Why Do Ceiling Fans Have A Reverse Switch

During winter the warm air generated by your heating system naturally rises to the ceiling while cooler air sinks.

Why do ceiling fans have a reverse switch. Reverse direction for a ceiling fan is a clockwise motion producing an updraft. By switching the direction that your fan blades turn that cooler air is drawn upwards which forces the warmer air near the ceiling back down into the space. Reversing your ceiling fan blades for summer is the best trick to lowering your energy bills and dropping your room s temperature by four degrees.

Since hvls fans are best used in large open areas they are generally not near walls. In the winter when your heater is running reversing your ceiling fan moves warm air near the ceiling down to the floor. Changing the fan blades back to clockwise rotation for winter can help warm your room substantially.

Ceiling fans are great to have during those summer months but what most people don t know is that they have a setting for winter too. Well they say that you cannot stand a draft during winter months but that you can equalize the air temperature buy using your fan in the reverse direction. Again the fan doesn t actually warm up the room but it can make it feel warmer so you ll be comfortable enough to get by with lower thermostat setting when the weather is chilly.

I always wondered why the older ceiling fans did not have a reverse button. What is the reason for having a reverse button on ceiling fans. In the summer months the slightly angled blades of a ceiling fan turn counterclockwise to move air down making people feel cooler due to a concept known as the wind chill effect.

Changing the direction that your ceiling fan spins can help keep you more comfortable during all months of the year. Therefore running them in reverse results in lower air mixing efficiency and can increase the time needed to equalize the temperature from floor to ceiling.