reversing ceiling fans?

toile · 11-02-2008, 10:51 AM

Do any of you reverse your ceiling fans for winter?
We are trying to do it now but always worry we somehow will do it wrong?
For example, what if somehow the fans were on the wrong switch all along and we just made it worse and suck the air up?

Is there a way to tell?
Thanks if you know!

**Shoshana** · 11-02-2008, 11:02 AM

There's a switch near the housing of the unit that you flip to reverse the fan. There are only two directions, clockwise and counterclockwise. For winter, you want counterclockwise. It's easy, unless you're dyslexic! (like me!)

toile · 11-02-2008, 02:59 PM

Thanks so much!
Yes it's going counter ,so I must be good to go

**Contrary Housewife** · 11-02-2008, 08:02 PM

I keep mine going counter clockwise all year (sucking air up) because I don't like it blowing down on me, though I do want it to be circulating air.

**PennyWise** · 11-02-2008, 08:05 PM

I push the switch down to blow the air down in winter, up to suck it up in summer.

**Spikey1341** · 11-03-2008, 02:14 PM

Now I heard exactly the opposite, down in summer so the breeze hits your skin and cools faster and up in winter to move the hot air that collects at the ceiling.
This was from our utility company.

toile · 11-03-2008, 02:17 PM

Now you see why I was confused too

I think the clock wise and the counter clockwise is the only thing that I understood.

**vigilant20** · 11-03-2008, 02:23 PM

If my vents are in the ceiling (my furnace is in the attic), do you think that effects how I should set my fans?

**Greebo** · 11-03-2008, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by vigilant20

If my vents are in the ceiling (my furnace is in the attic), do you think that effects how I should set my fans?

Nah, I wouldn't think so. After all - warm air still rises.

**PennyWise** · 11-03-2008, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by vigilant20

If my vents are in the ceiling (my furnace is in the attic), do you think that effects how I should set my fans?

I would have the fans blowing down.

**Greebo** · 11-03-2008, 02:33 PM

We actually run our fans counterclockwise all year, because while I like cool air in the summer, I hate air flow *on* me.

Whichever way your fans are turning, you're still churning up the air in the room, which will help equalize the temperature. If it blows straight down (clockwise turning) then you just get more cooling effect of the blowing on your skin. If it blows up, then the air motion is diffused, so no/less direct cooling, but the mixing still occurs.

**vigilant20** · 11-03-2008, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by PennyWise

I would have the fans blowing down.

Thanks, that's kinda what I was thinking. Either way it's circulating, but it seems like down might be more efficient.

**emily_hope** · 11-03-2008, 07:11 PM

I started a thread about this a good while back, because I am always confused as well. I believe some of the posts here are contradictory to the information I found. But what I found seems to work for my fans. Here it is....

Which way should the ceiling fans rotate?

Anyway, for winter you want it going in the direction where you feel the least amount of air blowing. You can figure this out by standing under the fan and turning it to high. Then reverse the direction you started with and you should be able to tell which way you feel the least amount of air blowing. Geez, I hope some of this made sense. LOL!