How Exhaust Fans Impact Heating Your Home

Whether you are a lifelong Michigan resident or a recent transplant, sometimes it seems that wintertime is an endless battle with Mother Nature. From the fierce blizzards and ice storms that roar off the Great Lakes to the freezing cold temperatures that send all but the most hardy fleeing indoors, living in Michigan during the winter season can be a real challenge.

If you are looking for a way to lower your winter heating costs and keep your home warmer and more comfortable, you might want to think about how exhaust fans can impact your efforts. Exhaust fans have an important role to play in heating your home, and using them properly could lower your winter heating costs significantly.

Use Exhaust Fans Wisely

As you might expect, exhaust fans can have a negative impact on attempts to heat your home, allowing warm air to escape and giving the cold Michigan air an entry point to the interior. Exhaust fans may be a necessity, but it is important to use them wisely.

One of the most effective ways to reduce the impact of exhaust fans on your heating costs is to turn those fans off when they are not needed. You may need to run the exhaust fan in your bathroom after a shower, but once the condensation is off the mirror, it is time to turn the switch and preserve the warm air in your home.

Fan Efficiency Is Key

The efficiency of the fan is another key consideration when determining, and ultimately reducing, any heat loss. It can be difficult to determine the amount of air the fan draws in, and that airflow will be impacted by things like changes in barometric pressure and the differences between inside and outside air temperatures.

The speed of the fan and the blade design can have a significant impact on the amount of heat lost when the fan is in operation. If your ventilation fan is an older model, replacing it with a newer and more efficient one could lower your winter heating bills without compromising the warmth and comfort of your family.

Run Fans At Low Speeds

Running the fans at the lowest speed possible to do the job is another way to reduce heat loss and keep more warm air inside your home. This may not always be possible, but experimenting with various speeds can help you run your exhaust fans more efficiently, and more cost effectively.

There is no doubt that the exhaust fans in your home have an important job to do, but they can also suck warm heated air from your home and cause your heating bills to spike. Knowing how to use your exhaust fans properly could mean the difference between an unexpectedly high heating bill and a warm comfortable home.

Call Vredevoogd Heating & Cooling for all your plumbing, heating, & cooling needs. In the greater West Michigan, Lakeshore, and surrounding areas call: 844-HVAC-365.