Do Paddle Fans Turn Clockwise in the Winter?

How Paddle Fans Work

• Paddle fans don't actually change the temperature of a room but do make the room's occupants feel cooler or warmer. Paddle fans typically have two settings -- counterclockwise and clockwise -- and variable speeds -- high, medium and low. These fans hang from the ceiling and circulate the inside air and improve ventilation. In wintertime, keep paddle fans on the lowest setting to evenly distribute forced heat without causing a chilly draft. Paddle fans cause a "wind chill" effect in summer, by pushing air over your skin and causing perspiration to evaporate faster than normal. Use all three speeds in summer, depending on your cooling needs.

Winter Direction

• The wintertime setting for paddle fans turns the blades clockwise. Many paddle fans are factory-set to the summer setting; the switch on the base changes it to the winter setting. Turning clockwise, the fan blades pull heat up from the floor and send it across the ceiling and down the walls. Heat then mingles with cool air near the floor and evens the room temperature as the process is repeated.

Summer Direction

• The blades on paddle fans are designed to turn counterclockwise in the summertime. This direction pushes warm air down the floor to mix with cool pockets of air and evens the overall room temperature. If you can't get cool, spray yourself with cold water to increase the paddle fan's wind chill effect.

Paddle Fan Tips

• Paddle fans can help you save on heating and cooling bills. In the wintertime, running them throughout your home evenly distributes pockets of heat, allowing you to turn your thermostat down a few degrees and still feel warm. In the summertime, running paddle fans in tandem with your air conditioner allows you to turn your thermostat up a few degrees and still feel cool.