Baseboard heater covers are available in various styles and sizes. The available length of heater covers ranges from 3 to 7 feet. Larger quantity of the length of the covers can also be made by some manufacturers upon the customer’s request.

The heater covers are typically painted in white color. They are made from steel material. Some of them are polished in galvanized finish. The heater covers are offered in different design patterns. A simple perforated heater cover exhibits tiny openings for safety while taking into consideration the proper supply of air.  Various types of pattern are also available. Other types of heater covers can also serve as another cover for the initially installed heater cover. These types of heater covers are easier to install.

These covers can also be used for enhancing the decoration of homes and for providing protection. Several kinds of design pattern can increase the visual aspect of home decorations. Heater covers provide protection by preventing the possibility of the insertion of materials which may cause the possibility of fire. Corroded and broken heater covers should be replaced with a new one. Corrosion process of the metallic materials of the heater cover is inevitable but it can be prevented. The modern construction of the heater covers today are polished in galvanized finish to prevent the process of corrosion.

Calculating the correct size of heater covers for an individual unit is easy. Start by removing the front lid of the baseboard heater. Gauge the gap between the baseboard heaters’ heating component and topmost part. Gauge the distance between the face of the heating component and the wall. The value of the measured distance should not be greater than three inches. The normal length of the available heater covers in the market is three inches. Gauge the length between the floor and the topmost part of the baseboard heater. The measured value of the distance should not be under the value of 7.5 inches.

If lower or higher values of the measured distances should occur, requests for selected capacity of length are being accommodated by some manufacturers. Replace the front lid of the baseboard heater. The installation of baseboard covers is also simple. Make sure that the values of the distance are properly measured. Do not waste money in hiring a professional worker for the installation of the heater covers. Follow these simple steps and save some money.

Baseboard heaters produce and emit heat which logically makes the external surface of the baseboard heater to become hot. The appearance of punctured holes within a baseboard heater cover serves as its heat sink. The heat sink reduces the amount of the accumulated heat energy during the operation of the baseboard heater. The safe coexistence between baseboard heaters and babies should be dealt with a well thought-out plan.

Baseboard heaters and babies in a single place is a serious issue. The inquisitive nature of small children may tend to produce a perilous situation with baseboard heaters. Small children with inquisitive quality when combined with probing hands tend to touch the external surface of baseboard heaters. Touching a hot surface might cause an injury. Obviously, small children are not aware of this fact. The safe interaction between baseboard heaters and babies can be achieved by devising a plan of withstanding the tampering nature of small children.

Baseboard heater covers are useful in counteracting the tampering nature of toddlers. They may feel the hot temperature of the external surface of the baseboard heater cover but the construction of punctured holes will prevent the insertion of fingers. The possibility of inserting a finger inside these holes proposes more danger compared with just by touching the hot surface of the baseboard heater cover. Choose the best baseboard heater cover without compromising the ability of the baseboard heater to emit heat in a normal and safe manner. Assess the size of the correct baseboard heater cover by determining the length, width and height of the baseboard heater.

Determine the length of the baseboard heater by estimating the value of the distance between its left side and its right side parts. Determine the height of the baseboard heater cover by estimating the distance between the upper part of the baseboard heater and the floor. Determine the width of the baseboard heater cover by estimating the distance between the middle part of the baseboard heater which is in contact with the wall and the location of the heating element.  The current models of baseboard heater covers can be installed easily. They do not require tools for installation. These heater covers can be readily secured to the baseboard heaters.

Maintaining the safety of small children around baseboard heaters also requires the observant nature of parents. They should constantly monitor the activities of their children. Baseboard heaters should also be monitored to prevent the possibility of fire.

Portable electric baseboard heaters provide the ease of avoiding heat in places where the need for diminishing the amount of heat is necessary. Its portability allows its trouble-free transportation from one location to another.

Certain portable electric baseboard heaters are equipped with a factory installed thermostat. The factory installed thermostat is designed with a switch which can be used to monitor the amount of preferred heat. There are different selections of heat levels for the thermostat to control. The amount of wattage rating can also be selected in different options. An indicator mechanism is installed in the device which can notify the user about the amount of the wattage rating being selected. A built-in grip allows the simplicity of moving the portable baseboard heater around in any location.

