Which Direction Should My Ceiling Fan Spin?
Ceiling fans are attractive additions to households and businesses, and can help save on energy costs. They can be used year-round to cool or warm rooms, and motors are reversible to achieve the proper effect. Here's determine which direction your ceiling fan should be spinning for maximum efficiency.
How Fans Work
Ceiling fans cool rooms not by lowering the actual temperature, but by creating a windchill effect. A wind chill effect speeds evaporation of sweat from your skin, thus making you feel cooler. The same effect is seen when you roll down your car windows or fan yourself with a magazine.
Summer Months
During warm weather, set the fan so the blades spin counterclockwise. This will blow a column of air straight down, which should produce the maximum wind chill effect, especially if the fan is positioned directly over the area you wish to cool.
Winter Months
In the winter, reverse the fan motor so that the blades turn clockwise. Warm air rises naturally toward the ceiling. Operated at low speed, the fan will create a gentle updraft that will force warm air down into the room. Even turning clockwise, the fan still must operate at a low speed to avoid undesired wind chill effect.
