Let’s begin today’s topic Do Electric Baseboard Heaters Dry The Air? According to Service Magic, baseboard heaters do not dry out a room as effectively as heaters that push air into the room through heater vents.
Electric baseboard heat radiates in the same way that a furnace with water radiators does. Although a heater cannot dry a space, there are ways to raise the humidity in your home throughout the winter.
Electric Baseboard Heat
If you have baseboard heaters, you are well aware of the pleasures and challenges of using them in the winter.
On the one hand, electric baseboard heaters allow you to set the temperature in each room separately. As if zone heating didn’t exist.
On the other hand, electric baseboard heaters are unsightly, less efficient than current electric heat pumps, and dangerous if you have small children.
Perhaps you’ve pondered upgrading your present system to something more efficient. Perhaps you’re facing a lot of repairs and aren’t sure if it’s worth it.
Understanding how electric baseboard heaters function and compare to other systems on the market today is critical to understanding your system and how to best heat your house.
How Do Heating Systems For Baseboards Work?
Even homeowners who have had electric baseboard heating for a long time don’t always understand how it works.
So, before you can grasp the benefits and drawbacks of baseboard heating, you should first learn what baseboard heating is and how it works.
Electric baseboard heating, also known as electric resistance heating, is a type of zone heating that creates and adjusts the temperature in each room of your house independently.
The heat is distributed without furnaces, boilers, heating ducts, vents, or blowers. Each baseboard unit contains a heating element that creates heat before slowly releasing it into the room.
The location of the heater at the bottom of the wall is referred to as “baseboard heat.” The concept behind this location is that heat rises naturally; thus, by starting on the floor, the heat will gradually climb into the area between the floor and the ceiling, where you will spend most of your time.
The Different Types Of Baseboard Heat
Various forms of baseboard heat are available, including gas and hydronic baseboard heat. This is sometimes referred to as hot water baseboard heat.
These heaters circulate hot water through copper coils in baseboard units throughout the house. The water can be heated using the boiler system in your home. On the other hand, this article is about traditional electric baseboard heat.
Baseboard heaters are typically put under windows and along the home’s perimeter walls.
This allows them to combat the cold air that comes in through the windows and the regions of the house where the most heat is lost.
Individually controlled electric baseboards mean each unit. Hence, each room has its thermostat.
If your family disagrees on how warm or cold to keep the house in the winter, this can be helpful.
It’s also convenient because you can dial the heat down in rooms you don’t use very often or in drafty spaces.
Is Baseboard Heat Effective, However?
There is no simple solution to this topic because it is dependent on numerous things. A baseboard heating system’s overall efficiency is determined by its age, condition, and location.
In most regions, an electric heat pump will outperform electric baseboard heaters in total efficiency.
After electric baseboard heaters are no longer used, homes should enjoy a 50% reduction. This translates to monthly energy bill savings.
Everyone wants a more effective and less expensive heating system. If you don’t want to go with central heating and cooling, a ductless HVAC system, also known as a mini-split system, is a terrific method to have a more efficient system at a lower cost.
Pros Of Baseboard Heat
Baseboard heaters are still ubiquitous in older homes, despite not being as popular as alternative home heating choices.
It’s Quiet
You visit a friend with an electric heat pump, and “woosh!” The heater kicks on and pumps warm air into the house’s occupants.
It can be loud enough to disrupt a discussion or make sleeping more difficult if you’re near the furnace when this happens or the blower isn’t in good repair.
This isn’t how baseboard heat works. Baseboard heaters are difficult to notice when they turn on and off. Baseboard heaters make no noise, except for a few pops and clicks while the heating element warms up.
Zone Heating
Families can set different temperatures in different house regions with zone heating. With the advent of digital thermostats, it is now possible to set specific temperatures for certain rooms in the house without being influenced by the temperature in other house areas.
Because each baseboards unit has its thermostat, electric baseboard heaters have offered this choice for years.
If you want your bedroom to stay comfortable at 67 degrees but don’t want to freeze while watching TV, set your living room at 70 degrees.
Alternatively, if your child is away at college for most of the winter, you can turn off the unit in their room and put it back on when they return home for the weekend.
