Ceiling fans are a part of many home cooling systems. In the spring, summer and fall they can provide additional cooling and reduce the need to use air conditioning systems. They can also be used in the winter months to force hot air down from your ceilings and provide better circulation of heated air throughout your home.
The use of ceiling fans to improve the flow of warm air must be tested and you may find that the use of a ceiling fan actually makes your home feel colder.
The best locations for a winter ceiling fan would be in two story rooms or those with vaulted ceilings. In these locations heated air will flow into ceiling areas that are not usable living space.
Most HVAC systems are designed to compensate for high ceilings and position return vents as high as possible in these rooms.
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You should also remember that thermostats that allow you to set the temperature of your home are set about eye level to measure the heat coming down from the ceiling at this point. Air in the room that is lower then the thermostat may be 1 to 3 degrees colder and floor surfaces that do not collect sunlight during the day or have heated spaces below them will naturally be colder in the winter.
Taking advantage of increased air flow from your ceiling fan may require that you adjust the reverse setting in the fan to force air down but even if the fan is set in the up position air that flows through the fan will hit the ceiling and be forced back down into the room.
By increasing the flow of air in your home you may find that your thermostat needs to be adjusted when the cool and warm air in your rooms mix.
I would suggest that you start with the lowest possible setting to reduce the feeling of cold drafts from the fan.
It may be worth a try to use your fans in larger rooms with high ceilings but don’t feel disappointed if you have negative results in a bedroom or standard height room.
However now that you know that heat rises in your home you may want to keep that basement door open to allow heated air to enter into your living space over night.