How can I reverse a ceiling fan?

[Joevano]

The fan left behind by the PO only blows down. For winter I want it to blow up and circulate heat. Any way I can do that?

 

[Zeke]

While most fans have a reversing switch, it doesn't make any difference in most cases which way the air is flowing. You'd have to run it at an incredible low speed to actually see a difference and they just don't run like that anymore. I have a 35 YO Casablanca that uses a potentiometer for fan speed. It's infinitely variable and will run as slow as 3 RPM.

Still, on my 8' ceilings it can bring the warm air down while pulling cooler air up from the perimeter or pull cooler air up from the center of the room and push the warm air to the sides. Six of one and half a dozen of the other to me.

 

[6t7gto]

If you have a finished ceiling, reversing the fan puts a nice circle of dirt on the ceiling.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Are you absolutely sure it doesn't have a slide switch on the bottom of the fan near where the pull chains come out? I'm assuming it is a home type fan with a pull chain switch on it, (even if you don't use the pull chain sw, it may be there w/short chain on it.)

If you have a commercial/industrial fan that doesn't have pull switches on the bottom, such as the Home Depot Industrial ceiling fans in this thread, then you may find the reversing switch on top of the unit. find the "bell" cover on top and loosen the set screw holding it and slide it up the down-
rod. Under this cover, you will find a reversing switch.

That being said, reversing ceiling fans probably has some effect in a low ceiling room in a house with no obstructions to air flow along the walls. For a garage or shop, especially one with no ceiling or lots of stuff around the walls, or a tall ceiling, it probably is a waste to bother reversing them.

Charles

 

[James-W]

We have four ceiling fans in our house. All four of them have reversing switches. I have never found that reversing the fan direction makes any difference whatsoever. The fans keep the air in the room circulating. Which way the air circulates is of little consequence, the end result is the same. At least that is the conclusion I have come to after having tried reversing them several times over the years. I just leave the fans blowing downward at the slowest speed and the fans keep the air moving.

 

[nehog]

... I have never found that reversing the fan direction makes any difference whatsoever....

*this*

And

If there is no reversing switch, then the motor can't be (easily) reversed.

 

[soapii]

I agree that the end result is the same, however I do not like air blowing down on me in the winter so I reverse the fan to pull up.

--Joe

 

[KANSASBOY]

If it has a globe look under it I have one switch is by the light buld