Leaving home empty with ceiling fans on

[mm]

Another good point.

So far, no reasons given for leaving the fans running when no one is there.

[Phisherman]

You are correct. A running ceiling fan will add heat. It does make a room feel cooler because it speeds the sweat evaporation off of the skin. Running a ceiling fan without occupants is a waste of energy.

[readandpostrosie]

that is our experience, also!

[Wayne Boatwright]

Oh pshaw, on Fri 04 Aug 2006 10:35:11a, JimL meant to say...

It is even cheaper to leave the ceiling fans AND the a/c off. Both increase your electric bill.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Even though I believe that dogs are lower than cockroaches, they are still "someone", as far as your friend is concerned. When the AC cycles to off, the fan probably makes the dog feel more comfortable.

[Jim Yanik]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

The electric companies here in central Florida often tell us to shut OFF ceiling fans in unoccupied rooms as the cooling effect only works on people,not inanimate objects. They run TV ads about it.

It seems to me that circulating air in a room would be a good idea,whether people are in there or not,especially in humid climes.

[mm]

I wouldn't say "no one" if the dog were there. The dog is at my house when they go away. I said that, but not in the first post. (I thought I had said it, but the my actual words didn't actually say one way or the other. Sorry.)

[mm]

I tried to convince the woman of the house of that a few years ago. She thinks her piano will be damaged if she lets the house get hot. She also has some sort of humidifier or heater/humidifier she uses in the winter (I hope she turns it off in the summer.) to keep the piano from getting to dry.

My piano, a baby grand, is maybe 70 years old, maybe more, and no one

-- including my own very thrifty mother, who was especially good about not damaging things -- has ever done anything to protect it from temp*** or humidity or lack of it, and it is fine.** ***Of course the furnace was set to 50 or 60 when we went out of town in the winter, but that was more for the water pipes than the piano.

They are a very thrifty family otherwise. No fancy vacations, no cruises, they just drive to the midwest to visit family once a year. (Although this year only there was another one 10 day vacation to see their son overseas.)

Anyhow, I made my point about the AC and she was totally unmoved. If I hadn't said anything before about the AC, I wouldn't have felt the need to be so well prepared when I tell her it is a waste to run the fans. I'm still scared to raise the topic, but I will. It's a waste in 3 different ways to run the fans when no one is there. 4 if you count wearing out the fans. This woman has two PhD's and she not stupid either, so I still expect she'll have thought of a reason it is a good idea to run the fans, and she'll give me that cold look/cold tone of voice she has when she contradicts someone. Otherwise she's very nice. :) And so is her husband and kids, who I do things with.

**I used to tune it twice a year, because of weather changes, but even if one doesn't, it can be brought up to tune after years by tuning it twice. (The strings are tightened most of the way the first time through, and the tension on the strings is kept even to not damage the harp. Then it is tuned again -- it can be right away, a minute later

-- to get the strings fully tight and the pitches fully right.)

[Bawana]

Well, you're not alone being stupid.

[Bawana]

So, the electric companies are lying to you?

[Jim Yanik]

"Bawana" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

No,they are thinking about conserving electricity usage,while others are concerned about their home's environment despite a slightly higher electric bill.They might choose to economize or conserve elsewhere;different priorities.

[Bawana]

Ah, yeah, sure, whatever you say. Bhaaaawwwwaaaaaaaa!!!!!!

[mm]

But if the AC is on, how humid can it be in the room?