It's worth noting that installing a baseboard heater or removing a baseboard heater on your own isn't safe unless you have proper training and experience. The best route is to hire a licensed electrician or HVAC technician to handle the install for you.
Electric baseboard heaters are a popular way to provide heating throughout the individual rooms of your home. For a licensed and certified electrician, these heaters can be relatively easy to install, which is why it's always good to consult a professional electrician.
The average cost to hire a licensed electrician to install an electric baseboard heater is between $390 and $1,190. The average cost of an electric baseboard heater is anywhere from $25 to $200.
If your baseboard heater is still acting up after the simple fix, call your local HVAC technician.
Replacing baseboards in your home costs $1,100 on average, and most homeowners pay between $800 and $2,250. A pro will determine your final cost based on material, installation type, and size.
Although installing baseboards is a straightforward DIY project, there are a few safety precautions to keep in mind. When using power tools such as a compound power miter saw or a finishing nailer, be sure to wear safety glasses and ear plugs.
Heat pumps, which use electricity to transfer heat from outside the home into it, rather than heating up like a toaster oven, are 3 times more efficient than electric furnaces and baseboard heating systems. That inefficiency means electric heating uses more electricity, which translates to higher utility bills.
If you rely mostly on electric baseboard heaters to heat your home, they probably make up a big part of your annual electricity bill – sometimes as much as 44%. However, there are plenty of ways to maximize the efficiency of your baseboard heaters to cut down your winter heating costs.
Hire Licensed Electrical Contractors for Proper Electric Baseboard Heater Installation. Hiring licensed professionals is essential to receive satisfactory services, especially when it comes to electric baseboard heater installation.
This means higher electric bills, especially in the coldest winter months when they're working overtime to keep your home warm. The placement of baseboard heaters — near windows and exterior walls — can also work against you.
How often should baseboard heaters be replaced? Baseboard heaters typically last 15-20 years. Replace them if they're inefficient, damaged, or failing to heat effectively. The covers can be replaced as often as desired.
Hiring an electrician to install a baseboard heater can cost upward of $1,000, which means relying on a professional to set up your heating unit won't be cheap. If you can learn how to install a baseboard heater yourself, hiring a professional won't be necessary.
The life expectancy of hot water baseboard heaters is about 20 years, however, with care they can last much longer. That's why you see them in older homes so often. But age doesn't mean they are defunct. The technology hasn't changed that much and there's a reason for that: it works.
The gist is that cold air from the window mixes with warm air rising out of the baseboard, that warm air moves around the room, cools and sinks back to the floor, where it is eventually re-heated by the baseboards. That's why traditionally it's recommended to install a baseboard under a window.
Many baseboard heating systems are a form of electric heat that operates without ductwork and can be expensive to run. Baseboard heating is often more efficient than radiators, and they are even more efficient when they are run constantly, instead of being turned on and off.
The general guideline for electric baseboard is 10 watts per square foot of space and 1.25 watts per cubic foot for fan forced heat in rooms with 8' ceilings, rounding up to the product with the next highest wattage rating. Square Ft. Example: 100 sq. ft x 10 watts per sq.
Maintain Clearance: Keep furniture at least 6 inches away from baseboard heaters. This prevents the blockage of heat and reduces fire risk.
Fortunately, there are several alternatives to baseboard heating that can provide comfortable and even heating throughout your home. Forced air heating, radiant heating, heat pumps, and electric space heaters are just a few of the many alternatives available to homeowners.
Baseboard heaters typically use 250 watts per foot. Measure the length of your baseboard heaters and multiply the length in feet by 250 to find the wattage of your heaters. For example, a 6-foot long baseboard heater would use 1,500 watts (250 times 6). Visit the Department of Energy website for another good resource.
Applied Baseboards
The most common type, these baseboards are the easiest to install, usually by gluing or nailing it to the wall. When the finish of the floor or wall is not particularly well done, this may be the most appropriate option to provide a better look to the overall interior.
To calculate baseboard installation, measure and add the length of each wall in the room. Subtract doors, closets, and cabinets. Multiply the final number by the average professional baseboard installation cost of $6.85 per linear foot.
Day one will be measuring, purchasing, and painting. Day two will be cutting, installing, and caulking. Then, day three will be painting and finishing. Of course, it can take longer than this if you have a big project, but three days is a good estimate assuming you work efficiently and don't make any major mistakes.