Ode to Ceiling Fans
I grew up in the DC suburbs. We did not have a single ceiling fan in the house and it was just fine. Summer days got pretty hot, but summer nights cooled off and there was always the air conditioning. I do remember some particularly pleasant summer nights when I had a box fan in my window, but that was about it.
When I moved to Florida I noticed all of the houses have ceiling fans in pretty much every room. In fact, my old townhouse had ceiling fans even in the kitchen and the dining room. We had two fans on both the front and back porches of my last house.
You have to move the air down here. Even with the air conditioning running. The houses are fighting the white hit sun that has spent all afternoon soaking into the stucco and the insulation. Electric bills down here would be monstrous without fans, because using ceiling fans creates a downward cool breeze, redirects cooled air and makes you feel cooler. You can turn the thermostat down a couple of degrees, still feel comfortable, and save some money to boot.
I’m addicted. I can sleep in a pretty warm house now, as long as my ceiling fan is going all night and sending a blissful breeze over my skin.
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