Ceiling Fans are an inexpensive way to add comfort to your home throughout the year. By operating ceiling fans properly you can cool off or warm up your home and save money at the same time by cutting down the use of air conditioning and heating units.
Ceiling Fan Direction in Summer
On hot sticky summer days nothing can beat the breeze you feel from a ceiling fan. (Trust me I should know I live in Florida) A ceiling fan’s direction in the summer should be rotating counter clockwise or forward to produce a Wind Chill effect by the downward airflow. The thermostat won’t actually change but the room will seem several degrees cooler due to the wind chill factor. You can save on air conditioning bills by placing ceiling fans throughout your home. According to Casablanca Fan Company Why Buy a Ceiling Fan page when you are using a ceiling fan you can then “raise the thermostat setting, resulting in reduced air conditioning energy consumption of 40% or more” while still keeping your room cool.
Ceiling Fan Direction in Winter
Ceiling fans are commonly linked with warm weather therefore many people don’t realize that ceiling fans can also help warm up a room in the winter months. The ceiling fan direction in winter should be rotating clockwise or reverse. Warm air rises and gets trapped near the ceiling so when the ceiling fan direction is in reverse mode it circulates the warm air from the ceiling to the floor helping take the chill out of the air. Without a ceiling Fan the warm air would continue to be trapped near the ceiling and the floor level would continue to stay cold. The reverse mode only works if the fan is on low. If you have the fan on a higher speed you will create a wind chill effect that you don’t want since it is already cold. Some Ceiling Fans now come with a wall or remote control that has a forward/reverse option so you can change the direction of the Fan with a push of a button.
Exceptions for Ceiling Fan Directions
There are some exceptions that you should keep in mind when it comes to ceiling fan direction. If your ceiling fan is installed in a room with a high ceiling you still put the ceiling fan direction on clockwise or reverse motion in the winter although you should put the speed on medium or high. With higher ceilings it takes more than low speed to help re-circulate the warm air down to floor level.
Also if you have a ceiling fan directly over a dining room table or a desk you should have the ceiling fan direction rotating clockwise/reverse on a higher speed. By having the ceiling fan direction in reverse on a higher speed you will still get the wind chill effect that helps cool you off but will save you from a cold dinner or papers flying all over the place.
I hope this information helps you add comfort to you home year round. Don’t forget ceiling fans are a great way to help save money on utility bills without suffering in the Summer & Winter months. Check out Energy Star’s Ceiling Fan Usage Tips on how to help save energy with ceiling fans.
Porch area is 20′ x 35′…Ceiling is metal roof 13 1/2 ‘ high sloping to 12′…open on all sides. Are celing fans going to provide any air movement are should I be looking for a floor fan or mister?
Thanks.
Hi Ed,
If you hang two 52″- 54″ blade span ceiling fans at 11 1/4′ evenly spaced with 2′ downrods and a CFM (product airflow- cubic feet per minute) rating of at least 6000+ you will receive excellent airflow in your patio. Since it is an opened patio you should also make sure that you get a UL Wet Rated ceiling fan which will endure the outdoor elements. I recommend a ceiling fan like the Casablanca Lanai. The Lanai comes in many finishes and can come with or without a light kit.
Click here to view other outdoor ceiling fans.
Our house is open concept 3 level plan, and at most times of the year it is 2-3 degrees cooler upstairs (bedroom) than down (family room). We want to install a large 54″ fan on the upstairs hall ceiling, which is open to all three floors, and wonder which way to have the fan blowing in order to help better equalize the temperature. We do close lower vents in the summer and upper vents in the winter.
Thanks for your help!
Laurie
Hi Laurie,
To better equalize the temperature of your home the fan would have to be pushing air down so it would need to be rotating counter clockwise/forward. I would also recommend finding a ceiling fan with a reverse from control feature. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Thank you!
If our airconditioner ducts are at the top of the wall facing the fan hanging from the ceiling, which way should the fan turn (when looking up at the blades)? Does the fan help bring that cooled air down, or am I better off with the windchill effect?
Thank you
Hi Elissa,
The ceiling fan should still rotate counter clockwise in the warmer months. A ceiling fan rotating counter clockwise will push the cool air down and will also create a windchill effect as well.