Electric Hydronic Baseboard Heaters

Are Electric Hydronic Baseboard Heaters Right for You?

Everyone in a cold climate needs some kind of home heating and there are many kinds available. One such type is the Electric Hydronic Baseboard Heaters. This works by heating a liquid which is often, but not always, water. Cool air is taken into the unit at the base, passes over the warmed liquid, and then is exhausted at the top. A major benefit of this type of heater is that the heating liquid, and therefore the heated air, temperature is kept relatively low. You can position the unit close to walls or baseboards without fear of damage, or worse, fire.
The original electric hydronic baseboard heaters are based on concepts going back to the 40's and the original radiators made from cast iron. Today, electric hydronic baseboard heaters are much lighter, more efficient and far simpler to install than their older counterparts.

Electric Hydronic Baseboard Heaters can be of the portable or the built-in type. If built-in the water is heated in a boiler and transported to the heat exchanging units via pipes. Thermostat control is separately available for each heat exchange unit in order to be able to separately control the temperature of each room. Different cover styles are available to harmonize with the style of the room. Since this type of plumbing is fairly complicated, it is usually installed at the initial construction time.

In order to take advantage of the benefits of baseboard heaters without the very complex expensive retro-fitting you should consider electric hydronic baseboard heaters. These systems are self contained, with the liquid already inside the unit. Therefore, there is no need for complicated plumbing. They can be located just about anywhere but care should be exercised in choosing the location because they are typically hard-wired and therefore not easily moved.

There are both advantages and disadvantages to Electric Hydronic Baseboard Heaters. On the plus side they are reasonably efficient and not at all noisy. Since the units are sealed, there is no requirement to check on the fluid level from time-to-time. Also, being sealed they are less likely to spread dust or other allergens and they are less also likely to take moisture out of the air.

There are a few disadvantages, however. Since they are added after construction, they do take up space. Also, it is important that they are not blocked by furniture because it would reduce their efficiency and therefore increase operating costs. If the house has an air conditioning system the same duct work can be used for a forced air heating system but not so for a hydronic baseboard heater. Lastly they are slower to heat the room initially because the liquid is first brought up to temperature which takes longer than heating air directly. Regardless your ultimate choice, it is worth looking into Electric Hydronic Baseboard Heaters to see if they are right for you.