Bhubaneswar: It is a common misconception that ceiling fans should not be used along with air conditioners (ACs).
The reason, however, is not wrong. Ceiling fans push down hot air and increase load on ACs. But ceiling fans create a breeze that makes the occupants in the room feel cooler sooner. This, in turn, makes people increase the set temperature of the AC by 2-4 degrees and thus save power.
How We Feel Cool?
Evaporation causes cooling, and water vapour (sweat) from our body evaporating cools us down. Evaporation depends on temperature, relative humidity, and amount of air flowing in. The first two are taken care of by ACs, while the 3rd is very efficiently done by fans.
A fan consumes around 50-100 watts while a standard room AC consumes around 1500 watts. The lesser the compressor of your AC works, the lower your electricity bill will be.
What About Table & Pedestal Fans?
These are actually more efficient. The breeze is directed towards the person and he/she can feel cool earlier. These do not pull in the hot air from the ceiling as well.
So the most efficient way to cool a room is to use an air conditioner along with a fan, preferably a pedestal or table one.
Also Read: Ten Effective Ways To Reduce Your Air Conditioning Bills
