A ceiling fan is an a cost and energy efficient way to keep your home cool in the summer heat. It can help keep a room comfortable without the air-conditioning running and also help circulate cool air with the AC on. To do so, make sure your ceiling fan is set for summer cooling.

First, turn your fan on and note which way the blades are turning. In warmer seasons, the blades should spin counter-clockwise to create a breeze underneath the fan. This setting forces the air downward to create a breeze and circulate the cool air from the floor up to the ceiling. In the cool months, the opposite setting will force air up towards the ceiling to circulate the warm air at the ceiling to the floor.

If the blades are already spinning counter-clockwise, you're set. If not, make sure the fan is off at both the unit and, if hooked up to a wall switch, that the switch is set to off too. Use a chair or ladder to raise yourself so that your are eye-level with the fan base.

Next, locate the directional switch located on the side of the fan body underneath the blades. The switch is usually black and slides up and down. Flip the switch in the opposite direction. The switch will click in place.

Descend from the ladder and chair, flip the switch to turn the fan on and make sure the blades are now spinning counter-clockwise. Stand directly underneath the fan and a slight breeze will tell you you've set your fan correctly to help cool your home during the warm months of summer.