Why Can’t I Feel My Ceiling Fan?

Adding a ceiling fan to a room can serve a couple of important purposes. First, it can be a notable piece of décor, bringing an additional element into the space and rounding out the design nicely. Also, there are the practical advantages of the air movement and light that the ceiling fan can provide. When you consider these benefits together, it’s easy to understand why these fans are so popular throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

 

Despite the benefits, there are some problems that can arise. A common question we receive is why can’t I feel my ceiling fan? Especially, if you see the blades spinning, but you aren’t feeling anything down on the ground – what is going on? Let’s get to the bottom of this issue in the article below. For help reach out to Walker Air • Plumbing • Electric.

 

An Easy Starting Point

If you turn on your ceiling fan and you don’t feel any air blowing down into the room, there is one likely cause that you’ll want to check before taking any other action. A typical ceiling fan will have two modes – one that causes the blades to spin in a counter-clockwise direction, and another that has them spin clockwise. The counter-clockwise setting is considered the “normal” or “standard” setting, while clockwise spinning is considered “reverse”.

 

The fan is only going to blow air down toward the floor if the fan is set to spin in the counter-clockwise direction. So, if yours is set to spin clockwise, it will be pulling air up toward the ceiling instead, and you won’t feel anything even if you stand right below it. It looks weird to see the fan spinning while you don’t feel any air movement, but it’s simply because the fan is directing the air the other way. It’s the same concept as standing behind a box fan – you wouldn’t feel a thing until you walked around to the front of the fan.

 

So, how do you change this setting? If your fan has a remote control, you probably won’t be able to change the direction the fan spins on that remote. Instead, you’ll need to get up to the fan itself – when it is off, of course – and find a switch somewhere on the body of the fan. Flip that switch into the other position, get safely away from the fan, and turn it on again. Most likely, you’ll now feel that flow of fresh air that you had imagined.

 

Some Other Possibilities

What if your fan was already turning in the counter-clockwise direction and you aren’t feeling any air movement on the ground? Consider the following possibilities –

 

• The fan is too small for the space. If you have a big room with tall ceilings, and you install only a modest fan, you might not feel much of anything when you switch it on. This is simply because the room is too big for the blades of the fan to make an impact on the airflow in the space. Switching to a bigger fan will boost the air movement dramatically and give you the results you desire. Also, most people would agree that a larger fan will look better in a bigger room, so you might enjoy the aesthetic upgrade, as well.
• It’s too close to the ceiling. When a ceiling fan is mounted without much space between the blades of the fan and the ceiling, there won’t be much air available to pull down toward the ground. You might feel a little bit of air movement from a fan in this situation, but it will be lackluster. The addition of a downrod – which is simply an extension that allows the fan to be positioned further from the ceiling – can solve this problem and help air flow more freely. Of course, you’ll want to avoid mounting the fan so low it could be dangerous.

 

Ceiling fans are pretty simple, and you might be able to improve the performance of yours by considering some of the possibilities we have discussed above. Of course, if you need help with electrical issues or anything else in your home or commercial space, don’t hesitate to reach out to Walker Air • Plumbing • Electric for help. We are here to serve you!