Electric baseboard heaters are inexpensive to buy and easy to instal and often a great choice for use in a small house or addition. They come in a number of sizes and designs and are generally available as either 120 volt or 240 volt units. The only cost consideration with these heaters is the electricity price in your area. Once you have satisfied yourself that the running costs are within your budget, you are ready to buy and instal your electric baseboard heater.
The very first thing you need to do is to determine the size of the area you wish to heat. When you have calculated the area you will be able to decide on the correct size and number of heaters you will need to adequately heat the space. Many electric baseboard heaters come with useful advice regarding the size of the space they can heat.
Electric baseboard heaters are fixed convection heaters and work on the same principles. They contain an inner coil that heats up and produces warm air through vents in the heater. In this way they gradually and comfortably heat up the room or office in which they are placed.
As their name suggests, electric baseboard heaters are usually fixed to the wall near the baseboard. They should be fitted at least an inch off the floor. Care should be taken to make sure the heater doesn’t touch the carpet or other flammable types of flooring.
A popular place for the installation of electric baseboard heaters is underneath windows. This is an excellent choice of location as these areas tend to be free of furniture and other obstructions. The only consideration here is to make sure that the heater is safely installed away from curtains or window dressings to ensure safety.
The units come with knock-outs at the back where the screws are put to fix the unit to the wall. The electricity is connected at either the right or left side of your electric baseboard heater – whichever suits your purposes – and the temperature is regulated by a thermostat which can also be installed at either end of the heater or elsewhere in the room. It is wise not to place the thermostat you are using too close to the vents in the heater as this may fool the thermostat into thinking the room is warmer than it really is and cause it to switch off the heaters.
As with all electrical appliances, it is important to carefully follow the instructions on the specific unit you intend to instal. Check to make sure that all of the electrical requirements regarding power and safety are carefully observed. Check that the immediate area of the heater is free from flammable materials such as curtains and soft furnishings and also – as is wise with all heaters – never store pressurized containers, such as spray cans, near an electric baseboard heater or any heat source.
Overall, electric baseboard heaters are excellent heaters for small areas and an excellent investment in terms of cost and ease of installation.