Baseboard Heaters Radiate the Savings

By HomeAdvisor

Updated December 12, 2016

Baseboard Heater

Unlike central air, baseboard heaters warm up a room by using a more efficient and cost-effective distribution method. Like a radiator, these metal units warm up the air around it by emitting heat, but they can still be controlled by a thermostat. Located along the bottom of wall, baseboard heaters use a convection system that takes in cold air along the floor, heats it up with an electrical system within its core, and then allows the warmed air to rise into the room. This natural rotation continues until the air along the floor heats up to a desired temperature, wherein the cycle will shut off until it is needed again.

Keep it Cheap

Alhough this cycle is often slow in achieving a pre-set temperature, once the room is warmed it stays consistently heated, which makes this system much more cost-effective. As we all know, natural gas is expensive and running an HVAC unit all winter long can eat away at our budgets. But baseboard heaters save money in all sorts of ways:

  • Components: Unlike a furnace, basboard heating units are simply mounted along the bottom of a wall. You don’t have to worry about all that expensive ductwork, insulation, and maintenance.
  • Installation: These units are cheap to install and don’t require seasonal repair. Plus, you have more control over the system’s domain: simply hire a professional to install these units in whichever room needs it the most.
  • Self-contained: A furnace is designed to heat up the entire house, even areas you don’t often use. But these units simply warm up one room at a time, allowing you to quarantine the heat however you see fit, which saves you from wasting energy and money.
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Other Benefits

Baseboard heaters are often thought of as an eyesore since they aren’t hidden away behind the walls. But since they are obscured within a metal cover, these units can be painted any color to fit a room’s decor. Plus, they are so small (they only jut out a few inches from the wall and floor) they often go unnoticed and actually save you space, unlike a furnace which ends up taking up a lot of unseen space in the home. You don’t even have to hide baseboard heating with drapes, furniture, or plants (in fact, obstructing the unit can cause more harm than good). Here are a few more benefits to these products:

  • Safety: They are covered up with a metal guard which keeps the heating core out of reach of children, pets, and debris.
  • Easy maintenance: Other than setting the temperature, the only maintenance required is occasional cleaning and light dusting.
  • No Draft: Since they don’t rely on vents and ducts, these units aren’t as noisy and won’t dry out the air as badly. Therefore your heating system won’t be to blame for dry skin and chapped lips.

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