ST. LOUIS — Time to look up. In this heat your ceiling fan is probably on, but the direction it is turning makes a difference.
According to Ameren Missouri Director of Dorsett and St. Charles Operations Matt Tosh, your fan should be going, "Counterclockwise in the summer, clockwise in the winter."
To change the direction your fan blades are turning, first turn it off. Then look for the nondescript switch. The switch controls which way your fan is turning.
Most fans have these switches and most switches don't have any wording to guide you. To figure out which way it's spinning, it's easiest to start with the fan stopped and then turn it on. The direction is determined by looking up at the fan.
Tosh explains why you want to switch your blade direction based on the season, "Has to do with the flow of air, warm air rises, so in the winter you want to blow that down." Alternatively, in the summer, "to make you feel cool you want to go counterclockwise to pull that up. A lot of folks think you want that blowing down on you in the summer and it's counterintuitive."
Remembering cold air sinks, Tosh's tip does make sense. He said it's an affordable way to boost your home's cooling ability: "It doesn't cost a lot, energy wise, to run those ceiling fans."
His next tip is more of a reminder and one that is easily forgotten. "Every three months, I would at least pull your filters, check them, make sure they're not clogged," urged Tosh. "The cleaner that filter is, the less pressure it puts on your system and helps it run a little more efficiently too."
To check and install a filter, first find it. Look for the silver metal duct work and follow it to the machine that rumbles when the fan is on. Your air filter will be somewhere in there and you'll see the cardboard edge.
Now, pull it out. If it's dirty, replace it. If it's clean, put it back in. Make sure the arrow on the filter follows the flow of the air. The arrow should be pointing towards your fan.
Now you're in good shape to try and weather out this heat.