Your window fan is facing the wrong direction. Or not. How you can tell and save money
Editor's note: This story originally published in 2023. We are republishing it as part of our summer coverage.
As temperatures in Central Indiana climb higher, so do electricity bills. One way to lower their cost is by using window fans to cool your home. They consume less energy than air conditioners and can be friendlier on your pocketbook and on the environment.
But what direction should they face — in or out? That depends, say experts. Here's what we know.
The thing to remember about box fans is that they're great for pushing hot air out and sucking cool air in.
Experts recommend placing window fans blowing air into your home on the coolest side of your house. Windows near shady, cooler outdoor areas usually provide the best intake, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
On the western, or hottest side of your home, face your window fans so they're blowing air out of your house.
If your house has more than one floor, consider putting the window fan facing out on the upper floor where indoor temperatures are usually hottest.
Story continues after photo gallery.
If you're going to go through the trouble of setting up a window or box fan, you probably want to know whether or not you're actually saving money, right?
Most box fans use between 50-100 watts of power per hour, according to experts, who say a 20-inch box fan consumes about 50-75 watts per hour. That's about 50% more than your standard ceiling fan, but far less power than an air conditioner, which can use between 500-5,000 watts of electricity.
You might be wondering, then, how much that box fan will cost you in electricity every month. Fortunately, there's a simple formula you can use.
The simple answer? Roughly 20 cents a day.
That's if you're running a 50-watt fan for 24 hours and the price of your electricity is $0.17/kWh — rounded up from 16.52 ¢/kWh — which is the average cost of residential electricity in Indiana, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
So one box fan running nonstop typically costs Hoosiers a little more than $6 a month. That amount can change periodically, so be sure to check your energy bill for the amount of electricity you pay for every one kilowatt-hour of energy.
To find out how much any appliance in your home will cost per hour, use this formula courtesy of Homes And Gardens.
Multiply the appliance's wattage by the number of hours you want to use it. Divide by 1,000 and then multiply again by the cost per kilowatt-hour on your electric bill. The formula looks like this:
Cost = (power (in watts) x time (in hours)) / 1,000 x cost of one kilowatt-hour.
So in our box fan example from above, the formula would be: (50 watts x 24 hours) / 1,000 x $0.17 per kilowatt-hour = $0.20.
Summer 2025 concerts near Indy: 100+ free live concerts around central Indiana during summer 2025.
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Your window fan is facing the wrong direction. Or not. How you can tell and save money
Editor's note: This story originally published in 2023. We are republishing it as part of our summer coverage. As temperatures in Central Indiana climb higher, so do electricity bills. One way to lower their cost is by using window fans to cool your home. They consume less energy than air conditioners and can be friendlier on your pocketbook and on the environment. But what direction should they face — in or out? That depends, say experts. Here's what we know. The thing to remember about box fans is that they're great for pushing hot air out and sucking cool air in. Experts recommend placing window fans blowing air into your home on the coolest side of your house. Windows near shady, cooler outdoor areas usually provide the best intake, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. On the western, or hottest side of your home, face your window fans so they're blowing air out of your house. If your house has more than one floor, consider putting the window fan facing out on the upper floor where indoor temperatures are usually hottest. Story continues after photo gallery. If you're going to go through the trouble of setting up a window or box fan, you probably want to know whether or not you're actually saving money, right? Most box fans use between 50-100 watts of power per hour, according to experts, who say a 20-inch box fan consumes about 50-75 watts per hour. That's about 50% more than your standard ceiling fan, but far less power than an air conditioner, which can use between 500-5,000 watts of electricity. You might be wondering, then, how much that box fan will cost you in electricity every month. Fortunately, there's a simple formula you can use. The simple answer? Roughly 20 cents a day. That's if you're running a 50-watt fan for 24 hours and the price of your electricity is $0.17/kWh — rounded up from 16.52 ¢/kWh — which is the average cost of residential electricity in Indiana, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. So one box fan running nonstop typically costs Hoosiers a little more than $6 a month. That amount can change periodically, so be sure to check your energy bill for the amount of electricity you pay for every one kilowatt-hour of energy. To find out how much any appliance in your home will cost per hour, use this formula courtesy of Homes And Gardens. Multiply the appliance's wattage by the number of hours you want to use it. Divide by 1,000 and then multiply again by the cost per kilowatt-hour on your electric bill. The formula looks like this: Cost = (power (in watts) x time (in hours)) / 1,000 x cost of one kilowatt-hour. So in our box fan example from above, the formula would be: (50 watts x 24 hours) / 1,000 x $0.17 per kilowatt-hour = $0.20. Summer 2025 concerts near Indy: 100+ free live concerts around central Indiana during summer 2025.
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