Cooling Down New York With This Ceiling Fan Must-Do

I discovered this apparently well-known (to everyone but me) fun fact about ceiling fan directions back in the fall, just before my 'over the hill' birthday. Yet here we are, 8 months later, and i'm laying in bed during what feels like day 84 of the latest heat wave wondering if my ceiling fan is spinning in the right direction (spoiler, it was in fact NOT spinning in the proper 'summer' setting).

This is not what I imagined life after 40 to be like...

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Adulting Is Hard. Period.

It isn't easy trying to keep track of 'all the things' - am I right? When was the last time I had my tires rotated? Does the exterminator need to come and treat for cave crickets again? Do I need to have my gutters cleaned? Is it time for my furnace or HVAC system to be serviced? Is there a mouse family taking up residence in my BBQ grill?

These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things associated with being a responsible adult, and for the most part, a homeowner.

I stumbled across a post on Facebook the other day that referenced 'ceiling fan settings' and as I was about to scroll by, I realized that the person was not referring to the speed of your fan that is most commonly adjusted buy a pull string, but instead the direction of the fan.

Huh?

Have I even been doing ceiling fans wrong all these years?

READ MORE from the Adulting Chronicles: This Place May Be More Fun For Adults Than Kids

Seasonal Ceiling Fan Settings Are Indeed A Thing

I considered it a HUGE win in my adulting book when I purchased an actual tool for cleaning the ceiling fan a few months back. Gone are the days of standing on a step stool with a dust rag or my swiffer to clean the blades, we fancy now.

However, in addition to cleaning the blades of your fan, did you know that there is actually a setting on the fan to change THE DIRECTION of the spin, and that the direction is supposed to change for certain seasons.

Be honest with me, was this as earth shattering for you as it was for me? Or are you some sort of ceiling fan pro?

The legend (ok, a meteorologist from Champaign IL) says that the 'winter setting' on the fan should be clockwise, so warm air trapped up high is forced into the ceiling, pushed along the walls, and eventually down to the floor, whereas the counterclockwise setting for summer forces air straight downward forcing a wind chill effect.

My poor ceiling fans have no idea what's coming their way...

A very informal poll among friends, family, and some people here at the radio station produced mixed results, and not to sound ageist at all, but it seems like there is definitely generational knowledge that hasn't necessarily trickled down to some of us millennials or xennials yet....just saying.

Weigh in - did you know or not, and if you did know, do you change your fan direction with the seasons?