question about baseboard electric heaters?
Question by michelliosis: question about baseboard electric heaters?
Our home was built in 1976. We’ve only owned it 1 year, but as far as we know the electric baseboard heater units are all original. They all appear to be functioning just fine, but we’re wondering if we could save on electricity by replacing them with new units? Are newer baseboard heaters much more efficient?
Electric baseboard is our only option. We do not have gas service or any other heating sources available.
Best answer:
Answer by mukansamonkey
All baseboard heaters are 100% efficient electrically. It’s not like some of the electricity used goes to something besides heat. What might improve the efficiency would be if you had air circulation problems, and installed some sort of fan someplace to ensure that the heat is evenly distributed. Overheating one room to get normal heat in the next room is inefficient, since the hot room will lose more energy to the outside. Also make sure to vacuum out the fins inside the heaters very well. If air doesn’t flow through the fins well, you will be unnecessarily heating up the shell of the unit and losing more heat through the wall if it’s on an outside wall. At the least, clean fins means the heat circulates away from the heater faster.
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There a much more energy efficient heating systems than electric baseboard heaters. Gas, hot water, electric with air-circulation. Look into alternate heating systems and the energy they use.