Discover the Benefits of Using Ceiling Fans in Winter

Are there really benefits to using ceiling fans in winter? Ceiling fans are well known for being effective and efficient in cooling down spaces in the warmer weather, but did you know that you can use your ceiling fans in winter to enhance the warmth and comfort of your home during the colder months? They can also be a great energy saving solution during the cooler months, when our energy bills tend to be higher.

Using Ceiling Fans in Winter – How Does it Work?

Ceiling fans do not lower or raise the temperature of a room, they circulate the air. In the warmer months ceiling fans provide a feeling of ‘wind chill’ on the skin, causing you to “feel” cooler.  If used in conjunction with your air conditioner, they also help to circulate cool air.

So how does this work in the winter?  In winter, the air on the floor is cooler, while the air near the ceiling is warmer. So, with the help of a heater, reversing the ceiling fan pulls the cool air up, and pushes the warm air down the walls helping to redistribute the heat down to the floor, which provides an overall warmth in the room.

How to adjust the direction of your fan for use in winter

The way the blades are angled on your ceiling fan will determine which way they blow air; downwards in summer when running anti-clockwise, or upwards in winter when running clockwise.

Most ceiling fans include a remote control or wall controls that adjust the direction in which the fan blade rotates, which makes it as easy as a press of a button. If your ceiling fan doesn’t have these features, look for a toggle switch on the motor housing. Flip the switch to change the rotation of the fan blades.

How does using ceiling fans in winter save energy?

Using your ceiling fan in winter can help reduce your heating costs due to the redistribution of warm air.

So, now that you have switched the toggle and your fan is running in reverse (clockwise) here is where you start to save money.  Due to the circulation of the warm air, the room feels warmer, which allows you to turn down the temperature or speed on your heating device, thereby consuming less energy and saving you money.

When it comes to what speed you should have your fan at – always have it lower in winter than in summer. You don’t want to create that “wind chill” factor on your skin during the cooler months, the air simply needs to circulate through the room to warm it as a whole.

While ceiling fans are an energy efficient way to distribute cool and warm air, some ceilings fans provide more energy savings than others. In particular, DC ceiling fan motors can use up to 60% less energy than a standard ceiling fan, so even though they typically cost a little more money upfront, using one over a longer period of time will still save you money.  

If you chose a fan with a light, then opting for an LED option will also consume a lot less energy than standard globes.

Remember to turn your fan back to anti clockwise when the warmer months come around again, and dust off those blades!

Rovert Lighting & Electrical can help you with ceiling fan selections to help warm your home during the cooler months. Visit us in-store and chat to one of our expert staff about ceiling fan options appropriate for your spaces, and view the large display to see them in action. Or, check out the full range online. A sneak peek of some of our biggest sellers below.