You’ve probably heard the term wind chill in reference to winter weather, but did you know you can use this wind chill factor to your advantage during the summer? Adjusting your ceiling fan direction seasonally will make your home feel warmer or cooler, depending on your preference, while reducing your need for conditioned air.

Adjusting Ceiling Fan Direction

If you’ve never adjusted your ceiling fan direction, you may be unaware of this common feature. Most fans have a small switch on the side that will adjust the fan’s rotation. The forward setting will make the fan move counter-clockwise, while the reverse setting will make it rotate clockwise.

Fan Settings for Summer

During the summer, you want your ceiling fan to move forward, or counterclockwise. This pushes cold air down the walls, making your home feel several degrees cooler. Remember to set your thermostat to a warmer temperature and run your ceiling fan to save money on your electric bill. You can further improve your home comfort during the summer with an attic fan to regulate the temperature in your attic.

Fan Settings for Winter

During the winter, reverse your ceiling fan direction, so that it spins clockwise. This draws air upwards. Warm air naturally rises, so your fan will draw cool air from the bottom of your room upwards to mix with the warm air near the ceiling. Since the fan isn’t blowing air directly on you, it won’t create the same wind chill effect that’s beneficial during the summer. Instead, it will help you feel warmer, reducing your need for heating.

Combined with proper HVAC maintenance, regularly adjusting your ceiling fan setting can greatly improve your home comfort and reduce heating and cooling expenses. For more information on how to keep your home comfortable, contact Powers Heating & Air. We have proudly serviced the Fayetteville,Peachtree City, Newnan, Senoia & Sharpsburg areas for more than a decade.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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