Air con or fans: the great debate

When it comes to cooling our home in Summer, the perennial question seem to be: air conditioning or ceiling fans. What’s the difference?

Fans have long been considered an inexpensive way of cooling a room. However they don’t actually cool the air – they simply move it around the room. The faster the air moves over your skin, the more it works to evaporate sweat, which is the mechanism your body uses to cool itself.

They won’t turn a sauna into an igloo within minutes, but ceiling fans will help save on the electricity bill. In fact, most ceiling fans use around 25-90 watts of energy, whereas central air conditioners can use up to 2,500-3,500 watts. Many newer models come with a remote to help adjust the speed in the same way you’d control the air con.

As for air conditioners, while they might burn through the power, they are remarkably effective at cooling the home. While ceiling fans work to lower body temperature, air conditioners affect the temperature of the room. You’ll get a quick lift of warmth on a cold day or a welcome arctic blast in the middle of summer, however these perks come at a cost. Apart from drawing power, air conditioners need regular maintenance to ensure they continue to run effectively without re-circulating harmful VOCs and dust particles throughout your home.

Ever noticed your skin drying out in an air-conditioned environment? That’s not really surprising – as the air is cooling, its moisture levels decrease. In a country that is often humid this can be beneficial to a point, but extended periods in a dry environment (especially while sleeping) can cause physical discomfort.

So we know that air conditioners are all-stars when it comes to dropping temperatures fast, and ceiling fans are exceptional for cooling our bodies naturally without breaking the budget. Can they work together? Quite effectively, it seems.

These days it’s quite common for homes to have both air conditioning units and ceiling fans, as the two work well in tandem by dropping the initial temperature of a room, and then circulating that colder air.

Neither needs to be run as cold or as fast, and once the temperature of your home has dropped, switch off the air con and leave the work to the ceiling fans.

The Australian climate can be irregular and unruly at times, but there’s no denying it gets warm. Whether you choose to cool your home with ceiling fans, air conditioning or both, what’s important is that it makes your living space more comfortable throughout the summer months.