The Purpose of Reverse Mode on Ceiling Fans

Summer Mode

• A fan in summer can make the difference between suffering in a sweat box and breezing through the hot months. In counterclockwise mode, the blades draw the air up and push it around the room, circulating cool air from air conditioners more efficiently and creating a wind-chill factor that fools you into thinking it's cooler than the thermometer says it is. You can lower the effective temperature and save on your electric bill by using fans in high traffic rooms, or every room of the house in the warmer months.

Winter Mode

• Keep the fans on to stay warm all winter. In reverse mode, when the blades move in clockwise rotation, they push the air downward. Since heat rises, it tends to collect around the ceiling leaving you shivering down by the floor. As you are paying for all that expensive heat, you might as well enjoy it. Click the motor over to reverse at the first frost and bounce warm air around the house to save on heating bills and avoid piling on every sweater and pair of socks in your closet.

Special Circumstances

• A fan positioned over a desk or a dining table shouldn't send papers flying or chill a meal before you can take a bite. But no one wants to bake in summer heat either. Use reverse mode in summer for those locations that could use air circulation but not a direct breeze. You move the air but avoid the tornado. And, for high-ceilinged spaces, crank the motor to high so you can feel the breeze. Summer or winter, high speed will either cool you down or send that hot air at the ceiling all the way down to where the chilly people are. Find the reverse button on the motor of the fan to switch modes. Or check the remote or wall switch. Some fans allow you to switch modes without climbing a ladder.

No Reverse?

• If you have the rare fan that lacks a reverse mode you can still vary the speed to create a cooler or warmer environment. In winter, set the fan to low speed to create a gentle breeze in downdraft, or in summer, re-circulate warm air from the ceiling to the lower strata of the room. In a high-ceilinged room, use medium or high speed to move the air faster and send heat bouncing off the upper walls and throughout the space.