Heated Ceiling Fan Saves Home Energy Costs

Heated ceiling fans are among the latest technology the homeowner can consider for installation in helping to reduce home energy costs.

The traditional ceiling fan is a favorite during summer weather, helping to push hot air down and reducing air conditioning costs by as much as 40 percent. So designers thought, aha, let’s use the same principle to our advantage in the winter months, pushing hot air down to help heat the home instead of cool it off. And the ceiling fan heater was born.

The highest temperatures in a 10 to 12 foot room tend to be those within 3 feet of the ceiling, so a heated ceiling fan helpfully redirects that hotter air down toward the part of the room where human beings and pets are feeling pretty chilly once winter winds and snows get to howling.

The main difference between a heated ceiling fan and a traditional ceiling fan is that the heated ceiling fan is constructed with a heating element that can be controlled with an on or off switch. The installation process is the same as for any traditional ceiling fan unless the ceiling doesn’t already have electrical wiring in place for a ceiling light. Having an electrician install the electrical elements in your ceiling in order for the heated ceiling fan to operate will increase your costs of installing a heated ceiling fan.

Since most models are designed with a lighting element, you can install a heated ceiling fan to replace both a traditional ceiling fan and ceiling light. The traditional heated ceiling fan measures 54 inches across and may be a few inches closer to the ground due to the addition of the heating element within the fan unit.

Because this technology is relatively new, you may have to special order the model of fan you are interested in instead of being able to decide today that you’re going to install a heated ceiling fan and conveniently pick one up at the local hardware store. More and more lighting supply and ceiling fan retail stores, however, are beginning to carry these units.

Costs to run the heated ceiling fan average a little more than a dollar a day when the heat is turned on. If the fan is used without heat, daily operating costs average 25 cents.

Those who live in older homes with very high ceilings and two story homes where the second story roasts while the first floor feels chilly find the heated ceiling fan a godsend. It helps force hot air to circulate through the first floor, helping to regulate temperatures and managing a more efficient use of heat throughout the home.