New baseboard heaters are more efficient because they are new and haven’t been used before. On the other hand, there is no guarantee that new gadgets are better than old ones. Since baseboard heaters are known for converting power into energy to warm up a room or house during winter and cold, all baseboard heaters, both old and new, can convert power into energy with the same force.
Therefore, no baseboard heater is better than the other in terms of energy conversion. The only reason why some heaters can work 100% better than the others is if they are not well maintained, properly installed, or some guidelines and directives are not well followed.
I wouldn’t blame anybody who asks are new baseboard heaters more efficient but one thing to note is that there is no guarantee that new gadgets are better than old ones. Many people have different preferences when it comes to getting electrical appliances at home. Some believe that old ones work better than the new ones, while others believe that new ones are the best and perfect for anything you want to use them for.
Whatever be the case, it is very practical to know that this does not work in all electrical appliances. In some appliances, the old ones seem better and effective while some new ones are faster than the old ones. One needs to carefully understudy the types of appliance he or she is getting, the manufacturer, warranty, and other needful information before going for them.
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Baseboard Heaters: An Overview
Baseboard heaters are well known and used for heating a room or an entire house. They are always seen either on the floor or just slightly above the floor. The major reason for baseboard heaters is to heat up the home with some warm air without consuming much energy. Baseboard heaters allow the central heating system to be off during winter while they do the work of getting the house heated up.
Baseboard heaters are heat sources and are powered through an electric resistance; the heaters’ cables are the major heating source; once the cables are heated, they would release warm water into the air and get the place warm.
The presence of thermostats in the baseboard heaters helps to regulate the heaters. The heaters are turned off when they get to a certain temperature, and immediately the temperature is getting low, the heaters pick up automatically on their own.
Types of Baseboard Heaters
Hydronic BaseboardH Heaters
This type of baseboard heaters is usually for the purpose of central heating in the room. When the oil and water in the system get heated, they push out heat in the atmosphere and saturate the entire environment. Even when the baseboard heaters are off, the water and oil in it remain warm.
Electric Baseboard Heaters
This type of heater can heat the entire room in the house at once. They are best positioned on the floor of the house just beside the wall. The amount of heat released from them can get to all the rooms in the house without obstruction. They are cheap and just as good as the central heating system of a house.
Can New Baseboard Heaters Perform More Efficiently than an Old One?
Baseboard heaters are known for their ability to convert electric energy into heat for the house. Regardless of the model or age of the heater, be it a new one or an old one, they all function alike, and none of them is better than the other. This is to say that both new and old baseboard heaters function in the same capacity and force as long as they are well maintained and carefully used.
In a nutshell, replacing your baseboard heaters with a new one would not give more energy than the old one. The most important thing is to handle them with care, maintain them when due, and follow all due guidelines while using them. The only reason why baseboard heaters can function less than expected is if they are poorly installed.
Reasons to Buy New Baseboard Heaters
- If you want a new look: If you are renovating your home or trying to change the interior decorations in your home, you can get a new baseboard heater to change the house’s look due to their new patterns and style.
- If the old one is weak: Every appliance has longevity in life span; if the old baseboard heater in your house is already getting weak, then you can go for a new baseboard heater.
- To avoid fire hazards as a result of malfunctioning: Some baseboard heaters start malfunctioning when they have exceeded their lifespan; at times, they can also cause fire hazards. If this is the case, you can change them with new ones to avoid unnecessary fire occurrences in your house.
Reasons Not To Replace Baseboard Heaters
- It doesn’t guarantee efficiency: Both old and new baseboard heaters once carefully used and well maintained, convert the same amount of electricity into energy. Getting a new one in place of an old one doesn’t guarantee better efficiency for your house.
- Cost: There would be no need to get a new baseboard when the old ones would give you the same thing you are looking for. This would only end up with you spending more money and still get the same result.
- Possibility of under-functioning: Most new electrical gadgets manufactured not up to standard would always under function and not give you the quality and taste you desire before going for them. Sometimes, well-manufactured gadgets tend to function better than the new ones due to the materials used during production.
How to Maximize the Efficiency of Baseboard Heaters
1. Keep them Clean Always
Always clean the heaters and get them fixed if you notice anything or electrical fault from them.
2. Allow free Airflow
Do not allow your curtains and interior decorations to block the airflow in your house because this will automatically reduce the heaters’ efficiency. Don’t let the drapes fully cover the heaters; let them stay some meters above the carpets and rug for easy airflow.
3. Programmed Thermostats
These are far better than the manual thermostats, they work on their own and get themselves adjusted to a particular temperature of the day, and this helps the efficiency of the heaters.
4. Heating One Room at a Time
It is better to heat one room at a time. Getting all the rooms heated up at once, including those not in use, can cause damage to the heaters. So heat the rooms you are using only and leave the others until you need them heated up.
5. Adjust the Thermostat According to Daily Temperature
Getting the thermostat of the heaters adjusted to the temperature of the day would help the heaters work well; if the temperature is high and the thermostat is lower than the temperature it can reduce the efficiency of the thermostat, vice versa.
6. Avoid Window Drafts
Window drafts can reduce baseboard heaters’ efficiency, especially if the heaters are placed close to the window side. It is better to cover the windows with blinds and curtains to allow the heaters to function optimally
Advantages of Baseboard Heaters
- Reduces the cost of energy bills: You will not be spending much money on energy bills when you have baseboard heaters at home. The heat from one baseboard heater can gradually move into the other rooms and get everyone warm. With baseboard heaters in your house, there would be no much stress with a high energy bill.
- Portable and user friendly: When you have in mind to heat a specific location in the house, portable baseboard heaters are the best for such a purpose. They are user-friendly and can easily be plugged into an electric socket near the wall. The uniqueness of this is that they can be easily moved from one location to another because of their handles.
- Suitable for hard-to-warm-up rooms: Many parts of the house are so difficult to get warmed up, the best way to defeat this would be to get baseboard heaters for such rooms.
- Supplemental heating system: Most apartments use some other forms of heating system that are either upgraded or not. This type of heating system can be effective during the mildly cool days, and once winter comes, you will be struggling with your duvet to cover up the cold. The best option is to get baseboard heaters as a supplemental heating system for such apartments and get everything heated up to your desired choice.
Disadvantages of Baseboard Heaters
- Expensive if dependent on electricity: If the baseboard is the type that uses only electricity to function, then you will be running considerable costs in paying both electricity bills and powering up the baseboard heater.
- Model challenge: The heaters that have an inbuilt thermostat in them can cause inconsistent heating in the house; this would be a determinant factor to where they would be installed.
- Occupies furniture space: Since the heaters’ vent are not interrupted, they are not supposed to be placed close to furniture or other interior decorations in the house for them to function well.
Conclusion
New baseboard heaters are not better than old ones; the most important thing is that both can efficiently convert the same amount of power into energy. Getting new heaters to replace your old ones doesn’t make it better, it can only land you into spending more money than you are supposed to and at last, get the same result.
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