Help Distribute Home Heating With Ceiling Fans

Reverse your ceiling fan's direction during the winter.

Heating your home in the winter can be expensive. Since heat rises, most of the warmth you pay for pools unused near the ceiling. Many people who live in a two-story home are constantly turning up the thermostat in an attempt to beat the cold. Running your ceiling fan during the wintertime helps distribute heat through your home by forcing warm air down from the ceiling back towards the floor.

Instructions

1. Understand how ceiling fan works so you can maximize the appliance's effect. Ceiling fans can rotate either clockwise or counter-clockwise. Allow the appliance to run counter-clockwise in the summer; the fan pushes warm air down from the ceiling, forcing it to mix with cooler air and even the temperature of the room. In the winter time, flip the switch on the base of your ceiling fan and reverse its rotation to clockwise. The fan will then pull up cooler air to mix with the warmer, sending it across the ceiling, down the walls back to the floor of the room.

2. Install a ceiling fan in every room of your home, so that heat is circulated evenly throughout. As the air circulates, turn your thermostat down from its highest setting and observe as your heaters and fans work together to conserve energy. Although most ceiling fans need to run clockwise for the heat setting, double check the directions on your fans to be sure.

3. Run the fan on its lowest speed, so the heat circulates without causing a cooling draft.

4. Ensure that the warm air circulated by your ceiling fan doesn't seep out of your house. Weatherproof your windows -- see that storm windows are shut and secure, and install plastic or putty to seal gaps in the window frame. Hang heavy draperies or curtains over the windows keep chilled air out and warm air in. On sunny days, open the curtains to allow sunlight to mix with the warmth circulating inside. Install carpeting or purchase large area rugs to keep heat from seeping out through the floor. Insulate doors and cracks in the foundation.

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