Is Your Ceiling Fan Turning in the Right Direction to Actually Cool Your Home?
Learn how to set your ceiling fan direction for summer to keep your home comfortable through the heat.
Ceiling fans can make a stuffy room feel pleasantly cool, but unlike air conditioners, they don’t actually lower the temperature of a room. Instead, fans generate a breeze, creating a wind-chill-like effect as the moving air helps you eliminate body heat. But if your ceiling fan only pushes around hot air, this phenomenon won’t be nearly as effective. To keep your home cool (and comfortably warm in the winter), learn how to change your ceiling fan direction for summer and winter.
The Right Ceiling Fan Direction for Summer
How your ceiling fan blades rotate determines how air circulates in the room. As warm air naturally rises, cool air settles near the floor. Your ceiling fan direction for summer should be counterclockwise, creating a downdraft that redistributes cool air around the room.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, running a ceiling fan correctly can allow you to bump up your thermostat by about 4°F with no reduction in comfort. And since ceiling fans use much less energy than most air conditioning units, this is a smart way to reduce cooling costs during the warmer months.