Is there an advantage to having heat ducts in the ceiling?

Question

Is there an advantage to having heat ducts in the ceiling? I miss having them in the floor. I used to sit on them when I was a kid and I probably still would to this day- or I'd at least put a chair very close to one!

Answer 1

You won't lose loose change or ear rings in them. Heat rises, so I suppose the vents blowing down would help force the warm air down.

Answer 2

I believe on a comfort level it's a personal preference. I've lived in cold winter climates of the Great Lakes region and tropical climates along mid Florida Gulf of Mexico. In cold winters I like the heat vents near the floor. My aunt who also owns a home in the northern Ohio countryside has ceiling vents but when you sit on her couch and old man winter blew across the corn field your ankles get cold. In Florida there aren't many basements for duct work so it's normally ceiling vents. In warmer weather I use the ceiling fans to push the a/c downward and reverse the blade direction to circulate the heat. Besides with ceiling vents you don't have to concern yourself with blocking a floor vent, especially if space is limited. You can adjust the vent or add on air deflectors so the airflow isn't blowing directly on the back of your neck or making the curtains billow. It's best to have adequate insulation whether you have floor or ceiling vents. Also, if the duct work leaks you will also loose efficiency. A leak may also cause mold/mildew. So whether ceiling or floor vents keep in mind you may need to get to the duct work attached to the vents which means crawlspaces between floors, attic or basement access.

Answer 3

The only "advantage" was for the installer. He used less ductwork. Heat rises so your ceiling will be warmer with the ducts being up there. My choice is in the wall, low. The vent covers don't get stepped on or furniture set on them. If I ever built a house, the duct would be in the wall with two registers. One high, for the AC and one low for heat. I would close the one I wasn't using in that season.

Answer 4

Only advantage is that they are easier to install for the builder since they don't have to be run in the slab or through the subflooring. I agree, they don't heat as well as floor vents do, though you don't have to arrange your furniture around the vents if they are in the ceiling.

By the way, I have a slab floor, with floor vents. There is no reason they cannot be installed in the slab at the time the slab is poured, just cheaper to use the ceiling. I do tell a difference-my mother's house has ceiling vents, and doesn't seem as warm to me at the floor since the heat rises. Plus I find the ceiling vents ugly since they collect dust.

Answer 5

if the duct work is in the walls, when hanging pictures or shelves above the vent may puncture the duct. heat rises through convection and a ceiling fan will circulate the air-the same as a ceiling duct vent would.

Answer 6

I agree with the other posters. Normally, registers are located in the ceiling when the home is built on a slab. The only advantage I can think of is that you are not as restricted in furniture placement. While most crawlspace homes have the registers in the floors, I've been in plenty of slab homes that are quite comfortable. I have not noticed a difference with the registers being above.

Answer 7

In my case, I have to have them in the ceiling, I am on a slab.
If I had a choice, under the house, getting around the attic is tough with the ducting there.

Answer 8

no, its just a matter of space for them,
ducts in the floor work better because heat rises,