The construction of the section of the heating element fins of the portable baseboard heaters are bigger compared with the electric baseboard heaters installed in a fixed location. This allows for the maximum amount of heat being transferred during the convection process. An automatic reset of the switch provides safety measure. This process starts by monitoring the amount of heat intensity of the heating elements. If an intolerable amount of heat intensity is being detected, the device will automatically cut off the supply of power from the heating elements to avoid the probability of fire.

Other types of portable electric baseboard heaters are equipped with a light display which gives the information about its operation. The portable heater gives off light when it is being activated. The absence of light indicates that the portable heater is switched off. The construction of the substance of the surface of the portable baseboard heaters is polished in steel. The steel substance prevents the accumulation of scrape and impression marks and the oxidation of metallic parts for the entire duration of the portable heater.

The construction of bar framework avoids the possibility of accidental placing of unwanted objects inside the device which may cause disastrous situations. Maximum amount of heat absorption is also possible with these types of portable heaters because of the utilization of bigger dimensions of copper heating elements. The usage of different wattage rating is also possible with these portable heaters. These portable heaters also operate noiselessly. These portable heaters do not require maintenance because the fluid solution is preserved permanently inside the device.

Portable baseboard heaters are definitely more practical compared with the baseboard heaters installed in a permanent location. These devices are also constructed with a durable exterior surface.

The method of sizing electric baseboard heaters involves the computation of the amount of the area of the room and the nature of the materials being used. Sizing your heater demand the accurate and assumed values of the area and nature of the materials. Hiring a professional hand is an alternative choice if the financial plan is not a problem.

The info of sizing entails the knowledge about the desired amount of the temperature inside the room, the value of the smallest possible amount which can be accumulated outside the room, the total value of the heat loss of the room and the heat loss accumulated by the ventilation system.

Subtract the value of the temperature inside the room against the value of the temperature outside the room. Compute for the value of the area of walls, roofs, doors, floors and windows. Multiply each of the resulting values of the area with their corresponding values of U value. The U Value defines the capability of how well a material handles heat. Add the resulting values to compute for the value of the entire heat loss of the surface.

An assumption of the value of the heat loss which is the outcome of impaired structure and poor ventilation system ranges from 20 to 66 percent. Compute for the value of the entire heat loss by multiplying the value of the entire heat loss of the surface to the value of the assumed percentage amount produced by improper ventilation system. The value of the size of the baseboard heater can be solved by multiplying the value of the entire heat loss to the value of the difference between the temperature inside the room and the temperature outside the room.

The value of the entire heat loss determines the correct size of electrical baseboard heater necessary to provide heat inside the room. The accuracy of the determination of the value of the correct wattage rating can save a lot of money. A miscalculation can result in obtaining for a larger and stronger type of baseboard heater which might be transferring huge amounts of heat than necessary. This type of baseboard heaters is more expensive.

The plus point about this miscalculation is that the baseboard heater will consume less amount of energy required to heat the room. An incompatible size of baseboard heater mounted in a room due to improper calculation consumes more amounts of energy. This is the disadvantage of improper calculation.

The process of baseboard heaters installation requires careful preparation. Before the installation process, it is important to estimate the size of the room. The knowledge of the size of the room will determine what type of baseboard heater is appropriate for installation. Different materials and equipments which are essential for the baseboard heaters installation process should also be considered.

Begin the process of baseboard heaters installation by the estimation of the amount of heat loss inside the room. Consider the fact that heat may escape from the room through ventilations, windows, doors, roofs and walls. Find the difference of temperatures between the interior and exterior design of the room. Calculate the area of the walls, floors and windows. Multiply the calculated value of the area of the walls, floors and windows by their assigned U value. U value is the coefficient of the total heat transfer of an individual material. Combine the values to find the overall heat loss of the room. Multiply the value of the overall heat loss of the room to the value of the difference of temperatures between the interior and exterior design of the room to find the correct size of the baseboard heater. Installing a thermostat device can be very beneficial in regulating the temperature inside the room.

