When the temperatures rise most Brisbane households want the option of having something to bring the heat levels down, especially if you live in a climate that gets really hot during the summer.
Two of the most common options are air conditioning installation and ceiling fans, though it’s not necessary to have one over the other as both have their own unique benefits. In fact, we often recommend our Brisbane clients to install both as they perfectly complement each other!
Air conditioners vs. Ceiling fans
Both machines use the same basic principle, utilising evaporation to either cool you or the room down. The main difference is that a ceiling fan blows air at force over your body so only cools you down but doesn’t affect the temperature of the overall room.
Air conditioners, on the other hand, also use evaporation just in a much more sophisticated manner. A coolant coil within the machine pulls in air, which through the evaporation process cools it before sending it back into the room. Condensation then occurs in a separate part of the unit and blows the hot air outside of the home.
Pros and Cons of Fans
Advantages
A ceiling fan has a number of advantages, Firstly, it’s very easy to install. Especially when compared to an air conditioning unit. Yes, it does require you to bring in an electrician, with minor drilling required and some wiring to be done, however, it’s a simple and straightforward process which doesn’t take more than a couple of hours to complete.
Similarly, there is very little maintenance work that comes with it and there is no necessity to have it serviced periodically, when there is a fault there are only a handful of issues it can have due to its simple nature, making it easy to repair.
Its relatively low purchase and installation price, combined with its lifespan of between 15 and 20 years makes it a very good investment in the long run.
Value for money continues in the form of how much money it saves you on energy bills when compared with an air conditioner. Costing you a fraction of an AC in bills, it’s definitely the better option economically speaking. An added bonus is that it’s also much more environmentally friendly!
Disadvantages
For all of its benefits, where ceiling fans lack is in their cooling ability. They can only work with the temperature of the air, so if it’s extremely hot, a fan will simply blow hot air over you. How useful they are to you depends on how hot it gets where you live and how long the heat stays.
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) actually doesn’t recommend you to use your fan if the temperature is over 35 degrees. This is because the circulation of hot air can contribute to triggering heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion. As a ceiling fan evaporates the moisture from your skin it can also increase the rate of dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.
Pros and Cons of Air Conditioners
Advantages
The primary advantage of having an air conditioner is that it fulfils its purpose very well. When it comes to finding a machine that will cool an area down, to a specific temperature, with different modes of power and direction, there is nothing that can compete with an air conditioning unit. There are many countries in the world where having an air conditioning unit in homes, offices, public buildings etc. is a necessity due to how high the temperatures get.
Some countries also experience all four seasons with very hot summers and harsh winters. For these climates, you can invest in air conditioners that do both, cool and heat. This will save you from having to buy different machines to do different things.
Disadvantages
Air conditioners are usually costly to buy and install and consume more power. They are more expensive than ceiling fans, however, having Brisbane’s weather in mind, there are days when air conditioning is worth every cent!
FAQ’s
Will the fan-mode on my air conditioner save me money?
The answer is both yes and no. It all comes down to how you use your air conditioner. If you use the air conditioner once in a while, then using it on fan mode probably won’t impact your electricity bill too much. However, if your air conditioner is constantly in use then, if used correctly, the fan mode can have quite the impact.
The fan mode essentially does the same thing a ceiling fan does, use the air available to it and recycle it. So if you use the cooling mechanism for a period of time, get the room nice and cool, and then switch to fan mode, you can keep the room at more or less the same temperature and bring your bills down as well.
