One of the best things we’ve done to beat the summer heat is have a ceiling fan installed in our bedroom. The fan was fairly inexpensive, both to install and to run.
I love sleeping under the cool breeze. It allows us to keep our thermostat set at a higher temperature at night and saves us big money on our electric bill all summer long.
Here’s a few tips on buying a ceiling fan:
– Look for a model with an Energy Star Rating like the model shown above, called Sea Air from Hunter.
– It’s important to choose the right ceiling fan for your room. There are excellent guidelines found here.
– If you are replacing a light with a ceiling fan, look for a model with a light option.
– Ceiling fans often go on sale at the end of the summer season… it’s a great time to buy one.
Once your fan is installed here’s a few quick tips:
-Only run the fan when someone is in the room. Fans cool people not your home, so save energy by flipping off the switch when no one is in the room. (I didn’t know this and used to keep my fan running night and day, duh.)
-Keep your fan dusted to prevent allergens from flying around the room. Plus it’s much easier to clean it frequently (every couple months) than to wait until the dust has really built up… trust me, I’ve done it the hard way and it’s not fun.
-To clean my fan, I love to use my large Swiffer duster (with my re-usable cover) because it can be set at a 90 degree angle. After I’ve dusted, I sometimes wipe it down with vinegar water- which is one part vinegar to one part water. I wet my cloth in the vinegar solution, ring it out thoroughly and wipe down the fan.
-If you’ve let it get really dusty, Real Simple magazine recommends using a pillowcase to dust your fan. That way the dust goes into the case and not all over your room- brilliant.