The first thing to know about any heating system is to understand a very basic scientific fact or a natural phenomenon that heat travels up in the atmosphere that surrounds it. The medium thru which heat travels is air generally. As hot air goes up, fresh cool air takes it place, which on getting heated up goes up and thus the cycle continues.

A baseboard radiator heating works on the same principle. The advantage of such a system is that all the paraphernalia of heating is installed beneath the floor, generally along the baseboard, thus keeping the floor and walls of the room free from any accessories that are usually associated with any other heating system. Here’s an outline on how it works.

Water is heated by using gas, oil or electric current on a system similar to but separate from the water heater that supplies your plumbing system. Water is heated in a boiler tank housed in the utility room, just the way it is used hot water plumbing in your house. Since the system is totally enclosed, there is no chance for dusty air being blown in thru the vents all over the house. Another notable feature is that the system is almost noiseless.

Water thus heated is circulated in the house thru a network of piping. So, naturally its circulation needs a motor and a pump. Next, we have radiators installed in different rooms. Hot water goes to the radiator, which on getting heated up radiates heat and thus warms up the room. The hot water on leaving the first radiator, goes to the next radiator in a different room and so on going to all the radiators in different rooms, heating each of those. Water is hottest on entering the first radiator. There is a slight drop in its temperature as it goes to the next radiator. In effect it means that the heated water is at its lowest temperature on entering the last radiator, from where it is fed back to the boiler system, which reheats the same for circulation. Now you can see it is a totally enclosed system in itself and the same water is used over and over again. To compensate for small volumes of water that are lost in the process, main water supply from the house is fed into the circulation system.  It’s obvious that the room where the first radiator is installed will be the hottest. That’s why most of the house owners get the first radiator installed in the main room of the house.

If you come to think of it, the system has built in thermostats, as the temperature in no two rooms is the same. That would suit many families where each member likes to have a different temperature.

On the other hand you might call it a limitation of this system. But, not anymore, for now that limitation of varying temperatures in different rooms has been taken care to a good extent. Some of the modern systems are provided with control valves that may be so adjusted to let in a smaller volume of the hottest water in to the first radiator. Thus all the radiators will get a pre-determined volume of the hottest water.

The next question that comes to mind is: How do you control the temperature in your room when you are depending on hot water to heat the system? This is achieved by internally controlling the temperature of the boiler so that heat is available instantly when the room thermostat calls for it. As soon as you turn the thermostat on, the circulation pump gets a signal to start the circulation of hot water thru the house. Like any other heater you decide how hot you want it at any given time. Unless you happen to be at the end of the line of radiators, you can get the desired results.

We use baseboard heater cover for two reasons: to improve the looks of heating device and to make it safer. Any cover should be able to solve these two issues, only then it will be worth of purchase. You can find many of these product in retail stores or online, since they are quite simple for manufacturing, many companies are offering their vision of a baseboard heater cover.

When it comes to aesthetics, you can choose from regular white to unusual green color. You can find any color you want or even paint them yourself if you want them to fit your specific indoor decoration. Just make sure you use a paint that is resistant to high temperatures.

I recently found very interesting cover that was an imitation of wood. It was painted in such a way that you would though there is a wood peace instead of the baseboard heater. I think that is great for anyone who has blinds or shades in his home and likes to have that natural look. Also, if you want to incorporate it into a wood cabin, you would not have any troubles at all to match in with the interior. Of course, these are a bit more expensive, but they are still very attractive solution that many people buy.

When it comes to safety, it is important that a baseboard cover protects us from touched the heater directly. This is why it has to cover the heater entirely, from all sides. Lets not forget about the children and their curious fingers. The holes on the heaters must not be bigger then a child’s finger, so you should make sure of that when you are purchasing these products. In the same time, the design must be well in such a way that the heat still has somewhere to go, that it is not trapped inside the cover. I know this sounds silly to you, but there are manufacturers who make mistake and do something like this. I suggest you pick a brand name because of this.

Baseboard heaters are adding the supplemental heating to our home, and that is their main purpose. For all those rooms that are a bit colder and drafty, this is a great solution. You can find different lengths so you can put them in any room you want to. An electric baseboard heater will radiate the warm air into the room from the bottom of the floor.

We usually place them on a outside wall of our house, because it is the coldest wall. This means that we can put them in garage too so we get some heat there when we need it. Baseboard heaters provide very clean and reliable source of heat so you do not have to add more furnace registers at all.

Electric models come in two different connection styles, a 120 volt and 240 volt connection. First one can be connected to a 20 amp circuit, if it allows it. It probably does, but it is best if you check it and make sure. You can as well add another 20 amp circuit from existing electrical panel. This makes the installation more safe.

A 240 volt connection uses the 20 amp circuit as well. But it needs two pole breaker to feed the baseboard electric heater. You will need at least #12 wire to do this. But before you do anything, make sure you turn off the power. You can never be safe enough.

You can install these easily, if you have some tools and electrical wire, few wire nuts, connector and a breaker. If you are not sure you can do it bu yourself, its best to call the professional.

What is that special thing that makes baseboard radiator heat a good option to pursue? The baseboards of your home are fantastic place to install a heating system because of one simple principle - heat rises. Through the use of a baseboard radiator heat system your entire home will be able to be warm, from the floor on up. Baseboard hot water heating systems are working great because the “radiators” that bring warmth into the room are installed very low, along the baseboard. Then the water is heated in a boiler tank, either by gas, oil or electricity in a system that is similar to, but separate from the water heater that supplies your plumbing system. These systems are clean because they are closed, so you do not have to worry about dusty air being blown through vents all over your house, and they are extremely quiet because of the way they work.

Lets see how do they work exactly, and why it may be a good option for your home. We have already established that water is heated, and this is what provides the heat to your home; but once the water is heated what happens? Well in general this is how it works.most baseboard radiator heat systems have an electric motor that pumps the water through the house through a series of pipe systems. When you install your system you want to make sure that the first radiator of the house is installed in the main room, or the room you would want heated the best because hot water enters the first radiator first, so that radiator is normally the hottest of any. The heat flows from the surface of that radiator, and some of that heat is transferred, and heats the room. Thus you get a nice toasty room, but the water that comes out of the exit end of that radiator is cooled somewhat.

The water follows the series of pipes, flowing to the next radiator in the system where more heat is extracted from the water and released into the room. By nature of the system, the last room in the system receives the coolest water. Once it has run its course, the water goes back to the boiler where it is heated and re-circulated again. This is a closed system. All the water in the system remains in the system. The main water supply from the house is fed into the circulation system through a pressure regulator so that any lost water is replaced instantly.

This is a neat system for households where not everyone likes the same temperature. It is almost like having a different thermostat for each room of the house, but significantly less expensive. However, not all baseboard radiator heat systems have the problem of the water cooling significantly from the first radiator to the last. You can buy a system that has a flow control valve on each of the radiators which is adjusted so that a smaller amount of water flows through the first radiator, and so that the excess flow is diverted around and on to the next radiator in the system.

But the question is, if the room is heated through water, how can you control the heat that you want? Wouldn’t that mean you are at the mercy of how hot the water is? Normally the boiler temperature is controlled internally so that heat is available instantly when it is called for by the room thermostat. Basically, when you flip on your thermostat, a signal is sent to the circulation pump which turns on and begins circulating hot water through the house. You can set the temperature, when you want them to work and how long do you want them all. You got all the freedom, all the time.