Which Way to Set a Ceiling Fan to Circulate Heat

Ceiling fans are attractive and help keep down your energy costs when cooling your home. Most ceiling fans come preset by the factory to turn the blades in a counterclockwise direction to give an artificial breeze. Most ceiling fans have a switch to reverse the direction of the fan blade rotation. During the winter months when heating the home, the fan should turn clockwise at a low setting. This pushes the air between the fan and the ceiling back into your room, causing the room to stay warmer and enabling you to set the thermostat at a lower temperature.

Things You'll Need

• Step stool

Instructions

1. Turn off the ceiling fan using the pull chain or the wall switch. Allow the fan blades to stop turning completely.

2. Place a step stool under the ceiling fan so you can reach the side of the motor housing. Look for a small switch that moves side to side or up and down.

3. Move the switch to the opposite direction with your finger. Climb down from the step stool and turn the ceiling fan back on. Look at the rotation of the blades to ensure they are turning clockwise.

4. Pull the speed chain so that the ceiling fan is operating at low speed, if you have a fan with adjustable speeds.

References

• Danny Lipford: How to Use a Paddle Ceiling Fan Properly