Home and Garden

What Direction Should The Ceiling Fan Go In Summer? Here's Your Answer

At a Glance

Rotating your ceiling fan blades the right way can help save money on energy bills.
Which direction the fan should go depends on the season.
Changing the rotation of ceiling fan blades is an easy switch to make.

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Making sure your ceiling fan blades rotate the right direction can not only help keep you cooler in summer, it can also save you money.

That’s according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which runs the Energy Star program.

Here's what you need to know:

-A ceiling fan doesn’t actually cool the air, but its circulation can help a room feel cooler in summer and (surprise!) warmer in winter.

-Make sure your ceiling fan blades rotate counterclockwise in summer.

-Counterclockwise rotation pushes cooler air down in a column, creating a “wind chill” effect that can cool a person off.

-Most ceiling fans have a switch to reverse the motor, which changes the direction the blades rotate. Some models might also be adjustable by remote control.

-If you use a ceiling fan in the winter, you’ll want to switch it back to clockwise rotation and turn it to low. That creates a gentle updraft, which circulates rising warm air.

-You might notice enough difference to adjust your thermostat, which will help your utilities budget.

-And there’s another bonus. Switching the rotation is also a good time to clean your ceiling fan, which can help it run more efficiently. Consumer Reports recommends cleaning all household fans at least once every cooling season.

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Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.