Dangerous and uncomfortable. Electric baseboards get hot, which means you have to keep furniture and curtains at least six inches away from them to prevent fire. If you have young children in the house, they can also be a burn risk. The heat generated by baseboard heaters is a very dry heat.
Cons of Baseboard Heating: Heating Speed: Baseboard heaters can take longer to warm up a room compared to forced-air systems. Aesthetic: Some people find baseboard heaters unattractive, as they can take up wall space. Maintenance: If it's hot water baseboard heating, the boiler and pipes require maintenance.
Since Electric Baseboard Units circulate heated air by convection, not by radiant heating or a fan blowing air, it is a very slow and gentle airflow. Cobwebs and dust that collect on the tiny metal fins can restrict heating by more than 80%. The units must be kept clean or they will simply not work.
Efficiency – While they are the least expensive of fixed electric heaters, baseboard and wall heaters are very inefficient compared to radiant ceiling panels. Based on several studies, radiant ceiling heaters are 35% more efficient than wall heaters and 50% more efficient than baseboards.
Baseboard heat can't cause anything you are feeling but things like mold, bacteria,dust and such may be able to. As well as a leaking exhaust from the Heater that may go through your walls.
One of the most common culprits behind a headache is just dehydration. Air conditioners and heaters are meant to dehumidify your home. They pull humidity out of the air as they run, so they help prevent moisture and mold growth indoors.
While in use, heaters lower humidity levels in your home and force hot air through dusty, dirty vents, filters and ducts, if poorly maintained. Constantly breathing extremely warm, dry air that may contain fungi, mold and mildew from the vents can affect your skin, nose, throat and eyes.
Because baseboard heaters are outdated systems, you may need to hire heating repair services more often just to ensure they are in good working order. In contrast, more modern HVAC systems won't require as much maintenance, and they can efficiently heat your entire house through ducts and vents.
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.
Ductless HVAC systems, also known as mini-split systems, are a good alternative to baseboard heating that can provide efficient and flexible heating and cooling.
This is because cold air can leak through and create unpleasant drafts. The heat from a baseboard heater under a window will rise and help to offset that cool air, the more cold air that comes in, the harder a heater has to work.
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.
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.
Dangerous and uncomfortable
Electric baseboards get hot, which means you have to keep furniture and curtains at least six inches away from them to prevent fire. If you have young children in the house, they can also be a burn risk. The heat generated by baseboard heaters is a very dry heat.
Electric baseboard heaters are generally more energy-efficient for long-term use because they convert nearly all the electricity they use into heat and can be controlled to heat specific areas. Space heaters can consume more electricity, especially when used for prolonged periods.
What costs the most on your electric bill? Heating and cooling are by far the greatest energy users in the home, making up around 40% of your electric bill. Other big users are washers, dryers, ovens, and stoves. Electronic devices like laptops and TVs are usually pretty cheap to run, but of course, it can all add up.
To ensure your baseboard heaters are as efficient as possible, turn down your thermostat whenever you can. Baseboard heaters are known for being zone heaters, meaning each heater warms the room it is in rather than the entire house. Practice zone heating by lowering the temperatures of heaters in unused rooms.
Myth #2: Bigger is Better.
The rule of thumb for sizing a baseboard, or any electric heater, was 10 watts per square foot. So if you have a 10 x 10 room you would need a 1,000 watt heater.
The best route is to hire a licensed electrician or HVAC technician to handle the install for you.
Baseboard heaters are very efficient, but they can be a serious fire hazard if used carelessly. Common sense can prevent a baseboard heater fire. Any time a flammable object comes in contact with a heater, a fire could result.
Choose an energy-efficient setting: 68 degrees when you're home and 60 degrees when sleeping or away. (Exception: For ceiling cable heat, change only 2 to 3 degrees at a time for the most efficiency.) Each degree you lower the temperature throughout your home saves an estimated 2 percent on your heating costs.
"The mucous membranes can dry out, crack a little, allowing viruses to seed and produce disease," said physician assistant Lou Melini. That is what can happen in a hot home. "To crank it up to 86 degrees, I think that's a bit excessive. It's drying and counterproductive," Melini said.
Oz has to say about it: “When the furnace turns on, it doesn't just circulate warm air around the house – it spews out all the dust, mold and insect parts that have collected in the heating vents. If left unattended, this problem can lead to an entire season of headaches, sneezing and coughing.
If you want to monitor your indoor air quality proactively, you can invest in an air quality monitor. This will help you test if your house is making you sick. These devices constantly check the indoor air quality and provide feedback about the levels of different pollutants.