Have you ever noticed what direction your ceiling fan is spinning? The answer is likely no. Most homeowners keep their ceiling fans running the same direction year round; however, it can create unwanted drafts in the room for part of the year. Even more, it can also lead to accidental overworking’s of your furnace and AC unit.
So, what direction should you ceiling fans go during the summer and winter months?
In the summertime, you want your ceiling fan to create downdraft. In doing so, your ceiling fan takes the cold air and pushes it down towards the ground. And to do this, the ceiling fan needs to be spinning in a counterclockwise direction.
In the wintertime, your ceiling fan should create an updraft that takes the warm air sitting at the top of the ceiling and recirculates that air to the rest of the room. As we know, heat rises. And, if you have your ceiling fan spinning in a clockwise direction, then the heat coming into your home will immediately rise and spread throughout the room if the ceiling fan is on.
Reminder:
Ceiling fan direction summer = counterclockwise/downdraft
Ceiling fan direction winter = clockwise/updraft
When your fan is on and running in the proper direction, it also helps alleviate the extra work your AC unit is putting in. For instance, if you have your indoor temperature set to 75 degrees, you can turn on your living room fan and drop the temperature in the fan’s room ato 71-72 degrees. In doing this, certain rooms have the ability to stay cooler than others, and it brings down your overall energy bill.
If you don’t know what direction your ceiling fans currently spin, we can help! We are happy to look the next time we are out at your home for a routine home maintenance or air duct cleaning appointment.
If you need to get back on the schedule for either of these services, click here. Or, give our office a call at 888-858-5872 to speak directly with a member of our office team!
