If the idea of radiant heating appeals, but the idea of tearing up your flooring to have it installed doesn't, consider a baseboard radiant heating panel. Baseboard panels use the same hot water and radiant technologies to warm your home, but without the invasive installation.
Radiant Heating Panels
Radiant heat refers to the process of transferring heat into objects via infrared rays. These rays are generated by running circulated hot water through a "panel". The hot water gives off infrared rays which in turn warms whatever they come in contact with.
Whatever the hot water coils are embedded in, including floors, walls and baseboards, is referred to as a radiant heat panel.
Why Use a Baseboard Radiant Heating Panel?
Radiant heat has many advantages over other types of home heating. Most types of home heating, including electric baseboard heaters, are meant to warm the nearby air. This warm air rises and falls as it cools, leading to uneven air temperature.
Radiant heating systems give off a more even and continuous feeling of warmth through the entire area, with no cold spots or drafts. Additionally, radiant heat is far more energy efficient than traditional electric heaters, allowing you to save as much as 30% on your home heating bill.
While radiant floor heat is an attractive option for many homeowners, there are times when the invasive installation is not an option. For these times, a baseboard radiant heating panel can offer an attractive alternative. These baseboard panels offer several benefits over many heating systems, including traditional radiant heat.
Fast to Install
Traditional radiant floor heating involves the removal of the floor and the embedding of coils of flexible tubing beneath it. While a major home remodel or new construction can easily accommodate this process, many smaller home renovations cannot. Baseboard panels have the heating coils hidden directly behind them, but not inside the wall. This allows for a fast and easy installation in any area of the home.
Efficient
Radiant baseboard heat forces the heat down and into the floor of the room from around the perimeter. This system of heating is up to 40% more efficient than electric baseboard heaters or forced hot air. In fact, baseboard radiant heat can keep the home at an even temperature without hot and cool spots.
Unobtrusive
Electric baseboard heaters are metal, stick out into the room by as much as 4 inches and are fairly obvious in any décor. Radiant panels are unobtrusive, measuring 7 inches in height, but only 2-11/16 inches out into the room. Best of all, the entire panel is closed on the face; all you see is an attractive wooden baseboard. The heat is forced out the bottom and into your floor where you'll feel it the most. You can even paint the baseboard to match the rest of the trim in the room, making it part of any décor.
Best Uses for Radiant Baseboard Panels
Not every home is going to benefit from perimeter heating. If you are considering installing this product in your home, consult this checklist to see if it's right for you.
- Small rooms - perimeter heating is far more effective in small spaces than large.
- Forced hot water - a boiler and pump will need to be installed to circulate the hot water.
- Several zones - if you need individual control over several rooms or spaces.
- Small home renovation - if a major renovation is going on, you may wish to consider floor or ceiling radiant heat. For small renovations or boiler upgrades, baseboard radiant heat is more effective.
A baseboard radiant heating panel can increase energy efficiency over an electric panel by as much as 40%. If you think it's time to upgrade your heating system, consider using a radiant baseboard for a quick and unobtrusive means of warming your home efficiently.
