eli5: If hot air rises and cool air falls, why are we told to have our ceiling fans blow up in the winter and down in the summer? Wouldn’t it make more sense to pull the air in the opposite direction it naturally goes to help it circulate?

Question

eli5: If hot air rises and cool air falls, why are we told to have our ceiling fans blow up in the winter and down in the summer? Wouldn’t it make more sense to pull the air in the opposite direction it naturally goes to help it circulate?

In: 6539

Answer 1

I would submit that running the fan in “winter mode” is actually an effective way to cool you in the summer. As stated in previous posts, it forces the air up, across the ceiling and down the walls. Most people put their furniture against the walls, so you get the breeze you want throughout the room without having to be directly under the fan. Run it at higher speeds in summer to get a breeze, and lower speeds in winter to circulate the warmer air from the ceiling. You can also benefit from the Bernoulli effect at any time of year, making you HVAC more efficient.