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Problems With Electric Baseboard Heaters

By Beau Keyes, eHow Contributor

Problems With Electric Baseboard Heaters If used properly, and installed according to specifications, electric baseboard heat is one of the best heating systems for a home. hese heaters are ideal for older homes with old or unser!iceable heating systems no longer capable of continued use. Howe!er, they also use a great deal of energy to deli!er effecti!e heating, and baseboard heaters ha!e limitations and problems that should not be ignored if you are thin"ing about going this heating route. #oes this $par" an idea%

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1. Proper Airflow

Electric baseboard heaters pull cool air through the bottom of the unit and release heated air from the top. hey are designed to sit a ()*+inch abo!e the floor or carpet to allow enough airflow through the system. Because of this design and to ensure efficiency, the heaters shouldn,t be bloc"ed by furniture or the !ent system hampered in any way.

2. The Heating Element

he inside of an electric baseboard heaters are composed of a heating element connected to an assembly of metal fins that heat the air around them and then !ent the heated air into the room. Because of constant airflow, it is easy for the fans to be co!ered and clogged with dust and debris o!er time. he thin metal fins can also be damaged and bent easily and can li"ewise effect heating efficiency.

. !n"sed Rooms
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-n ad!antage to baseboard heaters is how you can control the indi!idual heat on a room+by+room basis. .ften, though, homeowners will try to sa!e money by isolating rooms and switching heaters off. his is unwise as it could lead to pipes in the walls or floor free/ing or cold air from the room seeping into ad0oining rooms and thereby ma"ing other heaters wor" harder. urning the heat down to 12 degrees C or so is a better way to impro!e efficiency in unused rooms.

#. Thermostats
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&ost electric baseboard heaters come with a thermostat attached to them, but they are not always the best at maintaining consistent temperature. hey also can not be controlled by wall mounted thermostats for a central heating system as the heaters need a specific !oltage running through them at all times. Proper wall mounted control thermostats for baseboard heaters are not o!erly e3pensi!e but should be installed by a professional for best results.

$. %ns"lation
It is important to ha!e ade4uate insulation in a home heated by baseboard heat. he heat demand and wear and tear goes up considerably with inade4uate insulation, causing the heaters to wor" harder and longer and thereby incurring greater inefficiency and e3pense. $ince baseboard heaters don,t blow air through !ents li"e a furnace does, it is harder to combat drafts and air lea"s. $imple efforts to add insulation, weather stripping to doors and windows, and caul"ing to ma"e rooms more airtight can increase the efficiency.

&. 'oncl"sion
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Baseboard heat is an e3cellent source of heat for a single room or small home. he problems that come from such a system can be mitigated as long as proper usage guidelines are followed and the units maintained in proper wor"ing order. If this is done, they will offer consistent, efficient heat for decades before needing replacement.

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