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In the midst of the draining August heat of summer here in South Carolina it would be easy to fall victim to an AC addiction. An AC addiction is a disorder marked by an individual that cannot stop turning down the air conditioner and as a result must pay an astronomical amount of money each month for their power bill. But don't fret, you can beat the addiction strategically using fans. In fact, you can resolve to turn the AC 4 degrees just by placing fans in the right places throughout your home. Here's how:
Replace light fixtures with fans.
"Replace overhead light fixtures with $40 Energy Star ceiling fans," says Jenny Wiedower, Executive Director of the South Carolina Chapter of the US Green Building Council "A ceiling fan circulating air on your skin feels like the temperature is 4 degrees lower than the actual air temperature. Thus, you can turn your thermostat up 4 degrees when sitting under a fan."
Only use window fans during the coolest hours of the night.
Window fans work best to cool the home when they are used during the coolest hours of the day, usually at night. Once the house has been cooled overnight, it's best to close windows during the hottest hours of the day to try to hold on to as much of the cool air as possible.
Purchase a dual fan system.
Dual fans work well because one fan can push air outside, and the other can pull air inside especially when placed directly on the window sill. These fans work great for rooms that get hot quickly (such as those with large windows that receive direct sunlight). Twin fans with three airflow settings (air intake, exhaust, and exchange) work best.
Practice cross ventilation with fans.
Place a powerful stand fan in one room and open any adjoining doors. Direct the fan to blow air to the next rooms. You can also place an exhaust fan high up in one room so that the air is constantly circulating. To cross ventilate your house, open any windows that aren't facing the sun allowing cool air to come in.
Consider a solar attic fan Your attic acts as a giant radiator, retaining heat when it's hot outside. This built-up heat can also spill over into the rest of your home, causing your utility bills to steadily climb each summer month. A solar attic fan is a new invention in the heating and cooling industry. The fans are installed on the roofs of most homes and by collecting natural energy from the sun they can power a whole house fan. Since they run on natural resources, they cut down on utility costs, and are more environmentally friendly. They operate when the sun is shining, which is perfect because that's when they are most effective at removing heat from your home. [b]Read more on Beating the Heat
