*	78°

*Or as low as health permits. Check the owner's manual if turning down the temperature for more than 24 hours.

From Orvis

Since it is winter time where I am, I have set my thermostat to 60 F, last year I had it set at 64 F. I've compared my gas and electric bills, and they are 14% less this year than last. Yes, it means that I have to put on a sweatshirt or flannel shirt and throw an extra blanket on the bed, but it is definitely helping the bank account. I'm going to add to the mix of lowering the thermostat to 55 at night, and see what happens. Guess I have to get my Union suit pajamas out again.

Dozer dozing...

Last summer I set my thermostat at 74 F, but I think I'll set it up to 78 F next summer and see how that affects my bills. I'd set it higher when I am not home, but I do have Dozer here with me, so I'll be kind to him by keeping it lower.


Saving cents makes sense...and means more coffee at Dunkin Donuts...