Ceiling fan direction

[PsRumors]

All of the directions I see for ceiling fans, if I am reading them correctly, has the fan pushing air down during the winter and pulling air up in the summer. To me, this seems just opposite of what one would want.

My thinking;

For summer, if the fan is blowing air downward it will create a breeze which will make one feel cooler

For winter, if the fan is pulling air up it would still be pushing the hot air down as the fan will circulate the air in the room

Thoughts?

 

[930dreamer]

All of the directions I see for ceiling fans, if I am reading them correctly, has the fan pushing air down during the winter and pulling air up in the summer. To me, this seems just opposite of what one would want.

My thinking;

For summer, if the fan is blowing air downward it will create a breeze which will make one feel cooler

For winter, if the fan is pulling air up it would still be pushing the hot air down as the fan will circulate the air in the room

Thoughts?

Your thinking is correct, that's how I do it.

 

[DekeT]

I think you may be reading it wrong. From the Hunter Fan site.

A ceiling fan can help lower energy consumption in the winter by up to 15%. The temperature of the air in a heated room varies in layers; the air near the ceiling is warmer than the air near the floor, because warm air rises. A ceiling fan can help push the warmer air that is trapped near the ceiling back down into the room, thus de-stratifying the layers of warm air. As a result, the warm air is circulated where it is needed, and the heating system does not overwork to warm the room. To properly de-stratify a warmed room, the ceiling fan should be run in a clockwise direction. This pushes the air up against the ceilings and down the walls, to gently re-circulate the warm air without creating a cooling wind chill effect.

 

[Jagmandave]

You all are actually saying the same thing as the Hunter site did....

That's how we run it too, blowing downward in the summer to feel the breeze and move the cool air up off the floor.

The opposite in winter, but mostly so you move the air around without having it blow on you.....oh, and low speed on the fan in winter.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

IF you have a low enough ceiling, in a small enough room, with no real obstructions..... I can see how this works. In a shop or garage with tall ceilings, 12 ft and up say, and possibly not ceiling at all, or a steel building like mine, running the fans blowing up would just be a waste. Yes, I suppose that eventually, the fan would pack enough air up in the roof that it would have to go somewhere, but the more efficient way would be to simply blow it down to the floor, and I have found in my tall steel building that this works well.

In a small two car garage with 9 ft ceilings and not much square footage, blowing up will force it to spread out, but in an "industrial or commercial" type setting, I don't think it is efficient of effective.

Charles

 

[Jim in Wis]

It always seemed to me it wouldn't make a lot of difference which way it went. The air circulates down in the middle and up at the walls, or up in the middle and down at the walls. Either way it takes the warm air at the ceiling and moves it back to the floor.

 

[jomobco]

Mine blow one way - down. Low in the winter and I'll turn it up come summer I imagine.

 

[cajunfirehawk]

Mines on low now and its 38 outside

 

[6t7gto]

The problem with the air blowing up...is it will put a "dirt" circle on the ceiling.
I prefer to run them with the air blowing down, year round.
david

 

[nehog]

My ceiling fan blows down summer and winter. Winter it moves warm air down much better then if sucking up.