Baseboard heating can be a viable addition to the available options for keeping your home comfortable. These highly efficient heating units installed at floor level along the baseboard of a room produce gentle heat that rises naturally to help warm limited areas of a room or other indoor space.
Baseboard heating is available in two types. Electric baseboard units, the most common option, incorporate electrical heating elements similar to portable space heaters, but they are hardwired directly into the home’s electrical circuit. Hydronic units, conversely, utilize hot water from the boiler connected to the existing radiator heat system in the home.
Benefits you can expect from installing baseboard heating units include:
- Augmenting your central unit. A baseboard heater is helpful in certain areas of a room where heat from the central furnace isn’t getting the job done. These units can be situated anywhere, and each one is operated separately with an independent thermostat and on/off controls.
- Reducing overall heating expenses. High furnace thermostat settings and increased monthly costs are often the result of attempts to eliminate chronic cold spots. Installing a baseboard unit to fill in the gaps can take some of the load off the home’s furnace, allowing a lower central thermostat setting and cutting energy costs.
- Silent, clean operation. Baseboard heat warms rooms by convection, which is the natural principle of rising hot air. Unlike a forced-air unit, there’s no noisy blower fan that also stirs up dust.
- No wear and tear, resulting in a long service life. Baseboard units incorporate no moving parts that will eventually wear out. Reliability is very high and repairs are seldom required.
- Easy to relocate. If room occupancy or use changes, baseboard heat units can be moved to another room without major expense and inconvenience. Usually, just one qualified electrician can get the job done promptly.
The heating professionals at Ace Hardware Home Services are ready to answer any questions you may have about the benefits of baseboard heating.
