Home maintenance expert shares ceiling fan tip to save energy with the flip of a switch: ‘Never knew this’
Did you know you could use your ceiling fan to help heat your house as well as cool it? TikToker Melissa (@the_daily_diy) recently shared that by switching the direction of your fan, you can keep your house at the optimal temperature all year long.
The scoop
Some may not know this, but you can run your ceiling fan in different directions, both clockwise and counterclockwise. This may not seem to make a difference at first, but the blades on fans are tilted slightly, so the direction of the rotation has a big impact on temperature regulation.
To switch the direction of your fan, look for a button or switch on the center mount where the fan is connected to the ceiling.
By running your fan in different directions, you can move the air in the room in different ways, providing either a heating or cooling effect. Melissa stated you should run your ceiling fans in a counterclockwise direction in the summer or when you want a cooling effect. In the winter, or when you want a warming effect, you should run your ceiling fans at low speed in a clockwise direction.
The direction of the rotation and the tilt of the fan blades move the air differently. The counterclockwise motion creates a downdraft that “forces the air down on you, giving you the wind chill effect.” The clockwise motion creates an updraft, which helps move the hot air near the ceiling back into the room.
How it’s helping
Ceiling fans are much more energy-efficient than air conditioning. They simply move air around instead of going through a complex system of coolants like in air conditioning. They can also be cheaper to buy and install than air conditioning. You cannot set temperatures with fans, so that prevents you from over-cooling and wasting money and energy that way.
There’s no shortage of tips to make your house more energy efficient to save you money and lessen your environmental impact. Melissa’s tip proves how versatile fans can be. They seem like such simple technology, but they can be very effective tools to keep your home comfortable.
What everyone’s saying
The commenters were surprised at Melissa’s tip.
“Who would have thought,” said one user.
Another added, “Brilliant. Never knew this. Thank you.”
A lot of people joked that they’re always hot so they never run their fan clockwise. However, one asked, “I never run my fans during the cold. Do people actually do [that]?” to which Melissa replied, “Yes. I run mine… it keeps the room warmer.”
One commenter added another energy-saving tip: “Fans cool people, not rooms. Never run them when you’re not there.”
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