Some people are only just learning that ceiling fans have a switch that makes them dual purpose

Ceiling fans have a switch that makes them dual purpose and it is blowing our minds.

Don't worry if you didn't know any of this - I didn't either, so your surprise is shared.

The vast majority of us will blissfully live our lives not really knowing what some of the things in our houses do, and that's okay because we're all super busy, right?

But with the rise of social media throwing information at us whether we like it or not, we are discovering some incredible things about our household appliances that can improve our daily life.

So let's talk about the ceiling fan. It's just a fan that sits on the roof and spins, right?

In short - yes that is absolutely the case, but did you know you could reverse the way that the fan spins, and this is meant to be done between the warmer and colder months?

The revelation has left many questioning their own ceiling fan knowledge.

Many have taken to social media to shed light on the simple logic behind the switch, stating that when the fan rotates counterclockwise, it pushes air downward, creating a refreshing breeze.

However, when set to rotate clockwise, the same switch reverses the effect, propelling warm air upwards, and making ceiling fans a practical appliance even during the winter months.

It turns out that our ceiling fans are dual-purpose. Credit: Busà Photography/Getty

Kevin Lighty, the Chief Meteorologist for WCIA 3 took to X (formerly Twitter) to question: "Ok, be honest. How many of you knew that there is a setting on your ceiling fan that you are supposed to switch between summer and winter?"

The information was also shared by Ahmad Bajjey, a Meteorologist with CBS Detroit - so if two Meteorologists are saying to do it, then maybe it's time to take note.

It seems like this revelation is new to a lot of people, as one person wrote:  "I just flipped the switch on my ceiling fan and the room is actually cool now? Is this witchcraft?"

Experts have said now is the time to set your fans to winter mode. Credit: Fotosearch/Getty

A second person added: "How old were y’all when y’all realized there was a hot/cold switch on a ceiling fan?"

While it came as news to some, a third person already had the information: "I’m seeing a lot of people just learning you’re supposed to switch the way the rotation of the ceiling fan goes for winter and summer."

But now you have this knowledge, now is the time to set your fans to winter mode!

Featured image credit: DonNichols/Getty