Ceiling Fan Direction

[Gibbcutter]

I was told 30 years ago to have the fan pull the air up in the summer. The reasoning was that pulled up the hot air. I always did that and it made a difference. Now I read the air should blow down. 

What do you guys think?

[fredhargis]

Always pull the air up...never had a reason to change. I think you have it backwards about pulling the arm air up though. The warmer air is at the ceiling level.

[JosephP]

Up is that they say...but I put it on down because the air flow feels good.  My guess is it probably doesn't make a huge difference - you are mixing the air either way.

[TDKPE]

Up is that they say...but I put it on down because the air flow feels good.  My guess is it probably doesn't make a huge difference - you are mixing the air either way.

This.  Short and sweet.

Long-winded and verbose - a ceiling fan will create what resembles a toroidal air flow, like a donut.  It doesn't matter which way the air is moving, as it moves in a pair of opposing circular patterns in any cross section of the room.  Up makes the air come down the walls, and down makes it move up along the walls, with the opposite happing in the center, and with the air flow more directed coming off the fan.  So make it move in which ever direction puts the breeze where you want it.  

I keep the ceiling fan in the middle of our bedroom blowing up so the air comes down the wall and over us.  Feels cooler than blowing the other way.  But it's moving a lot of air even on low, so the mixing is quite thorough.

Edit: Here's some online article I found.  Note the verbiage about up/down air flow in the center, and not wanting to feel it in winter, which is my point exactly except that we want to feel it in the summer while in bed, so up in the middle it is.  


The Many Benefits of Ceiling Fans | Save Home Heat

In this ‘winter mode,’ you are not subjected to a direct breeze from the fan . . .

Whichever way feels good during heating and cooling seasons is the right way.

[Roly]

Whichever way feels good during heating and cooling seasons is the right way.

+1 ,This is the bottom line,  it all depends on furniture placement and personal desires.  Roly

[Snipe Hunter]

I have them all pull air up, all the time. I see no reason to have air blowing down. I don't like a windy house.

[Cooler]

The warm air in the winter accumulates at the ceiling.  By directing the air upwards in the winter it forces the warm air to flow out to the walls and down towards the floor.  Doing so without subjecting the occupants to the cooling flow of air. This done at a  low cfm rate so as not to set up a breeze but to gently force the air down the walls.

I was in an Adirondack lodge many years ago and the huge great room had a vaulted ceiling that had to be 30 feet at the peak.   The owners had ducts that ran from the summit of the vaulted ceiling to the floor with a fan sucking the warmer ceiling air down to the floor.  You could feel the warmth of that air as it exited the duct. 

They had two ducts; one at each end of the peak.  That was probably more efficient than a ceiling fan.  The air flow was modest but it was like getting two more heat vents.

[rwe2156]

Down in the summer, up in the winter.

Don't ask me why, just do it.

[Cooler]

[MstrCarpenter]

I'm sure the directions say counter-clockwise. They didn't say if that's looking up or down from the top.