Ceiling fan rotation

Bill_H

As a result of the raging blizzard going on here in northern Wis we lost our power but it has since come back on. The three large ceiling fans in the great-room need to be restarted but I cannot recall the rotation for winter heating; clockwise or counter clockwise?  I await you answer and Merry Christmas...Bill Herhold, Taco, Inc. (Retired)

Mark Eatherton

Mine, as viewed from looking up....

would want to spin CCW, to force the air down. Yours might be different, but in any case, you want it to force the air in a downward motion to break up the stratified air.



Mery Christmas to you and yours.



ME

Jim Bennett

I was told...

that in the winter, you want the fan in the center of the room pulling upward, causing the warm air to flow across the ceiling and fall down the outside walls.



Opposite in the summer. But I suppose it is just as effective in either direction as long as you break up the stratified air.



jim

Charlie from wmass

here we go

Science agrees with Mark but most people do it as Jim does as the breeze makes people feel colder even though it is making them warmer. Same in the summer the breeze blowing on people makes them think they are getting cooler but the truth is the fan drawing in summer and blowing in winter is how the science works. Ask the Mrs. and do as she says is the best answer. Merry christmas and hope you keep warm.

Mark Eatherton

I was always taught....

that you need to force the hot air down in order to break up the stratification. Think high ceiling commercial warehouse application.Residentially, I don't think it really matters what direction the fan spins, unless you have exceptionally high ceilings, in which case you would want to force the heat down.Homogonization is the key to avoiding stratification, regardless of the direction of air flow.Actually, radiant floor heating is the key to avoiding stratification. :-)ME

DavidK_2

My Mrs

Likes the fan to blow down in the summer, and not at all in the winter. YMMV