Celing fans - pull air up or push air down ?

erolz


Joined: 17/11/2008
Posts: 3456

Message Posted:
04/06/2011 11:03

What way round to I want my celing fan to blow in summer ? Do I want it pulling cooler air up from the ground towards the celing or pushing warmer air from the celing down towards the ground ? It has a switch to change between these too but I have never been sure which is the right one for summer ?

juliamoons



Joined: 14/05/2009
Posts: 849

Message Posted:
04/06/2011 11:08

Winter setting pushes hot air down. Summer setting pulls hot air up.

proger1



Joined: 18/04/2009
Posts: 2919

Message Posted:
04/06/2011 11:13

I am in no way an expert on this but IMO the standard rules of physics would apply, the cooling effect of the air being moved by the fan across your skin surface would not make a difference going up or down however I would think that as hot air naturaly rises it would gain in momentum in an upward direction as compared to be slightly restricted going downwards.

Pipie


Joined: 05/01/2008
Posts: 5499

Message Posted:
04/06/2011 11:17

Works for me Juliamoons !!

erolz


Joined: 17/11/2008
Posts: 3456

Message Posted:
04/06/2011 11:27

Still a little confused but I will leave it set on the 'pull air up' setting for summer. Proger1 I assume there is a difference in that it has a setting for winter and summer that changes which way rounds the blades spin and thus how it pushes or pulls air up or down. If it made no difference then why bother having such a setting ? I just never knew which was the 'correct' summer setting. I understand the phsyics that air in the bottom of a room will be cooler than air at the top, just could not get my head round , do I want to push air down or pull it up, for best cooling effect in summer. Anyway seems the answer is pull air up for summer, push it down for winter.



Thanks Juliamoons for the answer and others for responses.

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
04/06/2011 11:35

So which is it, anti-clockwise or clockwise for what season?



Richard

erolz


Joined: 17/11/2008
Posts: 3456

Message Posted:
04/06/2011 11:48

I think clockwise or anti clockwise would depend on which way the blades are titlted, which may be different from fan to fan ? It seems that 'pulling air up' is the right setting for summer. If you have dust like I do in my house you can see little bits of dust being 'pulled up' with the way its set now. I think thats the right setting for summer. For my fan thats clockwise, but not sure that will always be the case for every fan.

Arek Naw


Joined: 29/08/2008
Posts: 75

Message Posted:
04/06/2011 11:52

My ceiling fan only operates in one direction, it blows air down. I only use it in summer.

cybel


Joined: 05/07/2010
Posts: 14

Message Posted:
04/06/2011 13:01

follow this link to answer your question http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-direction.php

erolz


Joined: 17/11/2008
Posts: 3456

Message Posted:
04/06/2011 13:07

Thanks cybel, that seems to be saying exactly the opposite of what juliamoons was saying, at least as far as I can tell lol.

bigOz


Joined: 29/09/2010
Posts: 1244

Message Posted:
04/06/2011 13:09

Erolz;

The theory that cold air can be pulled up by props is against all Physics rules! I have never seen any such switch on a ceiling fan, but it is probably an excuse for the producers to charge you extra for another "something" you really do not need!

The upward pull from the immediate vicinity of the blades will have the air replaced by the adjacent layers immediately below the fan and not from 4-5 ft down. This is because the mas of cold air is heavier than the warm ones at higher level.

In any case, the cooling effect of a fan is a direct result the moving air, evaporating the sweat on one's skin (scientifically defined as the Latent Heat of Evaporation). One does not need to be sweating profusely, but our glands continuously produce sweat even at lower warm temperatures, plus if the air is humid, the water vapor in it does the job of the sweat when moving.

Why I wrote all the above I have no clue! when I should have just said "let the fan push air down" for best result!

deputydawg


Joined: 30/03/2010
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
04/06/2011 13:51

Too technical for me. Sit in a swimming pool !

Pipie


Joined: 05/01/2008
Posts: 5499

Message Posted:
04/06/2011 14:02

Thanks meaage 9 the link you gave is really informative !!

Geoff


Joined: 25/06/2008
Posts: 1370

Message Posted:
04/06/2011 14:05

Whatever the setting ceiling fans just move the air around. Hot air rises so before you switch the fan on the temperature of the air will be hotter nearest to the ceiling, the fan will just even it all up.

Seasoned hot climate anoraks know this so never use them in the hot months, they either grin and bear it or switch on an aircon.

Simples?

Geoff

Famagusta City

Deniz1


Joined: 28/07/2009
Posts: 3829

Message Posted:
04/06/2011 14:33

Just stand under neath and see which setting makes you cooler its not rocket science!

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
04/06/2011 15:31

If in doubt try a "Punka Wallah" he can only pull the cord in one direction, hence resolving the issue >>