High ceilings

**dcompton** · 11-08-2007, 11:56 PM

I wasn't sure where to put this -- maybe utilities would have been better. I am looking at an apartment that has high ceilings. I have never lived with them. I know they would increase heating costs, though keeping the thermostat pretty low and using radiant heaters that don't warm the air would be an option. Would that work?

How do they work in summer? Would they also substantially increase cooling bills? I use a lot of fans so the air will be stirring and that helps me keep the temp a little warmer. I'm in Lousiana so we have have HOT a lot longer than we have cold.

I guess I mostly just want to get to feel for this from some of you with experience living in houses/apartments with higher than standard ceilings. Will it torpedo the budget ship so seriously I should pass? The apartment is already more than I am paying now, but it is nice and in a wonderful, safe, quiet location, three or four minutes from work and close to good shopping.

**Ceashels** · 11-09-2007, 12:27 PM

Hmm, I'm not sure how it would impact the budget. Are there ceiling fans? If not, aiming a floor fan up to the ceiling would be a way to get a current of warm air circulating in the colder months. Are there other tennants around to ask?

**sdrjeolsen** · 11-09-2007, 12:46 PM

Your costs will be higher, we felt the increase over other houses we had lived in and I swore I wouldn't do it again, but here we are agian in an open house. Radiant heaters may be a good solution.

I've found in the past that running just the fan part of the furnace but not the heat (does that make sense?), in other words, just turning the fan "on" from auto for 30 min or so helps circulate some of the heat back around in the winter. Do you know, are there any return air ducts up high? It would help if there were.

In the summer, the heat does rise, I try not to disturb it up there. The fan only makes you feel cool, doesn't actually cool the room, so I will only turn it on if I am in the room and want some breeze.

Also, if the new place has ceiling fans, there should be a switch that lets you change the direction that the baldes circulate, either drawing air up or pushing it down. I can't remember which direction is for which season, but you could probably search the internet for that info....my guess is up for summer & down for winter.

**lullaby80** · 11-09-2007, 12:49 PM

We have high ceiling upstairs (the attick has been torn down) in all three bedrooms. I like the airy feel they give and in the summer the fans keep the rooms somewhat cool. Don't know if our heating/cooling costs would be any higher or lower without them, all I can say is that don't get high ceilings if you live close to the airport since there is no attick to muffle the sound of the planes.

**Darlene** · 11-09-2007, 01:04 PM

I too don't know about costs but our livingroom is open to the upstairs and we have a fan that circlulates the air differently for summer & winter. We heat with wood mostly, fireplace is in lr and that fan keeps that air from just staying up where it's of no use.
Sorry I'm of no help but high ceilings sure are nice. Christmas trees especially love'em.

**mikandmari** · 11-09-2007, 02:49 PM

Living in Louisiana, you'll probably save money, since your winters are shorter than your summers. We lived in house that we renovated and created a cathedral ceiling (took part of the attic). We saved money in summer.

Mary Hunt has that Cheapskate site, I get her emails, and in the last week or so there was one about which way to turn the blades in winter vs. summer. It varies from fan to fan depending on which way the blades lean; this is why no one can ever remember! You can probably try looking up her sight for this info.

Also, what kind of heat do you have? That would probably be more of a concern to me right now (I'll be house-hunting in a few years, and I'm pretty sure I don't want oil heat!).

**dcompton** · 11-09-2007, 07:02 PM

Thanks for all the input. I don't know the answers yet to some of the questions you raised, but I'll find out tomorrow. This apartment is currently rented by a friend who is moving soon, and I will probably be able to get it on her recommendation. But she has only been there since July, so doesn't know about winter utility bills. I'm guessing the heat is probably electric. I've only been there once last summer -- we usually meet somewhere else -- but I really liked it when I saw it. I've about decided to do it regardless. My biggest grievance about living space is noise, and this apartment (part of a duplex) is on a corner with very little traffic, and a medical student neighbor who is very quiet, and is likely to be succeeded by other med students who are also quiet. They'd better be! I run the medical library nights and weekends and see if THEIR books get renewed! Seriously, it's more than I wanted to pay, but I'm about ready to be really nice to myself for a while, and since I'll be trading a 15 minute commute for a 2-3 minute one, I'll save a bundle on gas and that will help with the costs.