Ceiling fans do more than gather dust: They circulate stagnant air, keep you comfortable on hot days, and cost less to run than AC. But here’s the kicker — your fan may be spinning in the wrong direction, depending on the time of year. Most ceiling fans have a switch to change their rotation from…
No Spin, Just Facts
While every ceiling fan is different, most modern models allow you to reverse their direction with a switch on the motor housing or a button on their remote control. Unfortunately, some older models lack this useful feature.
Before locating the switch, first make sure the fan is turned off. Climb onto a stepstool and inspect the motor housing (the body of the fan where the blades attach). You should see a switch that moves up and down or side to side, depending on the model. Flip the switch one way to make the fan spin clockwise, and the other to make it spin counterclockwise — it’s that simple.
During the summer, your ceiling fan should spin counterclockwise. This direction allows the fan blades to push air directly downward, creating a cool breeze. Although the room’s temperature remains unchanged, the movement of the air evaporates sweat, making you feel refreshed.
According to Home Depot, running your fan counterclockwise allows you to raise the thermostat by four degrees while still feeling comfortable, potentially reducing summertime energy costs by up to 30%.
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When colder weather arrives, flip the switch to make the blades spin clockwise. Here’s why: Warm air is lighter than cold air and naturally rises, often getting trapped against the ceiling. A fan spinning clockwise creates an updraft that draws cooler air from below and pushes it up toward the ceiling. The warmer air that was previously hovering near the ceiling gets pushed down along the walls and disperses throughout the room, keeping you nice and toasty when you need it most. Home Depot adds that this trick can save you roughly 15% on winter utility bills.
Additional Tips
When deciding which way to set your fan, sometimes the time of year matters less than what you’re trying to achieve. For instance, an outdoor fan set to counterclockwise creates a downdraft, the force of which can help keep bugs away. Or if you’re trying to air out the house after burning something on the stove, set the fan to clockwise; this creates an updraft that draws the fumes up and away from people (just be aware that this might set off your fire alarm).
