You Set Your Clocks Forward, So Now’s the Time to Change Ceiling Fan Direction

Is it just me, or does spring come complete with a ton of things to remember? You check your home’s A/C, you check your car’s A/C, you change your clocks… Well, all those things have their place in a well-run household. Here’s another thing to consider: changing your ceiling fan direction.

A lot of people think that ceiling fans are just there to circulate air through the room and cool you down. That’s half-correct: fans work by circulating air. But how they circulate air is important, and can make your fan useful not just for cooling through the summer, but for heating as well. Here’s how it works:

In the summer, your fan should run forward, in a counter-clockwise direction when you’re looking at it from below. Due to the way the fan blades are angled, this will push air down over your skin, and you’ll feel a windchill effect, cooling you off. This also helps to displace the cool air that settles near the ground, bringing it up so it’s in contact with more of your body.

During the winter, though, you should change your ceiling fan direction so that it’s running in reverse. In this mode, clockwise if you’re looking up from under it, air is gently drawn up toward the ceiling. The warm air that’s already risen is displaced downward, back to the heights where you’re actually standing or sitting!

Changing your ceiling fan direction might not net you as much of a benefit as upgrading to a more efficient A/C or making sure all your windows are sealed and your insulation is good, but it’s such a simple process (and it does keep you more comfortable) that there’s no reason not to do it. To learn more about your ceiling fan and how the HVAC systems of your central Florida house work together, call us up at Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning!

Categorised in: Thing You Should Know, Uncategorized