Design the path of the electrical cable from the main feeder line to the baseboard heater. The recommended size of the electrical cable gauge is 12. Before making an attempt of wiring the electrical cables together, make sure that the circuit breaker or the main power source is on the off position. Detach the cover of the baseboard heater. Remove the cover of one of the knockouts.  Place a cable connector inside the knockout opening. Place an appropriate length of electrical cable within the cable connector and into the baseboard heater. Secure the electrical wire connection by fastening the screws of the cable connector.

Set up the baseboard heater against the wall or trim. Avoid the installation of baseboard heater below the electrical outlet. Ample amount of distance between the baseboard heater and curtains should also be observed to permit the proper circulation of air. It should also be installed with a distance of an inch from the floor. Strip the wires by using a wire stripper. Connect the ground wire to its correct terminal point. Strip 0.5 to 0.6 inch of insulation wire from the feeder cable. The hot wire of the feeder wire is usually white in color. Cover the small portion of the white wire with black electrical tape to indicate that it is a hot wire. Carefully inspect the security of the wire connections before switching the main power source into its on position.

Baseboard heaters provide a cheap, almost maintenance-free way of heating a room.  They operate quietly; they seldom need servicing; and considering stand alone portable units, they are easily replaced when faulty.  But some are still in doubt as to their cost effectiveness, citing that in areas where electricity is more expensive, coal-fired and gas-fired centralized heating systems can still be cheaper to maintain.  Baseboard heaters with thermostats can provide more energy-efficient service.  While most modern heaters already come with built-in thermostats, some units will still need to be paired with thermostats bought separately.

Thermostats for baseboard heaters, or more appropriately, line voltage thermostats, can either be mechanical or digital.  Mechanical thermostats are the cheapest available.  They will most likely use a bi-metallic strip system which simply turns a heater on or off when a temperature is set.  These aren’t really accurate, with some units being at least 2 degrees colder or warmer than what they indicate.  None of these line voltage thermostats are programmable however, but baseboard heaters with thermostats that are mechanical can still be used in rooms which are seldom occupied.  Some mechanical thermostats offer a thermometer mounted on their control surfaces, if only to indicate the room temperature, while some have obscure arbitrary graduated markings on the dials, such as low, medium or high.

Digital line voltage thermostats offer a more modern way of controlling and monitoring the heat given by baseboard heaters.  Having no moving parts, these devices may employ a thermistor or some other semi-conductor device to switch the heater on or off.  What sets these apart from the more simple mechanical thermostats are their accuracy, being less than 1 degree cooler or warmer than what may be programmed.  Digital thermostats often have an LCD or LED display that feedback information to the user such as the status of the room or the functioning of the heater.  Some digital thermostats may require batteries to be installed in the control unit to operate.  Baseboard heaters with thermostats that are digital are indispensable for places where room temperature needs to be controlled and maintained accurately.

The more expensive digital thermostats are programmable.  Reportedly, these offer the best efficiency.  Programmable systems allow temperature adjustments to be set in advance.  For instance some units allow users to input separate desired temperature settings for weekdays and weekends.  Some even have advanced functions that automatically calculate how long a heater will take to bring the room up to the desired temperature, and switch the heater on or off accordingly.

Most detractors of electric baseboard heaters argue that these are inefficient and require a whole lot of expensive electricity with minimal returns in heating capacity.  Compared of course to centralized heating systems that are gas-fired or coal-fired, using electric baseboard heaters can be quite expensive.  So how can one make electric baseboard heaters energy efficient.

First up, common sense dictates that electric heaters are most cost effective in places where electricity is relatively cheap.  Otherwise, gas or even coal systems will always be a better option.  Secondly, electric baseboard heaters can be made more efficient if they are installed correctly and have the right amount of heating power for the size of the room they are supposed to heat.  Thirdly, to make your heaters energy efficient some measures so that they turn on or off automatically when a certain temperature is reached, with a thermostat for instance.

Before an electric baseboard heater is purchased, the room wherein the unit will be placed must be carefully measured.  This is so that the heater will have just the right amount of heating capacity for the room.  There are lots of online calculators that will help potential buyers to find out exactly how many BTUs (stands for British Thermal Units and is used to measure the energy required to heat a pound of water) are needed by a heater for a certain room.  For this to work properly, the room’s length, width and height must be measured accurately (usually in feet).  Some calculators will also ask the desired interior temperature and the lowest outdoor temperature.  The calculators will return figures in either BTUs or Watts, giving a good enough guide as to how much power a heater must have to effectively heat a certain space and by how much.

