When choosing between different baseboard heaters, you must consider your needs for a room that you will be heating. Baseboard heaters that is too small for the square footage of the room will not be able to heat the space to the degree that you may need. Conversely, if you choose a heater that is too large for the space, you will end up spending more money than you would like with the heating capacity of that room.
The square footage of the room that you wish to heat will determine the length of the baseboard heater. You can calculate how many watts of heat are required by multiply the square footage of the room by ten watts. This number is representative of the number of watts needed per square foot for rooms that have average insulation, ceiling heights, and windows.
How to Choose and Care for a Baseboard Heater
Once you have calculated the wattage that is required to heat the room, you can use a chart to determine what length of baseboard heater will provide that amount of heat. For example, if you have a sixty square foot bathroom, you will need six hundred watts of heat. If you have an eighty square foot kitchen, you will need eight hundred watts of heat.
It is often easier to install two baseboard heaters of a smaller length than one large baseboard heater of the length required for the room. Another factor to consider when purchasing a baseboard heater is the voltage of the baseboard heater. Baseboard heaters that use 120 volts are commonly found in homes, and are typically only needed for rooms of smaller square footage.
Smaller baseboard heaters with 120 volts are typically used in bedrooms, small offices, and bathrooms. Other people, however, may opt for a baseboard heater that uses 240 volts if they are heating larger areas of there homes, particularly in colder climates. The 240 volt baseboard heaters can provide more heat per amp, and allow the heaters to run for longer periods of time on a single electrical circuit.
However, installing a 240 volt baseboard heater is more difficult with the existing electrical systems in most homes; it will require new wiring for the heater. The third factor to consider in the selection of a baseboard heater is where you will place the baseboard heater in the room. Baseboard heaters utilize a process known as convection to distribute heat to the area of the room.
Convection is a process whereby the baseboard heater pulls the cool air from the area of the floor of the room, and pushes the warm air from the baseboard heater upward. You should install the baseboard heater on an exterior wall because the exterior wall will naturaly capture the cold air from outside the house. By capturing the cold air from outside the house, the baseboard heater will be able to heat that air and create a rising curtain of warmth that helps to block any cold drafts from entering the house through that exterior wall.
Installing the baseboard heater on an interior wall will not allow it to capture any cold drafts from the exterior of the room or house. The warm air created by the baseboard heater will simply mix with the air within the room and will not be able to block any cold drafts. You also must make sure that furniture or drapes dont block the front of the baseboard heater.
If you block the front of the heater, the warm air will not be able to rise from the baseboard heater and into the living space of the house. In this case, the baseboard heater will have to run for longer periods of time in order to heat the living space of the house. You should leave at least six inches of space between the baseboard heater and any furniture or drapes.
Another factor that will impact the difficulty with which you install the baseboard heater are the length and the weight of the baseboard heater. If the baseboard heater is relatively short in length, it is light enough for one person to install. If the baseboard heater is long in length and heavy in weight however, it will be difficult for one person to install it while holding it on the ladder.
Therefore, another person will be needed to hold the baseboard heater in place while the other person installs the baseboard heater. Some mistakes that many people make when choosing a baseboard heater is to measure their old baseboard heater and purchase a new baseboard heater of the same length. The length of the baseboard heater will not necessarily be correct if the house has new windows or new insulation.
Another mistake is to purchase a baseboard heater for a relatively low price but to not consider the wattage that the baseboard heater should have in order to adequately heat the living space of the house. Finally, many people also forget to check the voltage of the baseboard heater to be sure that the outlets in the room will supply the correct amount of amperage for the baseboard heater. Baseboard heaters are among the easiest heating devices to maintain.
All you need to do is vacuum the fins of the baseboard heater once each year. Dust will naturaly accumulate on the fins of the baseboard heater as it heats the air within the living space of the house. Removing the dust from the fins of the baseboard heater is important because the dust will naturaly reduce the amount of air that can move out of the heater and into the living space of the house.
You should also periodically ensure that no furniture or drapes is blocking the baseboard heater. By ensuring that the baseboard heater is clear of any obstructions and that the fins are free of dust, the baseboard heater will remain efficient.