What Direction Should the Ceiling Fan Spin?

The proper rotation or direction that a ceiling fan spins is often questioned during the changing of the seasons.   Most ceiling fans are designed to be reversible and spin both clockwise and counter clockwise by merely flipping a switch.  The ceiling fan was made to be reversible in order to make use of the fan during the heating season.

A ceiling fan serves two purposes.  It can provide a cooling breeze, which is done by blowing air down directly onto the people.  Air moving across the skin will feel cool.  The faster the air moves, the cooler it will feel.  This would generally be used in the summertime, when cooling is required.

The other use that a fan has is to circulate the air throughout the area or room.  During the winter you would not want to feel the air blowing directly across your skin, but you might want to circulate the hot air that is created from the fireplace evenly throughout the room.  So the fan is run in reverse in updraft instead of downdraft mode, blowing up towards the ceiling. This way air is circulated throughout the room without a cooling breeze. 99% of ceiling fans currently in use run clockwise in "reverse" (updraft or winter mode) and counter-clockwise for regular operation. If you are not sure about your fan, run it on high and stand directly under the blades. If you do not feel a breeze, reverse the fan. When you feel the strongest breeze, that is downdraft or "forward" for summer operation.

However, some fans do not have a reverse feature.  With these fans, you can still take advantage of the circulation of air just by keeping the fan in low speed, and only creating a small breeze.  

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