The ceiling fan during winter
Using a ceiling fan during winter seems unnecessesary to you, all Greek even? (Because the winter in Greece is mild, so it definitely makes sense!) However in our region, winter season is rather cold, nature itself already provides us with more than enough cool air and we are happy to get indoors where it is warm and cosy.
But, you probably know, even in pre-heated rooms this comforting feeling is gone already after a short time. And this is exactly where recirculation of heat with the help of ceiling fans comes into play. Thanks to powerful rotation they reclaim warm air that is trapped underneath the ceiling in a heated room and recirculate it in the entire room. This process results in an even room temperature that makes us feel so snug and comfortable. Discover all advantages a ceiling fan with winter mode offers you!
Contents:
- What causes heat build-up?
- Health risks of being cold
- Saving heating costs with a ceiling fan
- Sensible use – Paying attention to ceiling heights
- Additional benefits
- Care and maintenance
What causes heat build-up?
The laws of physics describe how heated warm air has a lower mass is therefore lighter than the gas mixture when it is in its cold state. The part that is already heated rises up and piles up on the ceiling of the closed room. The colder air stays in the lower part of the room where we are staying, and creates its own layer. This principle is what causes the floor to be cold and uncomfortable, despite a working heater. The higher the ceiling, the more the difference in temperature is noticeable between the lower and the upper air layers, and the more heat energy is wasted on heating the ceiling. Most of us have left behind our student flat share days with tall makeshift beds made of euro-paletts and a mattress, there is no use for us in heat that is trapped at ceiling level. Instead, in full accordance with our new lifestyle, us and our visitors get to sit in the lower level, on a soft couch around a designer table… and are freezing!
Health risks of being cold
If we are feeling cold for a longer periods at a time, but do not want turn on the heater in order to save money, the risks different heat layers pose for our health are becoming more and more noticeable.
The human body regulates its heat balance by contracting fine blood vessels on the surface of the body. Blood circulation in hands and feet in particular is now limited, to ensure that only the inner organs that are essential for survival are kept at a constant temperature of 37 degrees Celsius. Once it gets so cold that we start squeezing our arms around our body, thightening our shoulders, our muscles begin to cramp and our neck and back becomes all stiff.
A cold floor is harmful especially for people with arthrosis, rheumatism and other joint diseases. Having coold feet over a longer period is very irritating, because it leads to the feeling, that the cold is spreading throughout the whole body and every bone. Cold feet in combination with a hot head is just as unfavourable, tall people or home owners with low ceilings know this particular annoyance. While the clammy ground makes you twist your toes, the air around your head becomes stuffy. The warm layer of air at face level is often dry and puts a further strain on the mucuous membrane. Irritation of the eyes and headache are a consequence.
Women in particular feel cold more often than men due to the different arrangement of body fat. Their curves give females more body surface (compared to body mass) than males, which leads to them releasing more body heat into the colder environment. Furthermore, special attention should be paid to small children as well, as they like to play on the floor on parquet or carpet, meaning they are much more exposed to the cold air layer. Also, their small bodies become cold much quicker, soon a sore throat follows. Symptoms of a cold such as a stuffed or running nose, croakiness and hypersensitive skin can often be prevented in advance.
Other flatmates like our beloved pets usually stay at ground level. Especially small and cumbersome (or rather well-fed) dogs like the dachshund cannot really help themselves when they are starting to freeze. The only option left is the retreat to the dog bed, which is, however, typically put on the ground as well. Clip-on blankets or even jumpers are not appropriate to the species and possibly lead to increased sweating. In the end, wet fur causes the animals to freeze even more.
Saving heating costs with a ceiling fan
As soon as you are pressing your cold hands onto the heater and turn up the thermostat, additional heating costs arise. A sample calculation:
A floor with a temperature of 16 degrees Celsius is perceived as too cold. The heater is already on, but the warm air is trapped under the ceiling. Starting from 21 degrees you would be comfortable with the temperature on the ground. From experince it can be said that each additional degree heating air means about 6 percent more heating costs! That means in order to increase the temperature by 5 degrees, heating input of 30 percent is needed! Please also keep in mind that this air is likely to be trapped at ceiling level. Even then it is possible that the indoor climate feels too hot or dry. When trying to even it out by letting in fresh air through the window, the heat then just leaves and moves outside!
However, instead of continuing to heat more, why not use your ceiling fan as a stylish and, more importantly, less expensive solution:
When used in winter you will save heating energy and costs with air circulation. A branded product gets rid of cold fingers and noses in no time, smoothly and quietly it circulates and distributes the air inside the room until it reaches an even, pleasant temperature through heat exchange.
Particularly energy-saving DC motors require outstandingly little energy. The most recent eco models for example consume only 5 – 23 Watts, depending on what rotation speed they are set to. A fan with an average energy efficiency needs about as much power as a standard 100 Watt incandescent bulb. The energy efficiency rating is often stated in the item description.
These methods for heat recovery are also significantly cheaper than the purchase and installation of pipe systems and such, which are often not implemented very easily due to architectural restrictions. If you are interested about this topic and would like read more, please go to our category text Professional ventilation technology.