Simple Installation
Baseboard heat might be a more cost-effective option in homes when installing new ductwork is difficult or prohibitively expensive.
Electric baseboard heating is easier and cheaper to install than other types of heating since it does not require ducting.
A Secondary Source Of Heat
When the temperature drops in the winter, electric heat pumps are frequently unable to keep up, and baseboard heaters are an excellent supplementary or backup heat source in locations where winter temperatures are high.
Why? Heat pumps were not built to withstand the freezing temperatures of winter.
When it’s also cold for a heat pump to work properly, turn on the baseboard heaters in any rooms that require a little more warmth.
This keeps the house warmer, but it also keeps the heat pump from attempting and failing to keep up.
Cons Of Baseboard Heat
However, electric baseboard heaters today are not the most efficient or cost-effective way to heat your home despite their many advantages. What gives?
Cost
Is baseboard heating a costly investment? Electric baseboard heaters use more electricity than electric heat pumps in general.
During the coldest months of the year, your power bill will rise when your furnace is working overtime to keep your home warm.
The placement of baseboard heaters near windows and outside walls may also be harmful.
Detecting cold, like a draft from an old window, will cause the thermostat on the unit to work even more to keep the room toasty warm.
Why? When the thermostat is close by, it responds to the temperature there. This will raise your energy costs even higher.
Some homeowners can save money by turning off the heaters in rooms where they don’t spend much time, but this may not be an option depending on the size of your home and how many people reside there.
Interior Design
Baseboard heaters are designed to take up valuable wall space in every area. They’re placed around windows and external walls to block out the cold. As a result, you’ll need to place your furniture near a long baseboard heater to keep it warm.
Electric baseboard heaters are flammable and should be kept at least six inches away from any furniture or drapes to prevent a fire.
Placing and maintaining these units may severely limit where you can put furniture and the kind of draperies you may safely drape. Long drapes are not recommended for windows above baseboard heaters.
Safety Hazard
When used, electric baseboard heaters may get extremely hot. The heating element itself becomes extremely hot, but the heater covers also become extremely hot.
This can be harmful if you have young children inclined to stick their fingers where they don’t belong.
Parents instinctively look for methods to hide or block safety dangers in their homes, but there’s no way to hide or block heaters from a curious child because you can’t put anything over or in front of them.
As a result, young children in houses with electric baseboard heaters must be constantly monitored to protect their safety.
Dry Heat
Is baseboard heat dry, as we’re frequently asked? Electric baseboard heaters have a reputation for delivering extremely dry heat.
Dry skin, dry throats, bloody noses, and dry eyes are common complaints among baseboard heater users, especially if they are already prone to these issues.
Humidifiers are sometimes used to compensate for dry air in the home, but they consume more energy and are difficult to keep clean and filled with fresh water.
Require Regular Cleaning
Energy prices rise every time the system is compelled to operate harder or longer. Baseboard heaters must be cleaned regularly to maintain their optimal efficiency.
The good news is that they’re easy to clean (all you need is a vacuum), but if dust builds upon the system, it’ll have to work harder to provide enough heat.
Why Does Air Dry Out?
Winter has reduced humidity, to begin with, because the sun’s radiating heat causes less moisture to evaporate from the soil. This indicates that the air drawn into your home contains less moisture.
When this is combined with the dry heat produced by a furnace, the outside air becomes even dryer.
This is why, throughout the winter, there is a notable drop in moisture.
Those who suffer from dry skin throughout the winter months will notice this the most.
Wet Clothes
When you wash your clothing, hang them out to dry on a clothesline in your home. Water evaporates into the air, adding humidity to the atmosphere.
Your clothes dryer will consume less electricity and emit less heat due to this.
This is an excellent option for saving money on your power bill when heating prices are high during the winter.
Aquariums
Bring a sense of tranquillity and wetness into your home. The majority of aquariums are heated. Aquarium water evaporates quickly due to the added heat in the water.
When the water evaporates, it can only go into the air of the room where the aquarium is located. This provides centralized humidity in a space like your bedroom or living room.
