"Reverse your ceiling fan: ceiling fans should blow counterclockwise in the summer, and clockwise in the winter."

No, this is not entirely accurate. Ceiling fan paddles should spin to push the air down in summer, or pull it up in the winter. Depending on how your fan was designed and/or paddles attached, your fan may spin clockwise or counter to achieve the desired airflow.

IIMO, a swiffer on a long, articulating handle is the best way to clean a fan.

Ceiling fans use so very very very little energy, and they contribute to the overall airflow and ambient feeling in a space. They are actually more functional when you leave them on when you are using your heater/wood stove, or have the windows open for fresh air -- whether or not you leave the room.

I vacuum my fan blades with the hose and brush attachment. This is hor I =dust just about everything - tables, lampshades, baseboards...

Wow, that was a fun typo!

You can use your fan to cool down a body-termperature bed via evaporative cooling:
- turn down the coverlets
- mist with water
- let the fan move air over the bed for 5-15 minutes.
- optional - dust with cornstarch or talcum powder
Results - cool bed.

Agree with UrbanCricket. I use the Swiffer duster exclusively for cleaning fans. Also, completely disagree with the article about the fan usage when not in the room. I save a significant chunk of change in the summer months because the fans DO move the air, allowing the me to keep the house at an even temp. The a/c thermo is in my hot, west-facing living room, and if I don't use a fan, it would run continuously. The fans in the living room and bedrooms keep the air circulating.

<quote>Ceiling fan paddles should spin to push the air down in summer, or pull it up in the winter.</quote>

Why would you push the hot air down from the ceiling in the summer and pull the cold air up from the floor in the winter? Do you know hot air rises?

I've always wondered, is that clockwise looking up at the fan or "down" from it? I'm assuming it is looking up at it.

Side note: I love the blue fan and the blue accents in the room. Especially the blue in the hanging picture.

Agree on the swiffer comment

Oh these post are funny. Or maybe I'm just in a good mood. My comment is how I love the turquoise blades. I remember this in either a home tour or cool small space.

Good question John. I have the same one. All I know is that heat rises and cold drops, heat supply is usually at the floor and cold supply (air conditioning) is sometimes at the ceiling.

Now I want to spray paint my fan.

On paddle direction, it depends on your room and your needs. I have fans in rooms with cathedral ceilings, with venting skylights. In the hot summer I want the hot air moving up and out of the open vent, so they go upward.. When I'm running the heat, I will sometimes run the fan on low to kick down the heat that collects at the peak of the ceiling. One room has a fan over a sofa, though, and when it's really hot I sit under the fan with it on high, blowing downward.

Really, though, if you have a fan that's the right size for your room you don't need to reverse it. It will circulate the air up or down the walls and you will get the benefit either way.

I have a modern ball fan. How do you change the directions? Do I need to call in an electrician or is it easy enough to do myself or with a friend?

Remember when the "Trading Spaces" designers took down every ceiling fan in sight?
Some of them were really ugly, but I never got the hating on the fans.

I despise ceiling fans! But, alas, there were two in our loft when we moved in and we've yet to remove them. I can deal with a sexy, sleek, minimal one if I must, but these are terribly hideous with the four lights popping out of it. SO ugly!

@MJS7640 - Don't get me started on that one...

M_J_S - re misting the bed to cool it down - I like to add just a drop or two of lavender oil. Makes for a lovely and relaxing bed!

All my fans have a switch on the body to change the directions. I love how cool they make me, don't love the noise one makes, or the cheap and 80s country look some of the have going.
I would love to see an AT post on better looking fans

Why are fans so ugly looking?

Ceiling fans can be ugly, but there are some cool-looking ones on the market
Painting the paddles helps a lot. I painted mine the white of the ceiling when I repainted, and somehow it just looks so much better because it's the same white. I love the blue paddles in this picture. I'd like to change the globe in mine so that it's less run-of-the mill. I've seen people papier-mache the globes, which is a further improvement.

@mjs7640 - Oh that used to drive me insane! Not just on that show but on so many others that insist on removing the ceiling fan.

I would NEVER let one of those shows remove a ceiling fan, especially in a bedroom. Repaint it, replace it, revamp it, that's fine, but I do not sleep well in a room if the air isn't moving and I LOVE having fans on.

I just got a ceiling fan in my VERY warm Southern home, it was a reversible color one so I could have silver or black blades, but painting them the color of the ceiling as one poster sounds like something good to do. I've never had one in my bedroom before, it has really been lulling me to sleep.

Any suggestions on the height of the celiling for ceiling fans?