Baseboard thermostats

Most of the furnaces that I inspect during home inspections are controlled by programmable thermostats. The same cannot be said about electric baseboard heating.

(Photo: Hugh Cairns)

The key to efficient baseboard heating is airflow: anything blocking the flow of air into or out of an electric baseboard heater will decrease its energy efficiency and create a potential fire hazard.

Like a radiator, a baseboard heater is a type of convection heater. As it heats up, it spreads air through its metal fins, warming the air directly above and around it. As the hot air spreads out, it becomes less dense while it rises into the air. This creates a vacuum, pulling cool air towards the heater and starting the process over again. Once the convection current gets flowing, it can spread heat to the entire room.

The key to efficient baseboard heating is airflow: anything blocking the flow of air into or out of an electric baseboard heater will decrease its energy efficiency and create a potential fire hazard. Baseboard heaters work best when they are located under a window and at least 12” away from furniture or other objects on the floor. Make sure that drapes and other hanging objects are at least 12” away from the heater too. Dust and dirt can decrease the amount of heat your baseboard heaters are able to produce, while at the same time increasing how much energy they consume. Remember to clean them a couple of times a year.

The biggest advantage of electric baseboard heaters is that you can control the heat of each room independently. If your home is heated by electric baseboard heaters, those heaters probably account for nearly half of your hydro bill.

A thermostat—usually located on a nearby wall—controls the heater or heaters for each room. It turns on when the air temperature in the room falls below a set temperature, and off when the room reaches that temperature. If you want to save energy, always turn your thermostats down when you can, at night when you’re sleeping, for example, or all of the time in rooms you don’t use or when you are away.

If you want to reduce your electricity consumption it makes sense to make sure your electric baseboard heaters are working efficiently and are controlled by programmable thermostats. Most baseboard heaters are installed with manual thermostats. Each time you want to change the temperature of a room you have to do it manually. If you have to manage several rooms it is easy to forget to turn a thermostat down at night or when you are away. The answer is to switch to programmable thermostats, especially in your main living rooms. Programmable thermostats are more precise than their manual cousins and do a better job of keeping room temperature constant.

Avoid fluctuations in temperature by installing programmable thermostats, you’ll be more comfortable and you’ll save more energy.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.