Which Way Is the Ceiling Fan Supposed to Turn?

Operating a Ceiling Fan

• Ceiling fans can turn in two directions. There is usually a switch controlling whether the fan operates clockwise or counter-clockwise. There seems to be no industry standard as to which direction is used for cooling and which is used during the winter to warm the room.

  Look at the blades of the ceiling fan. The blades are mounted at an angle that will either push air up or down depending on the rotation of the fan. Start the fan at its lowest speed. If the leading edge of the fan blade is lower than the trailing edge of the blade, the fan is pushing air up towards the ceiling.

  If the leading edge of the fan blade is higher than the trailing edge, it is forcing air towards the floor.

  Ceiling fans cool a room by moving air downward. This causes air movement that will feel like a breeze to occupants of the room. The cooling breeze of the fan operating to push air downward is similar to wind chill during a northern winter making temperatures feel colder than they actually are.

  By pushing the air upwards, the fan forces the warm air that has naturally risen to near the ceiling into circulation around the room. Because the close proximity of the ceiling the air movement caused by the fan pushing the air upwards is dampened. There is not draft or noticeable air movement created by the ceiling fan pushing the air upwards. However, the fan still accomplishes the task of moving warm air around the room.

  The switch to control the direction of the fan's rotation is usually located on the fan housing immediately above the blades. In order to access the switch the fan will need to be shut off. The fan will start in the new direction when the fan is restarted after the switch is changed.