The controls of a standard ceiling fan include control for three speeds (low, medium, high), as well as there being another control for the light. Some fans are now coming standard with a control for how you want the blades to turn. Of course, they all vary with the manufacturer. To make the controls more easily accessible, a lot of these products are coming with remote controls.



Ceiling fans are typically utilized as a cooling device in the hotter months. They work by pushing air down from the ceiling, which then creates a wind chill effect. In those colder months, a ceiling fan can act as a heat transferor, by reversing the direction of the blades. When doing so, the fan will pull air up, which takes the cold air from the floor and pushes it up so that it is away from you. Remember though, as long as the fan is set at a lower speed, a wind chill will not be created. A fan that operates on reverse has the leading edge of the fan blades as the downward edge; and in most cases this rotation of the blades is clockwise when the operator is standing below and looking upwards at the fan.

As with most things, it is not all that simple. If you have a standard ceiling height, which is somewhere around eight feet, then you will need to run the fan in the clockwise direction during the winter months. Specifically, the ceiling fan blades must be running with the lower edge of the blade being the leading edge into the air. Using the fan with the leading edge of the blade down, will pull the air in the room upward which pushes the warm air hovering near the ceiling out and away and forces it to intermingle with the rest of the air already around.

Even though it is a logical explanation to run the fan in the opposite (counter clockwise) direction pushing hot air down directly, this does create a breeze in the room (giving an undesired ‘cooling' effect) and is therefore not effective for normal ceiling heights.

For those ceilings that are higher, more than eight feet, you should run the fan in the counter clockwise direction when cold outside. Specifically, the ceiling fan blades should be running with the top edge of the blade being the edge in the air. By having the leading edge of the fan blade up, it should push the air near the ceiling down towards those in the room. The breeze that is then manufactured by operating the fan in this direction will not be detected at low speeds because the fan height is tall enough that the breeze has become nonexistent before reaching the height of the room.

Once you have the controls sorted, you can create a comfortable atmosphere in your rooms, which will be particularly helpful in keeping you cool in the hotter months.