Ceiling Fan Direction and the Change of Seasons

Consulting the Magic Google 8 Ball yields:

COOLING

The idea of "Wind Chill".

A ceiling fan moves counter-clockwise to cool and provides a breeze that makes the air feel cooler, even through they don't actually lower the temperature. With a ceiling fan working, 78 or 80 degrees can be as comfortable as 72 degrees--leading to big energy savings.

This savings could add up to as much as 40% during the summer. Even at high speed, a ceiling fan typically uses less energy than a 100 watt light bulb .. and less than a 25 watt bulb at low speed.

HEAT RECLAMATION

Warm air rises, so the warmest air is trapped near the ceiling and wasted. Set on its lowest speed IN REVERSE-- so there will be no wind chill effect-the ceiling fan pushes warm air down from the ceiling. In effect, homeowners reclaim lost heat--and lost heating dollars. You can turn the thermostat down and save up to 10% on heating bills while keeping the home warm and comfortable.

Fans move clockwise to move warm air down from ceiling.

But, there's more to the story:

Ceiling fans are normally used as a cooling device in warm months by pushing air down from above, thereby creating a wind chill effect. In winter months, a ceiling fan can act as a heat transferrer by reversing the direction of the blades. By doing so, the fan pulls air up, thereby pushing the warmer air that stratifies near the ceiling down along the walls; as long as the fan is set at a low speed, this will not create a wind chill. A fan on reverse has the leading edge of the fan blades being the downward edge; in most cases this rotation is clockwise when the operator is standing below and looking upwards at the fan.

Actually it is not that simple. If you have a standard ceiling height (~8 feet) then you want to run the fan in the clockwise direction during the winter. Specifically, the ceiling fan blades should be running with the lower edge of the blade being the leading edge into the air. Having the leading edge of the fan blade down will pull the air in the room upward which pushes the warm air hovering near ceiling outward and forces it to mix with the rest of the air without creating much turbulence or breeze. Although it is a common sense explanation to run the fan in the opposite (counter clockwise) direction pushing the warm air down as a direct force, this also creates a breeze in the room (giving an undesired 'cooling' effect) and is therefore not effective for standard ceiling heights.

For high ceilings (greater than 8 feet) you want to run the fan in the counterclockwise direction during the winter. Specifically, the ceiling fan blades should be running with the upper edge of the blade being the leading edge into the air. Having the leading edge of the fan blade up will push the air near the ceiling downward into the room. The breeze created by operating the fan in this direction will be undetectable at low speeds since the fan height is tall enough that the breeze has dissipated before reaching the room height where people would notice.

and finally,

Fan direction is normally controlled by a slide switch on the motor housing. Usually, the up position corresponds to upward airflow and the down position to downward airflow.

baldingbary,

When you say counter-clockwise are you looking at it from above or from below?

I believe that in the summer, the ceiling fan should be operated in the down flow direction, as air motion (i.e., a "breeze") is somewhat desireable in warmer weather, as the room with the fan operating thusly will be perceived as being cooler due to the air motion over the skin.

Conversely, in the winter, a ceiling fan is typically operated in the opposite direction, drawing air up in the center of the room, and causing the warm air that collects at the ceiling to mix with the fan's updraft, and radiate out from that point, and be directed down along perimeter walls into the occupied space. This gentle downdraft of warm air around the perimeter of the space does not typically generate "cold draft" complaints.

An attic fan will help a bunch in the summer. Then downflow the cieling fan. A good hassock fan that sits on the floor and blows air verticaly in a full circle all at once is effective in warm weather and stops dead spots in the winter.

Myth: Installing a ceiling fan on an eight foot ceiling will keep warm air from accumulating near the ceiling and save considerable energy in the winter.
If you have a forced-air furnace and a well insulated house with eight foot ceilings, there will be little difference in air temperature from the floor to the ceiling. Running a ceiling fan creates a draft that could cause you to turn up your thermostat to feel more comfortable.

For high vaulted ceilings, the temperature difference can be more significant, and running a ceiling fan in reverse (forward moving blades tilting down) may help to evenly distribute the air temperature and reduce heat loss through the ceiling.

http://www.useelectric.com/aboutelectricity_facts.asp

It really doesn't matter.

What goes up in one place goes down in another.

The idea is to keep the air moving.

"If the switch is up, the fan will blow air up off the ceiling. If the switch is down, the fan will push air down into the room. Therefore, during the summer, you want the fan switch in the down position and during winter, you want it in the up position. "

[http://www.clarkpublicutilities.com/Residential/TheEnergyAdviser/Archives2006/06_03_12]

thank you, very concise and to the point

We installed a exhaust fan above cieling fans ceiling clearance to wipe off the hot air accumulated on the upper part , but do force air down wards after that , you get better breeze , in winter just opposite for circulation only

A ceiling fan serves three purposes: it circulates the warm air throughout the area or a room, to provide a cooler environment by creating a chill in the space, and to beautify the room in which it resides.

For optimal heat air distribution, your fan should run in reverse during the winter months.

During the summer months, the ceiling fan should operate in the forward position and at a slightly higher speed.

Or take a look at the link given here... Ceiling Fan Direction