To make the heaters energy efficient they must also be placed strategically in the room.  Experts often advise them to be positioned right next to a window as these are usually where inside temperatures are the lowest.  To increase efficiency further, heaters must also be kept clean, and the areas around them free of any obstacles for the air to circulate better.  It is advised that an area at least 3 feet around a heater must be given.  Lastly, installing additional insulation in the house to keep more of the heat in and the cold out will work wonders in conjunction with properly installed electric heaters.

Baseboard heaters, or those which are installed on the ground and made to look as part of a room’s baseboard, come in two main varieties, electric and hydronic.  Purely electric baseboard heaters use a coil or element to heat the air that is then circulated around the room. Hydronic baseboard heaters are a totally different story.

The most common type of hydronic baseboard heaters are permanent, meaning that they are installed in the house and are afterwards immovable.  All hydronic heaters use water or some other liquid to heat the air.  In the case of permanently installed baseboard heaters, the liquid, most commonly water, is heated in a boiler which can be either gas fired or electric.  Once the liquid is sufficiently heated, it is pumped to baseboard units around the house.  In the baseboard units, cool air is drawn towards the bottom part of the heater and made to pass through pipes containing the heated liquid.  Heat is exchanged and the warm air rises out of the unit to raise the temperature of the room.  On the other hand, the water cooled by the process is pumped back to the boiler to be reheated.

There are also electric hydronic baseboard heaters that are portable.  These units pretty much work the same way as installed hydronic systems but contain all the workings inside one portable heating unit.  These still use a liquid that is heated electrically and also operate through the convection of air.  Being portable, however, they can be moved from room to room and plugged into any regular socket to work.

Hydronic heaters operate silently and are very efficient.  They also require minimal maintenance as these systems are close and do not need to be filled with liquid periodically.  Also, because of how they heat and move the air around, they neither cause it to get too dry nor do they spread dust.

However hydronic baseboard heaters also come with a few disadvantages which have to be considered by potential users.  Since these units are placed on the ground, they tend to take up space, with installed systems requiring even more room for the necessary boiler.  These heaters also take some time to get up and running, heating a room comparatively slower than forced air systems or purely electric heaters which use fans to move the heated air around.  Also, hydronic systems cannot be directly linked to the central air conditioning unlike forced air systems.

Household heating has come a long way — from the very basic almost “primitive” wood-burning fire place, to the Franklin Stove, to the coal-fired boilers and finally to the modern day forced air systems.  Today, baseboard heaters have been around pretty much most of this time and are so commonplace that it’s almost impossible to find a house without them.  They are called such because they are usually placed or installed on the floor and made to resemble a room’s baseboard, that bit of woodwork or plastic molding that come in between the walls and the flooring.

While they may seem simple enough, there are actually quite a number of different kinds of baseboard heaters, each delivering heated air in some unique way or the other.  Let’s take a short look at these taken-for-granted fixtures up close and figure out what makes them tick.

One kind of baseboard heaters, which have been around since the 1940’s, are called hydronic since they use either heated water or some other liquid to warm air that is then circulated around the room.  In a built-in or installed system, this liquid can first be heated in a boiler then pumped to baseboard units found in the rooms of the house.

In the baseboard units, the heated fluid “exchanges” their temperature with the cool air, the cooled fluid then returns via a different system of pipes back towards the boiler to be reheated, and the process is repeated.  The boilers that heat the fluid in hydronic systems can either be gas fired or electrically operated.

There are also portable electric hydronic heaters that do not need to be installed while the house is being built, but rather they may be wheeled around and placed where they will be most effective.  These can be plugged in any standard wall socket for operation and contain essentially the same elements as a centralized hydronic heating system, albeit in a smaller scale.

Another kind of heaters has a way of heating the air around a room by using an electrical element.  Basically, cool air is drawn through the base of the unit, either passively through convection or actively with a system of fans, and made to pass through the heated element.

The heated air is then pushed out through the top of the unit.  These baseboard units can also be part of a centralized forced air system, which operate through a system of fans and installed ducts that circulate heated air around the house.