Your benefits of a ceiling fan at a glance:
- saving of costs for heating in winter
- low operating costs
- up to 25 years warranty on the motor
- easy and fast installation
- little to no maintenance necessary
- individual customisation in case of changing requirements (size, colour)
- more flexibility than permanently fixed heaters, e.g. when moving house
- aesthetic imrovement of the room
- eco-friendly method for using heat energy
Sensible use – Paying attention to ceiling heights
Ceiling fans evenly circulate air in a room and, by doing so, create a welcome, balanced indoor temperature in winter. The devices can easily be applied in small to medium-sized rooms as well as in large factory buildings without any problems. However, it is essential to pay special attention to your room size and ceiling height to ensure the best possible profit from the fan!
Depending on room size and ceiling height the use of forward function (summer mode), reverse function (winter mode) or the installation of a TemperatureDifferenceAattenuation system is appropriate. Of course, the forward function is also possible during winter, though it can lead to unpleasant draught effects. For this reason many brands offer a special motor with an additional reverse function.
For a ceiling height under 2.80 m it is recommended to use a fan with reverse function. Most models have a slide switch that is located directly on the housing, which changes the running direction from summer to winter mode, eco DC models have a feature for this on their remote control. During the reverse function the air above the ceiling fan is drawn in by rotation and pushed back to the ceiling. From there it floats along the walls down to the ground. A negative pressure is created underneath the fan, that sucks in the air from the ground and starts the cycle anew. That way all layers of air are included and the temperature difference between warm air at ceiling level and cold air at ground level is balanced out to an even, average mean. The benefits: No additional heating is required and there is no cold draught! The reverse function works with many different types of heaters, such as fireplaces, cockle stoves and fan heaters.
For very low ceilings we offer extra flat fans. They provide the same performance and reliability as their bigger relatives.
Attention: The reverse function is not effective in rooms with a ceiling height of more than 2.80 m! The upper layer of air is pushed onto the ceiling, like it happens in rooms with standard ceilings. The air also flows downwards along the ceilings, however as the distance is longer, the momentum decreases midway. Due to its lower mass, the warm air immediately proceeds to ascend again. It moves upwards to the fan because of a strong, negative pressure that is created. The fan takes this air and pushes it back to the ceiling. To put it in a nutshell, the warm air never even reaches the ground and cannot adjust to the cool air layer.
In rooms with ceilings above 2.80 m it is therefore recommended to keep the fan set to the lowest fan speed in summer mode (forward function). This also provides good air circulation and a balanced temperature. The air speed should be as slow as possible, so that no unpleasant draught is created. Otherwise it would lead to evaporative cooling on the skin, including stiff necks and tensed-up should muscles. In the ideal case the rotation speed of the fan is adjusted according to your ceiling height. The majority of our products offers 3 to 6 fan speeds that can be chosen. The rotation speed is often easily changed with a pull cord that is attached to the housing, the included or, if applicable, separately available remote control or a wall control unit.
In the commercial or industrial sector, e.g. use in large workshops or gyms, TDA models are an excellent choice, even in winter. After installing a fully automated TDA system with thermostat you just have to enter your desired indoor climate. Sensors on the ceiling and at medium or ground level measure the temperature and pass this information on to the device, which starts to even out the air in the room. The fan automatically shuts off if a homogeneous mixed temperature is reached. It is not necessary for you to constantly conduct checks and tests. In long rooms or halls it is possibly more recommendable to use several devices. Blade diameter and coverage are always stated in the creoven item descriptions. If you have any questions about one of our articles, please do not hesitate to contact our customer service.
Additional benefits
High-quality brand products, for example the LOFT satin nickel fan offer a forward and reverse function, that can be switched as the situation demands. They operate super quietly on all rotation speeds and do not wobble around. Enjoy first-class design throughout the whole year and take delight in an eyecatcher that not everyone owns, but many dream of. It proves to be a very chic
Quite a few of our models offer an integrated lighting, so that your are provided with with heat and pleasant, atmospheric lighting in the colder, and darker season of the year – all by one appliance! A separate ceiling light is, depending on the size of the room, therefore probably not required anymore.
Useful accessories like pull cords, wall controller units or remote controls further facilitate handling of the ceiling fan as a whole.
Care and maintenance
If dust and other particles of air build up on the fan blades it is perfectly sufficient in most cases to simply remove it with a feather duster or a slightly damp cloth. This should be done regularly, a thick layer of dust can lead to overheating of the electric components. Tenacious stains can be removed with a mild cleaning agent or special furniture polish, depending on what material the blades are made of. Always make sure to wring out the cleaning cloth and never use dripping wet sponges!
Often our listed models are low-maintenance or maintenance-free and blessed with a longtime warranty by the manufacturer. If you need help with the installation, ask an electrician or professional you trust.
The light bulbs have, depending on the manufacturer, a different life cycle, which is stated in operating hours for example, and need to be exchanged regularly. The exact cycle is mentioned in the article description. Of course it is always possible to order new light bulbs in our shop. Putting in new bulbs in the fan is just as easy as it is the case with standard ceiling lights. It is only important to make sure the power supply is cut off in that moment.
Our branded fans are in accordance with international standards and are partly suitable for the high demands in the industrial and commercial sectors with special certified protection classes. In canteen kitches or workshops, to name a few, fatty air, particles that are flying around and splashing water are a bigger challenge than they are in private homes. Some manufacturers offer products with a possibility of exchanging single parts like blades. This is particularly practical when damage was caused by balls or curious pets, and only single parts need to be replaced.
Make yourself feel comfortable at home and watch through your window as the snow flakes are gently falling from the sky. Our ceiling fans will definitely keep you warm when doing so!
Image sources:
Product images © creoven.de
Image 1: © Ainoa - Fotolia.com
Image 2: © Antonioguillem - Fotolia.com
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