Best Way to Operate Ceiling Fan for Wood Burning?

[jscs.moore]

Hey Guy's...quick question. I have my insert (Hampton HI300) in a 14x25ft family room with a 9ft ceiling. However, the living room floor plan opens right into the kitchen and living room separated by a dividing wall. So what is the best way to operate the ceiling fan in the family room when the insert is burning...normal mode or reverse (pushing air down)? I've been using it normal mode and it really seems to move the heat extremely well into the rest of the house and especially upstairs. I tried on reverse the other day and I don't think it was as effective in moving the heat upstairs from the living room? Any feedback would be appreciated

 

[heavy hammer]

Just look up fan rotation for winter time I believe for winter it is clockwise it pushes the heat down back to the floor. Keep it on low or light medium, if you try to push the air to fast it will start to cool. You just want air movement. I have two fans in the room with the stove and one large fan in the big living room next to that room all on low. Once the air starts moving you will get that warm air moving to other rooms.

 

[begreen]

Often one runs the fan in reverse (winter) mode so that the air is blowing upward. This circulates the air to the outside walls without feeling a draft blowing down on you. It can help the room heat to feel more even throughout the room.

 

[prezes13]

I use it in the winter mode and it works great for me. I have vaulted ceiling maybe 12' high. Kitchen living and dining room one open area. When I turn the fan on I can feel the hot air go by in the hallway to bedrooms.

 

[pen]

Air up in winter for me too.

 

[prezes13]

I believe it works the same way like a fan on the floor blowing towards the stove. My fan runs to fast even on a lowest setting so I turn it on and off.

 

[sean b]

Being an electrician, I've installed literally hundreds of fans over the years and customers have frequently asked the same question. You have two choices; try each direction and see which works best for you and your home. The conventional wisdom for winter time use is to run the fan so that the blades are pushing the air upwards (reverse), as pushing the air downward can create an uncomfortable draft. If draft is not a problem for occupants, it probably doesn't matter much as the air is going to be mixed and circulated regardless of direction of rotation. With that said, I'd be interested in knowing whether you can notice a difference or not. If you're able to notice that a downward direction works best but draft is an issue, try reducing the fan speed to possibly eliminate that.

 

[bioman]

I run mine up in winter.

 

[DougA]

I've got a large room with a 16' vaulted ceiling and I have tested both ways. I run mine to push air down from the ceiling but it is on the slowest setting so that even when you are sitting directly under the fan, you do not feel a breeze.
The most important part is to move air so that it is not stratified without having people feel cool because air is blowing on them. It takes very little air movement to even out your temperature zones. Most people run the fan way too fast, you only need low & slow.
I do feel a very slight movement along the floor from the outside of the room toward the stove. I don't know of any way to completely avoid this.

 

[FPX Dude]

I run mine DOWN in winter, oh geeze you should feel that hot air blowing down, like a hair dryer. Up or down, experiment with it and see what you like.

 

[beatlefan]

There are a lot of things that play into it. Size of the room, layout of the house, ceiling height, etc. Mine seems to distribute the heat best when blowing down. I think it's more of a trial and error thing.

 

[jscs.moore]

Thanks for all of your feedback! I will continue to experiment with each mode, however at this point it seems to really work best (as Begreen noted) in Winter mode with the blades moving the air upward. Since my floor plan (Center Hall Colonial) is very open from the living room area, it seems to move the heat well into the kitchen, dining room and upstairs very well when the fan blades move the air upwards. Thanks again!