Late-Winter to early Spring is the ideal time to consider preparing your home for the long hot Summer ahead. Whilst there are several methods to cool your home, Ceiling Fans and Air Conditioners are the two stand out options particularly in Sydney, Newcastle, Blue Mountains & Wollongong.
In this blog post, we take a closer look at these two popular cooling options so you can best learn how to deal with the long hot Summer ahead.
Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are a common way to deal with Summer heat. However, it is important to understand they do not cool your home. Instead, fans provide air movement, and when this air comes into contact with the sweat (moisture) on your skin, the air evaporates the sweat, taking body heat with it making you feel cooler.
On humid days, where the airs moisture level is very high, there is less evaporation and therefore less cooling of your body. Sweltering hot days have a similar effect, where there is just too much heat that can be removed from the body. Running on a similar concept, this is also where Evaporative Cooling struggles, particularly anywhere near the coast.
Fans require very little maintenance. However, a good clean with a rag is essential to remove the dust build-up on the top of the fan blades. You should also confirm that the fan is in Summer mode, this is usually via a switch. Ensure the power is off for both these steps.
Pros: Low cost, little to no maintenance, quiet operation
Cons: Dust build-up, significant lack of cooling
Ceiling fans are an excellent low cost, minimal maintenance, cooling solution. However, there are limitations as to how much cooling they can provide, and in some climates, they won’t offer any significant relief from the heat.
Air Conditioning
The most common and effective form of cooling homes in Summer is air conditioning. There is a range of configurations available, with Spilt System Air Conditioners and Ducted Air Conditioners being the most popular.
Whilst any Air Conditioner can be a sizeable investment compared to Ceiling Fans, the difference in performance is chalk and cheese. Air Conditioning removes the heat from your home and expels it outside. As a result, both your home and its occupants have heat removed, resulting in a cool indoor environment.
Air Conditioners are quite efficient, but if not maintained or ran at extra cold temperatures, they can use quite a large amount of energy. Therefore, it is recommended to run your air conditioner at around 23-25 degrees Celcius.
If your air conditioner is older than 10-15 years, it may also use extra energy. It is recommended to consider replacement options at this age. Modern-day inverter systems can be up to 70% more efficient. New for old air conditioning replacements are a common preventative measure given many failures occur in the middle of a sweltering Summer. The last thing anyone wants is a dead air conditioner in the middle of a heatwave!
It is recommended that your air conditioner is maintained by a licenced air conditioning service technician every 12 months. However, the homeowner should ensure that the filters are washed or replaced regularly.
Pros: Excellent cooling performance, whole-home cooling options
Cons: Initial cost, professional maintenance
Conclusion
Whilst there are many options to cool your home this Summer, Ceiling Fans and Air Conditioning are the two most popular methods.
Ceiling fans are a straightforward, low-cost method to offer some relief to the heat on milder days. However, performance is limited and may lead to some sleepless hot Summer nights ahead.
Whilst there is an initial cost, Air Conditioning is a very effective way of dealing with the hottest of days and nights, ensuring a good nights sleep no matter the temperature outside.
Wondering what a new Air Conditioner costs for your home? Book a Free Quotation with one of our Expert Air Conditioning Dealers.
