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help i'm losing all of my heat to the vaulted ceiling

12 years ago

i imagine i'm not the only one either. short of a big ceiling fan hanging down what can i do?

had the ceiling fan for years, but i just replaced it with the perfect chandelier and dark stained ceiling beams.

there isn't really room to hide tiny little fans anywhere either.

the ceiling peak is 12ft and i wonder if i had a couple of tall floor fans in the corners if they could pull hot air off the ceiling.

any ideas?

tia,s.

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Comments (9)

Linda
12 years ago
It will be helpful in the summer?
Circus Peanut
12 years ago
How well is the ceiling insulated? That would be my first line of defense - check into spray foam, which seems to be the most bang for the buck in terms of limited insulation space over a vaulted ceiling.
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melissastar
12 years ago
I have seen some beamed vaulted ceilings with smallish rotating fans mounted to the beams toward each corner. The fans look rather like old fashioned floor fans and while not the most attractive thing in the room, they're not particularly obnoxious. Perhaps this would work for you?
Susan
Original Author
12 years ago
oh sorry, i didn't mean it's actually escaping the building, it's all just a big warm air mass at the top of my room instead of where it belongs, by my cold feet!

dh and i have decided to try a pair of strong vornados in opposite corners to create current and hopefully some of that hot air will get pushed down again.
i'm hoping there is a less obtrusive option though.
palimpsest
12 years ago
I lived in a 14 foot ceiling unit with a lofted area and put in a ceiling fan because the kitchen in the loft was unbearably hot and the fridge ran all the time. I would've rather had a fixture, but the fan seemed more useful.

The people who bought from me took it out the ceiling fan and put in a chandelier that looked really great, and it stayed there for one winter, and then they put a ceiling fan back....
User
12 years ago
Heated floors would have been the first and best solution, but that's difficult to retrofit on a concrete floor. Second best is to plumb in a couple of powered circulation ducts, even if you have to encase them in soffits. They will pull the heat down from the ceiling through the ductwork and exhaust it at floor level. Third best option is to put back the ceiling fans. The fourth option is to use the portable fans, which as you've discovered, is noisy and unattractive. Fifth best option is heated slippers and an extra sweater.
roarah
12 years ago
Do you have an over the range microwave vent? If so if you turn it on it should pull the hot air down and help recirculate it. GL
Emilner
12 years ago
I would think the effect of air movement would cancel out some of the extra heat. The first step should be to check insulation to see if you are losing more than acceptable. You didn't mention what type of heat you have or what is under the room. Can you insulate the floors? Do you have baseboard or forced air? If you have forced air can you slow the fan speed down to allow for longer air circulation? How high up is the warmer air?
beekeeperswife
12 years ago
Could you find something like these invisible fans that you could place up there that wouldn't "compete" with your chandelier?

I've seen something like this at Lowes too.

Here is a link that might be useful: invisible fans

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