Which Way Should Ceiling Fans Rotate?

Winter

• In winter, or cooler days and nights, the downward-tilted sides of the ceiling fan blades should be rotating first to bring air from the center of room up to the ceiling. By pulling the cooler air up toward the ceiling, warmer air is forced down into the living space. Some sources say to run the fan clockwise, some counterclockwise, but depending on whether your vantage point refers to looking up at the fan from underneath or down from it, either direction could be correct. Basically, in the winter you want an updraft to force the warm air downward.

Summer

• In summer, or warmer days and nights, the upward-tiled sides of blades should be leading, which will push air down into the room. This creates a breeze in the center of the room to help cool you. Ceiling fans do not cool the air in the room, just the people in it, so there is no cooling benefit to the overall home to leave ceiling fans on in empty rooms. Save some electrictity by turning them off when you leave.

Considerations

• Choose the right size ceiling fan for the room by measuring the length and width of the room and multiplying the length times the width to get the square feet of the room. The Energy Star website recommends certain blade spans based on the square feet of the room. If the room is less than 75 square feet, choose a ceiling fan with a blade span of 29 to 36 inches. If the room is 76 to 144 square feet, a ceiling fan with a blade span of 36 to 42 inches is the right size for the room. If the room is between 144 and 255 square feet, a ceiling fan with a blade span of 44 inches is appropriate for the room. For rooms that are between 255 and 400 square feet, a ceiling fan with a blade span of 50 to 54 inches will be the right size for the room.

Energy Savings

• Proper blade rotation for each season can save money on annual energy consumption by maintaining a more constant temperature in the room. Cool air pools near the floor and warmer air near the ceiling. By mixing cool air with the warmer air, an air conditioner will run less frequently. In the winter, the heater will run less often.

Look for the Energy Star Label

• Energy Star-rated ceiling fans are about 50 percent more efficient than conventional ceiling fans, so look for the Energy Star label when purchasing a ceiling fan. An efficient ceiling fan can save $15 per year on energy used to operate the ceiling fan.