Are Ceiling Fans effective?
Keeping this in consideration, do ceiling fans really help?
Ceiling fans are useful for cooling only when they move air over skin. They cool our bodies two ways: by aiding evaporative cooling and by aiding convective cooling. If the air movement created by a ceiling fan isn't hitting anyone's skin, it's just making the space warmer with no cooling benefit.
Also, should ceiling fans be left on all the time?
It's even safe to leave it on when no one is in the room if the purpose of leaving it on is to circulate air and maintain consistent room temperature. In very hot weather, for example, it can be beneficial to leave a ceiling fan on as a way to circulate cool air throughout the house.
Ceiling fans create a wind chill effect that makes you feel cooler similar to an open window in a moving car. If you have a ceiling fan in a room with a temperature of 80 degrees, running the fan can create a wind chill effect that makes you feel as if the temperature is 72 degrees.