Ceiling fans - up or down?

[---MIKE---]

I have a small log home. The main room is 22 X 30 with an 18 foot cathedral ceiling. There are two fans - up high. I am supplementing the baseboard (oil) heat with two electric radiators. (I made the mistake of pre-buying the oil at $4.779/gallon). The fans, being up high, are not easy to get at to change direction. Right now they are set to "blow" down. Is this the best way to distribute the heat or would up be better?

---MIKE---

>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire >> (44=B0 15' N - Elevation 1580')

[---MIKE---]

I have a small log home. The main floor is one large room (22 X 30) with an 18 foot cathedral ceiling. There are two fans- up high. I am supplementing the baseboard (oil) heat with two electric radiators (I pre-bought my oil at $4.779 last July). At present the fans are set to "blow" down. Because of their height it is not easy to reverse them. Would "blowing" up give me better heat distribution?

---MIKE---

[LouB]

UP wil push heat up to the ceiling and then down the sides of the room.

Lou

[ds549]

my ceiling is 9 foot.i blow up in the winter,down in the summer..

----------------------------------------------------------------

[Van Chocstraw]

Down is better. Baseboard heat goes up the sides of the walls, the fan sucks the heat from the sides and top (where heat rises to) and blows it down the middle of the room. I find it also distributes wood heat more evenly also.

[Steve Barker]

down is usually the preferred method. Also, depending on your particular fan, you may be able to drill a 3/8" hole very near the end of a long 1x2 board to do the switching with on the high fans.

s

---MIKE---

[Ulysses]

agreed

[coloradotrout]

..seems either way would circulate, but you probably dont want the 'wind chill' in the winter, but a breeze is nice in the summer... thus probably the down in summer, up in winter approach..

[DerbyDad03]

New Hampshire

"Up" in the winter draws air into the fan from below, spreads it across the ceiling and down along the walls. This is what you want since you'll feel less of a breeze.

In the summer, any air movement - even the warm air from the ceiling - will cool you, so you want the direct breeze from the "downward" force.

[Robert Neville]

The usual convention is to have the fans set to blow down in the summer and up in the winter. The reason being is that moving air feels cooler, regardless of temperature.

That said, most modern fans are reverable electronically. You may want to think about replacing the fans with something newer, if it really bothers you.

[AZ Nomad]

It really doesn't matter. After a short period of operation, the air that might be going to the fan from the ceiling, or the air that might be going to the fan from below will be the same temperature.

[SteveB]

---MIKE---

Up to suck up the heat and distribute it, down in summer to cool. I know they are a hassle, but that's the way it works best.

Steve

[SteveB]

---MIKE---

I have one with the remote, so it is easy to change directions. up in winter, down in summer

steve

[Phisherman]

Usually blowing down is better and more comfortable for cooling. You might want to change to a remote controlled fan.