Pots Of Water
Natural evaporation will help to improve the moisture content by placing pots of water on shelves. This ensures a steady, energy-efficient flow of moisture into the atmosphere.
This method is less expensive than using a humidifier, but it can result in minor spills if you have children or animals.
By adding a small amount of your preferred essential oil to the water, you may add a little aromatherapy. The aroma of the essential oil will be released into the air as the water evaporates.
Humidifiers
Humidifiers make the air moister. Suppose you add 10% more humidity to your home, and the temperature increases by about 1 degree Fahrenheit.
This may not appear like much, but this small temperature change can save you money over the winter. A humidifier takes water, cleans it, and sprays a fine water mist into the air.
Most humidifiers only add moisture to one room, but you can put in a home humidifier that adds moisture to all rooms if you need to.
Are Electric Baseboard Heaters Safe?
Electric baseboard heaters are a popular choice for home heating due to their efficiency and ease of installation.
When installed and maintained properly, they are generally considered safe. However, like all electrical appliances, certain precautions should be taken to ensure their safe operation.
Safety Precautions:
- Installation: Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for installation. It’s recommended to hire a professional for the installation process.
- Maintenance: Regularly check for any signs of wear or damage. Clean the heaters to prevent dust accumulation.
- Placement: Ensure that the heaters are placed away from flammable materials like curtains or furniture.
- Usage: Do not cover the heaters or block their vents. This can lead to overheating.
- Child Safety: If you have children or pets, consider installing safety guards to prevent accidental contact.
How Do Baseboard Heaters Work?
Baseboard heaters are a popular choice for many homeowners due to their efficiency and ability to provide targeted heating to specific rooms. They come in two main types: electric and gas-powered (hydronic).
Electric Baseboard Heaters
- Functionality: Electric baseboard heaters utilize electric energy to replace cool indoor air with warm air. They contain a heating element that becomes hot and warms the air flowing into the unit. This warm air is then released, heating the room. The system continues this process until the desired temperature is achieved.
- Placement: Typically found beneath windows, these heaters work through convection. Cold air falls from the window, enters the baseboard unit, gets warmed by metal fins heated through electricity, and then rises, creating a convection current.
- Pros:
- Affordable initial purchase.
- Quick room heating.
- Easy installation and maintenance.
- No risk of fluid leaks.
- Cons:
- Higher operational costs due to electricity usage.
- Frequent temperature fluctuations.
- Less environmentally friendly, especially if powered by non-renewable sources.
Gas-Powered (Hydronic) Baseboard Heaters
- Functionality: These heaters use a heating unit connected to a heat source like a gas-fired boiler. Fluid (usually water or oil) is heated and then circulated through pipes to the heating units, radiating warmth into the room. The fluid’s heat retention capability allows the room to stay warm for longer periods.
- Placement: Like their electric counterparts, they are often placed below windows for optimal performance.
- Pros:
- Maintains desired temperature for longer durations.
- Energy-efficient, leading to lower operational costs.
- Safer surface temperatures, reducing burn risks.
- Provides humidity, reducing dry air issues.
- Cons:
- Slower to heat rooms compared to electric heaters.
- Higher initial cost.
- Requires gas infrastructure.
- Risk of frozen or cracked pipes in cold conditions.
Which Is Right For You?
Both types of baseboard heaters have their merits. If you’re looking for quick, occasional heating, electric might be the way to go.
However, if you want consistent warmth and are okay with a slightly slower heat-up time, gas-powered could be a better choice.
Considerations Before Choosing
- Safety: Ensure heaters are placed away from flammable materials. Regular maintenance and cleaning are crucial to prevent hazards.
- Efficiency: While electric heaters heat up faster, hydronic heaters retain heat longer, making them more energy-efficient in the long run.
- Cost: Consider both the initial investment and the long-term operational costs.
Conclusion
So, Do Electric Baseboard Heaters Dry The Air? Baseboard heaters are unquestionably safe, energy-efficient, and quiet heating choices.
They carry less space and can easily be put underneath windows to keep a room warm. Are you considering installing baseboard heaters but aren’t sure if they suit your needs?
This essay has covered everything you need to know about these heating gadgets.
