Ceiling Fans vs. Air Conditioners: Which Is More Cost-Effective?

Deciding how to cool your home can be a tough choice. Probably, the next question that comes to your mind is whether you should use air conditioners or ceiling fans. In this article, we will detail each and help you decide which saves more money in the long-term. In this guide, we share the pros and cons of each option to help you choose what is best for your home.

Air Conditioners vs. Ceiling Fans

Air conditioners and ceiling fans both have their pros and cons. Final thoughts - Ceiling fans are the less-expensive option to purchase and install, which is really all they have going on their side in this debate! Nonetheless, they are less cost-effective than air conditioning as they consume larger amounts of energy and you can end up with substantial electricity bills over time. However, air conditioners have a higher purchase and installation price but they operate with less energy consumption compared to ceiling fans. There is therefore a possibility that while air conditioners are upfront more costly, they end up costing the consumer less overall at times. So while air conditioners may seem to the better option due to reduced energy consumption, this is not a general rule for all. I want to take closer look on both options and compare what we have.

Pros And Cons Of Using Air Conditioners Or Ceiling Fans

Before deciding ceiling fans and air conditioners require you to consider a few important factors. To start with, find out how large your house is and the number of rooms you wish to be chilling. A ceiling fan could be sufficient to keep you comfortable if your needs are cooling just a room or two. On the contrary, if you have a big house with many rooms and spaces then just about one ceiling fan alone will not be able to cool or make your whole space cold.

Moreover, keep in mind what type of weather you lose. In this case, it may behoove you to opt only for a ceiling fan if your home resides in one of the zones with temperature ranging from mild to tolerant all year round. But if you live somewhere that is hot in summer, living room ceiling fan might be no good. If so, you might need an air conditioner to keep yourself cool and comfortable during the hot days.

The Cost-Effective Options

Once you have considered the size of your home and potentially how hot or cold it gets in summer, choose which cooling option will work out to be cheaper for what you need. Ceiling fans are usually less expensive to purchase and install than air conditioners. The approx range is; a ceiling fan costs $50 to 150 on average, wherein an air conditioner starts from as low as #$150 and can go us high at #2.

But ceiling fans are also more spending on electricity than air conditioners. The average ceiling fan uses about 60 watts of electricity, meanwhile air conditioners use anywhere from 500 to 2,500 watts. This can make a huge impact on your energy bill, just because of that little difference in how much power it uses (not if you are actually using HPC!!). For example, running a ceiling fan for eight hours per day would only cost about $3.60 each month while the same run-time of an air conditioner could cost between $30 and as much as upwards of $150 every single month! In essence, ceiling fans are more affordable purchase than an air conditioner but will cost you dearly in power bills later.

Air Coolers v/s Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans vs air conditioners - which is the better choice? Ultimately, that is really up to you and your process or environment. A ceiling fan may be just what you are looking for if your home is small, and you live in a place with moderate climate. It will help in circulating the air and possibly keep you cooler, at a low cost. But, if you have a big house and live somewhere that is very hot in the summer with an air conditioner, you may find cooling off to be a must.

Comparing The Expense Of Running Fans To ACs

To help you determine which option might be best for your circumstance, here are some numbers. If you have a 150 square foot room that needs to be chilled, running an overhead fan for eight hours a day would cost around $3.60 monthly. A 5,000-BTU (British Thermal Units) air conditioner running for the same amount of time would cost about $60 a month to operate by comparison.

However, if you have a 400 square foot room and running only the ceiling fan will not do it justice. In this case, you would need an air conditioner that has a cooling capacity of at the very least 10 Kilo BTUs. In eight hour daily operation it will consume about $110 monthly. By contrast, a ceiling fan of equivalent size used in such a room would cost about $9.60 to operate over the same period of time. Thus, while ceiling fans may seem cheaper for smaller rooms but air conditions can be more efficient in large spaces if it is too hot.

Conclusion

So in the end, depending on your needs and whatever you prefer are which between a ceiling fan or an air conditioner is better for you. For a small, mild climate home that gets five hours of sunlight or less, the cheapest option is probably going to be a ceiling fan. But again if you would have a big house and the location is going to be hot during summer, probably you might need an air conditioner for keeping yourself cool or comfortable. Ultimately, the decision is up to you and will depend on your budget and living arrangements. Before you decide, always deliberate on these matters and be prepared for another summer of coolness.