On Friday, July 4, 2014 2:08:16 AM UTC-4, HerHusband wrote:
Hi Robert,



It's HOT, so I thought run the ceiling fan so the cool air comes

across the stone flooring and moves by me to be sucked up into the

ceiling fan - so I feel cooler. Fan is set to move air UP

Earlier I thought run the fan directly onto me gently moving air

straight at me, which is DOWN. But when I did that, after 10-15min

felt hotter in the room.



If the fan has been off for a while, there will be a pool of hot air near

the ceiling. When you turn the fan on, it may feel warmer for a while

until that hot air mixes with the cooler air below.



So my question is WHICH way is this !@#$#@ system designed for? UP or

DOWN air in the summer?



A ceiling fan doesn't change the actual temperature in the room (watch

your thermometer).

It can certainly change the temperature at the lower part of the room.
Hot air rises and a fan blowing down will push hot air down.


It just feels cooler because the air moves across your

skin.

That's the main effect that I've seen. The air being pushed down
may be a little warmer, but the effect of the breeze is more
significant and you feel cooler.




That's why you should only run the fan when you're in the house.

You're just wasting energy if you're not in the house to feel the breeze.



+1




In a closed room, it really shouldn't make any difference which way the

fan blows. The fan simply circulates the air, one direction or the other,

but it moves the same amount of air either way. Doorways and other

openings can alter the airflow somewhat, but that's the basic principle.



It makes a big difference, because with the air blowing up, there is
little direct breeze on you. With it down, there is a direct breeze.





That said, the breeze will be strongest directly in front of the fan

where it is less dispersed. Since I spend more time walking beneath the

fan than I do above it, I always have my fan blowing down. That way I am

more likely to feel the air flow.



Bingo



In any case, try both directions and see which is more comfortable in

your home where you spend the most time.



I rarely use my ceiling fan in the winter. I don't want air moving across

my skin to make me feel cooler. About the only time I use the fan in the

winter is if we are using our woodstove, in which case it helps equalize

the heat in the house instead of being warm in one room and cool in the

others.


+1 to that. I never use mine in winter either.