Air Con Vs Fans – What’s Better for Summer?

The summer heat is getting to you and you know you need to invest in a cooling appliance, but should you go for an air conditioner or a fan? There are many factors to consider including cost, effectiveness and what type of fan or air con is right for your home.

Don’t sweat it. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know so you can make a decision and start feeling cooler in no time.

Table of Contents

How Fans Work

There are many different types of fans from the classic ceiling and standing fans to the fancy bladeless and misting fans. Whatever type you go for, the general principle is the same across the board.

Fans cool you off like a refreshing breeze would. They don’t actually cool the temperature of the room by much. But by moving air particles fans help your body with its natural cooling process. The heat that our bodies emit is replaced by the moving air, helping us feel cooler.

How Air Con Works

Air conditioning systems help us feel cooler through moving air like a fan, and also by lowering the overall temperature of the room. There are a few different types of air conditioning systems that function differently.

Split system air con has an indoor unit that is installed on your wall and an outdoor unit where unwanted hot air is released. Split systems use a refrigerant liquid to remove heat from the air.

Refrigerant ducted air con also uses refrigerant to cool the air. However, it delivers this cool air to every room of the home via ducts in the ceiling.

Evaporative ducted air con uses the natural phenomenon of evaporation to provide a cool, refreshing breeze to every room in the home. Evaporative systems use a lot less electricity but they are less effective in humid conditions.

Cost

Fans are typically much cheaper to buy and run than air conditioners. More energy efficient fans will usually be more expensive to purchase than other fans, but they will cost less to run.

Air conditioning can be a significant financial investment, especially ducted systems which must be installed in the ceiling cavity of your home. Split air con systems tend to be much cheaper as they are smaller units which provide cooling to one room.

Evaporative air conditioning is the cheapest to run as it requires minimal electricity – only the fan and motor need power, the rest of the process occurs passively. For refrigerative systems, it’s worth investing in more energy efficiency stars to save money on running costs.

Modern ducted air conditioning allows you to create climate zones within your home for more efficient cooling. By cooling only the occupied rooms, you can decrease the cost of running the air conditioner.

Effectiveness

When it comes to effectiveness, air conditioning beats a fan. Refrigerative air conditioning provides precise climate control, allowing you to set the exact temperature that you want the room to be.

Ducted air conditioning allows you to cool the entire home whereas a fan can only cool a small area. Although evaporative air conditioning isn’t effective when it’s humid, refrigerative air conditioning is effective in all conditions, even when it’s a very hot day. However, in the sweltering heat, the cooling effect of fans reduces.

When to Choose a Fan

A fan might be the right choice for you if you are on a limited budget, living in a rental home or don’t experience high temperatures throughout summer.

Reasons to Choose a Fan:

Less expensive to purchase
Less expensive to run
Some fans are portable
Effective for light to medium cooling

When to Choose Air Conditioning

If you live in a place where temperatures are high in summer, it might be worth investing in an air conditioner. Air conditioning in Rockingham and other warm climates is particularly desirable because it allows you to control the temperatures in your home more precisely. A fan may not provide enough of a cooling effect.

Reasons to Choose Air Con:

Excellent climate control
Powerful and effective cooling
Cools a wider area
Ability to create climate zones

What’s Right for You?

At the end of the day, the decision between a fan and air conditioning is up to you. Weigh up the pros and cons that are relevant to your situation.

If your budget allows, it may be worth investing in both a fan and air conditioning. That way you can save money by using the fan on warm days but also have the comfort of turning the air con on when it gets too hot. Using the two at the same time can also make your air conditioner more energy efficient.

Whatever you decide on, stay cool this summer!