eejjkk t1_iujinaf wrote on October 31, 2022 at 8:18 PM

If heat rises and accumulates in the upper area of a room... wouldn't pushing that accumulated warm air DOWN help to keep the lower area of the room feeling warmer?

kempff t1_iujqnmj wrote on October 31, 2022 at 9:14 PM

Burn the heretic!

But seriously in all the years I've had ceiling fans I've never noticed a difference. Ceiling fans are nothing more than air mixers. They do not blow a well-defined column of warm air down from the ceiling that keeps us on the floor warmer, nor do they pull cool air up from the floor to make us feel cooler. Or maybe it's the other way around I can't remember. But either way the whole ceiling fan thing sounds like a marketing ploy by ceiling fan manufacturers.

Besides they blow things off of tables/desks/countertops and in a kitchen with a gas stove they mess with the burners. If I had the money I'd get rid of all of mine.

cra3ig t1_iukb8hs wrote on October 31, 2022 at 11:53 PM

It does seem to make more sense that way, but OP is right.

Summers, you're pushing the warmest air down at you. But it's the breeze effect that directly cools you, and accelerates the evaporation of sweat. Same as any other fan. The displaced air near the ceiling is replaced by air coming up alongside the perimeter walls.

Winters, you don't want that. By drawing air upwards, it spreads across the ceiling - displacing and driving the warm air there outward and then down the perimeter walls, mixing with and warming the room air there. Reducing temperature stratification with no draft.