To be simplest, the path of a ceiling fan’s rotation needs to be clockwise in the winter and counterclockwise in the summer season.
In November 2022, a Facebook submit went viral, doubtless as a result of the Facebook consumer expressed shock to be taught a piece of info that almost all members of the public doubtless do not know: Ceiling followers have totally different settings for summer season and winter, and the path of the blades’ rotation issues in phrases of their effectiveness.
This is true for followers which have this feature. The path the ceiling fan’s blades rotate throughout the summer season and winter months makes a distinction. Home equipment and restore retailer Home Depot explains why on its web site:
Ceiling fan path in the winter needs to be clockwise, and the fan ought to run at the lowest pace. This pulls cool air up towards the ceiling, which in flip displaces the heat air that rises and collects close to the ceiling.
A clockwise ceiling fan path for prime ceilings is particularly necessary in winter. It strikes the hotter air trapped at the very prime of the room down. The air flows towards the flooring and alongside the partitions. This makes the room really feel hotter, permitting you to decrease the thermostat.
The low pace prevents any drafty “wind chill” and retains the airflow regular and constant. When standing below the fan, search for and double-check that the blades are rotating in a clockwise path.
The reverse is true throughout the summer season, once more per Home Depot’s web site:
A ceiling fan ought to rotate counterclockwise in the summer season, so the blades push cooler air down in a column. This is the finest ceiling fan path for air con because it makes the air really feel cooler than it’s. It permits you to flip your thermostat up a few levels.
Ceiling followers are an occasional supply of web rumors and lore. A declare unfold in 2018 that falsely reported a Florida babysitter tied a one-month previous child to a ceiling fan for 26 hours. Another false rumor in 2008 claimed individuals sleeping in rooms with working ceiling followers typically inexplicably died.
Sources:
“Ceiling Fan Direction in Summer and Winter.” The Home Depot, Accessed 5 Dec. 2022.
Evon, Dan. “Did a Babysitter Tie a One-Month-Old to a Ceiling Fan for 26 Hours?” Snopes, 16 July 2018,
Mikkelson, David. “Korean Fan Death.” Snopes, 5 Sept. 2008,