Ceiling Fan Energy Use

As it turns out ceiling fans use a tiny fraction of the electricity that air conditioners ac units use.
Ceiling fan energy use. The airflow produced creates a wind chill effect making you feel cooler. Ceiling fan energy usage. Air conditioning ac units use a lot more power than a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans help cool a room by moving air which causes evaporative cooling.
A ceiling fan is a common house appliance which is attached to the ceiling and uses an electric motor to rotate blades or paddles in a circular motion. While standing directly under the ceiling fan you should feel a cool breeze. Energy usage of about 40 watts at medium speed is typical. Various units consume anywhere from 10 to over 100 watts per hour with most running between 20 and 80 watts.
The power used by a ceiling fan varies depending on the model the size and the speed setting. A typical ceiling fan uses 60 to 75 watts of energy per hour even when running on high. I measured the power draw of both to create an honest accurate graph comparing the two so you can know what to expect. Using the ceiling fan year round.
In the summer use the ceiling fan in the counterclockwise direction. But while a typical central air conditioning unit uses 3 500 watts of energy when running the average ceiling fan uses only 60 watts even when running on high. The electricity consumption of a ceiling fan ranges widely depending on the design and the speed setting of the fan. Ceiling fans provide enjoyable cooling with a fraction of the energy consumption caused by air conditioners.
This makes ceiling fans a very efficient alternative to a typical central air conditioning unit which uses 3 500 watts.