I've read you are supposed to run ceiling fans clockwise in the winter, and counter clockwise in the summer. Nothing I've read states if that is while you're looking up at it, or if it's if you were looking down on it. I'm assuming it's looking up at it from the ground. Anybody know if that's right?

1/14/2012 7:52:25 PM

i've never heard anything about running it one way in the winter versus the summer

if the idea is to blow warmer air down below in the winter and warmer air up above in the summer, i guess that makes some sense, but its all based on the tilt of the blades...if you want the air to go up, have it spin in the direction where the blades "scoop" the air upwards

1/14/2012 7:55:14 PM

In the summer, I have it spinning so the blade (I will use the \ symbol to represent) is going this way
<----- \

In the winter, I have it going like this:

\ ---------->


Looking up at my fan in the living room, that means it goes CCW in summer and CW in winter

[Edited on January 14, 2012 at 7:58 PM. Reason : yep]

1/14/2012 7:57:16 PM

seems backwards to me

if warm air rises, dont you want to push the warm air up in the summer, and bring it down to warm you in the winter?

1/14/2012 7:57:57 PM

that's the only way that makes sense

1/14/2012 7:58:10 PM

doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of difference to be honest.

1/14/2012 7:59:43 PM

That's the way I've always heard so I just did it that way..

I really don't notice much difference, though.

1/14/2012 8:00:41 PM

any air blowing on me when I'm hot is more relief than if no air is blowing on me

in the wintertime, I don't really use a ceiling fan, but blowing cold air on me would not be ideal...but the noise of the fan is nice at night, so blowing the air upward would be alright

1/14/2012 8:01:38 PM

i don't run the ceiling fan at all when it's cold because no matter what it makes me feel colder.

1/14/2012 8:01:49 PM

It's not really up for debate if this method works, as you can tell with a simple google search. My question is just if it's clockwise/counterclockwise looking up at it, or down on it.

1/14/2012 8:04:25 PM

the heat from my fireplace goes straight to the ceiling. i run it where it pushes the hot air down.

1/14/2012 8:05:26 PM

Quote :

"the heat from my fireplace goes straight to the ceiling. i run it where it pushes the hot air down."

same for me. running the ceiling fan in the room with my wood heater significantly increases the convection off the heater surface.

1/14/2012 8:08:01 PM

pretty sure it's the direction you are looking up at it

it would be some ass-backwards thinking otherwise

1/14/2012 8:08:11 PM

Quote :

"It's not really up for debate if this method works, as you can tell with a simple google search. My question is just if it's clockwise/counterclockwise looking up at it, or down on it."

Beats the hell out of me. Look at how the blades are angled. Choose your direction based on which direction the air will be pushed when the blades move.

Look at the tip of a blade. If it is high on the left and low on the right (like \ ) then pushing air down will be CCW when looking from the bottom (summer) and pulling air up will be CW when looking from the bottom (winter).
If the blade is high on the right and low on the left ( / ) then it'll be opposite. CW in summer and CCW in winter when looking from the bottom.


As far as the theory goes, running a fan will just create a convection loop through your room and will distribute the heat evenly across the room.
If you pull the cool air up, it will displace the warm air at the ceiling and push the warm air out from the fan and down the walls, heating the floor space.
If you push the ceiling air down, it will force the floor air out and up the walls. The convection loop is about the same either way. The only difference is if you want to feel a breeze on your skin. In the winter, I don't want to feel a breeze at all, even if it's the warm air that's hanging out by the ceiling.

[Edited on January 14, 2012 at 8:17 PM. Reason : ]

1/14/2012 8:09:21 PM

This is how it works. This is why there is a little switch on the side of a ceiling fan to change directions:

"During winter (in the correct mode as described above), the fan will slowly draw the cooler air from floor level directly below the fan upwards to the ceiling where it mixes with the warmer air. The air is then kicked out across the ceiling towards the walls as it comes down."

You are supposed to run it on the lowest speed in winter for it to work, and the house heats more efficiently. Plus the lower speed reduces wind chill, so you don't get the same effect you get in summer.

1/14/2012 8:09:45 PM

the effectiveness of this also depends on ceiling height, vaulted ceiling, and where the heating vents are located.

I have a vaulted ceiling, about 12 ft in the middle, with two registers about 5 ft from the outside walls (24ft wide room). I didn't change the direction for winter but it is pushing the air down now and works well to get heat in the middle of the room.

1/14/2012 8:21:50 PM

Didn't mythbusters prove that it didn't make any difference at all which direction it was turning?

1/14/2012 8:21:54 PM

My ceiling fan has run nonstop for 5 years.

[Edited on January 14, 2012 at 8:24 PM. Reason : ugh]

1/14/2012 8:24:00 PM

pretty sure it's the direction you are looking up at it

it would be some ass-backwards thinking otherwise

1/14/2012 8:24:07 PM

It's the direction as you look up.


But unless you have 15' tall ceilings it's probably not going to make a significant difference.

1/14/2012 8:52:22 PM

its like BDub said

in the summer you want it to push air down on you so you feel the cooling effect

the blade is angled and you want it going this way / -> which makes the air hit it / <- like that and get pushed down

in the winter you want the opposite so it pulls the air from you to the ceiling and pushes the hot air down around the sides of the walls back so you don't feel the cooling while still circulating the hot air

1/14/2012 8:54:24 PM

The fan will not take off.

1/14/2012 11:04:44 PM

Quote :

"i've never heard anything about running it one way in the winter versus the summer"

seriously?

1/14/2012 11:11:55 PM

super cool insult, InsultMaster

last time i had a ceiling fan was 10 years ago and the blades were horizontal

1/14/2012 11:14:15 PM

The ceiling cat will not be decapitated.

1/14/2012 11:15:28 PM

This should help you out http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eVXKKaWJTls

1/14/2012 11:24:43 PM

jesus christ if you can't look at your fan and figure out what the fuck it needs to be doing on your own I don't know what you hoped to accomplish by asking tww

1/15/2012 4:54:12 AM