To combat the scorching summer heat, many Australians have prepared by swapping their ceiling fans for air conditioning units.
However, Dick Clarke, a director at Envirotecture has argued that ceiling fans have an architectural purpose in a home.
“Fans are the single most powerful thing you can have for summer cooling,” Mr Clarke said.
In a room the hot air rises, while the cooler air is closer to the ground.
Therefore, ceiling fans can help to circulate and disperse the cooler air throughout the room.
While it does not produce cooler air like air conditioning, the movement of the air does have a cooling effect on people.
“Ceiling fans work by moving air over skin and in the process evaporating the sweat off the skin. As water changes phase from liquid to vapour it absorbs a massive hit of thermal energy. Thus, we get a cooling sensation.
“Ceiling fans are very good at doing this because they are large, hang in the centre of the space, and move large amounts of air in a short space of time,” Mr Clarke said.
According to Mr Clarke, fans can also be used to improve the effectiveness of air conditioning.
He said in many of the commercial buildings Envirotecture design, they use air conditioning and ceiling fans which are more effective together.
“They achieve this by moving a large amount of air already dehumidified and slightly chilled by the air conditioner, over the whole space.
“We have a strategy where the air conditioning can only run when the fans are already running, preventing anyone from running the air conditioning inefficiently. It also means they have to try to get cool using only the fans first, which usually is all that is required,” Mr Clarke said.
Another benefit is ceiling fans are more energy efficient.
“They improve the efficacy and energy efficiency of air conditioning by factor four,” Mr Clarke said.
Bunnings have ceiling fans that are specifically energy efficient, such as the Arlec 150cm Moloch DC 6 Blade Aluminium Ceiling Fan With LED Light.
This product offers a new aerodynamic blade design that provides smoother air flow and consumes up to 70 per cent less energy.
Another option is Bunnings Rinzler Ceiling Fan which is multi-functional, containing lighting features and built-in blue tooth speakers for convenience.
However, if you’re opting for a smarter option, consider Haiku Home’s range which boasts SenseME Technology.
The fans have LED lighting and Wi-Fi radio built into it, as well as motion and climate sensors.
The fan and its features can be controlled from a phone app.
Another benefit is the smart technology can adjust the fan depending on the rooms temperature.
Before making decisions on home design, consider an experts opinion.
