Electric fans and air conditioning units both provide ways to keep cool indoors when temperatures start to rise across the UK. However, they both achieve this in a different way.
If you’re unsure which solution is best for you, it pays to know exactly what you’ll get from each one so you can choose wisely. In this guide we’ll take a look at how both systems work, as well as their benefits and drawbacks. You’ll have a better idea of which option is right for your home by the time you’ve finished reading.
How Do Fans Work?
Fans are common in the majority of UK households. They work by using a motor to turn blades that move the air around the room, creating a breeze. The flowing air helps draw sweat from your skin and evaporate it faster, making you feel cooler.
Essentially speaking, fans don’t actually cool the air but create a cooling effect by moving it around. Fans are great when the weather is only slightly warm, or if you’re able to sit right in front of the airflow. A small desk or pedestal fan can make all the difference on a warm summer’s day.
Benefits of Using a Fan
Fans are a popular option for many reasons:
- Inexpensive: Fans are relatively cheap when compared to air conditioning.
- Low energy consumption: Fans don’t use much electricity so will only cost a few pounds each month to run.
- Portability: Fans can easily be moved from room to room.
Downsides of Fans
Fans can be great but do come with drawbacks too. Mainly due to the fact they circulate the air, not cool it, fans can become ineffective at higher temperatures and during hotter days they only redistribute the warm air.
Fans also work best when you are sat directly in front of them. Once you leave the room, any benefit disappears.
How Does Air Conditioning Work?
Air conditioning units differ from fans significantly as they actually cool the air inside a room. An air conditioning unit extracts hot air from the room and passes it over refrigerant coils. These absorb the heat from the air and expel it outside. The cooled air is then redistributed around the room.
Many air conditioning units also remove moisture from the air as they cool it making rooms feel more comfortable when it’s hot.
Benefits of Air Conditioning
Air conditioning has many benefits including:
- Temperature control: Air conditioning units allow you to set the temperature to your liking and maintain that exact temperature.
- Powerful: Air conditioning can really lower the temperature indoors, so much that you might even need a light jacket or cardigan if the temperature is set too low.
- Room-wide cooling: Fans have to be placed near you in order to keep you cool. Air conditioning works for your entire room.
Air con also filters and cleans the air as it cycles it around your home.
Energy Usage and Running Costs
Perhaps the most noticeable difference between fans and air conditioning units are the amount of electricity they use.
Fans don’t use much electricity at all. The average fan can end up costing you just a couple of pence per hour to run, and this is why they’re so commonly used.
Air conditioning systems use more electricity as they have to power the refrigeration process which cools the air. However, more recent models use less energy than you may think. Newer models use ‘inverter technology’ which automatically adjusts energy consumption based on how high or low the temperature is, ultimately helping to minimise running costs.
Though more expensive to buy, air conditioning systems can be a much better long-term solution, especially as summers continue to get hotter in the UK.
Installation
Ease of installation is another difference between the two.
- Fans are incredibly simple to get going. Buy one, plug it in and you’re ready to go.
- Air conditioning units require a little more work as professional installation is usually required, specifically for any wall-mounted units.
- Professional installation can be costly, but once set up you shouldn’t need to move it again, only touching it for servicing.
Fans vs Air Con, Which Should You Choose?
So which cooling system is right for you? Well, that depends on your personal circumstances. Consider purchasing a fan if:
- You only need cooling occasionally.
- Your house or workspace doesn’t get too hot inside.
- You don’t want to spend too much money.
Choose air conditioning if:
- Temperatures inside your home or workplace get too warm to be comfortable.
- You’d prefer cooler air being dispersed across your entire room.
- You want to be able to set a specific temperature.
Of course, some households use both fans and air conditioning. It’s not uncommon to see a fan being used in conjunction with an air conditioning unit to better distribute cooled air around a room.
Contact Us
Though fans can provide a quick and simple solution to warm weather, air conditioning provides a more complete and long-term solution. Not only does it cool the air but also help purify it.
Should you be interested in air conditioning in Bristol or the surrounding areas, why not get in contact so we can discuss the best option for you? We’re experts in finding you the best system for your home or business.