A baseboard heater is a heating system installed on the floor. It comprises a metal plate attached to the wall and an electric heating element. The plate has hot air outlets on both sides to distribute heat evenly across the room.
These heaters are designed to produce less noise and air pollution than other heaters, such as a furnace or open fireplaces.
Baseboard heaters can be installed in different ways depending on the type of house you live in. For example, they can be placed under windows or in corners, which will help them distribute heat more evenly throughout the room.
If you are having trouble with your baseboard heater not providing enough heat, maybe it’s time to replace it with a newer one. In this article, I will show you how to replace a baseboard heater in 6 easy steps.
How To Replace A Baseboard Heater: A DIY Guide
| Steps | Estimated Required Time |
| Turn The Power Off | 5 minutes |
| Take The Old Baseboard Heater Off | 10-20 minutes |
| Detach The Wires | 20-40 minutes |
| Prepare The New Baseboard Heater | 10-20 minutes |
| Connect The New Baseboard Heater | 20-40 minutes |
| Install The New Baseboard Heater | 15-30 minutes |
Step 1: Turn The Power Off
Required Tools
- Safety gloves.
- Electrician’s tape.
- Non-contact voltage tester.
Steps
- Turn off the electricity by tripping the circuit breaker in the main panel that regulates the circuit.
- Put tape over the breaker, so others don’t accidentally turn it on.
- Make sure the power is off by using a non-contact voltage tester.
Step 2: Take The Old Baseboard Heater Off
Required Tools
- Safety gloves.
- Screwdriver.
Steps
- Unbolt the old heater from the wall.
- Do this by removing the brackets’ mounting screws. They are most likely on the unit’s sides or at the top.
- Before touching the heater, be sure it has had enough time to cool down.
Step 3: Detach The Wires
Required Tools
- Safety gloves.
- Screwdriver.
Steps
- Find the location of the attached wiring, then remove the unit from the wall, most likely close to the baseboard heater’s end.
- A metal plate may keep a metal cable with wiring within the appliance in case it runs into a hole in the back of the appliance.
- If so, unscrew the screw holding the metal plate in place in order to remove it.
- Pull out the wires until the two wire nuts are exposed that are connecting the wires from the unit to the wires from the wall.
- The wire nuts should be unscrewed and stored for future use.
- Additionally, a bare copper grounding wire will come out of that wall wrapped around a green grounding screw in the appliance.
- To release the grounding wire, unscrew the grounding screw.
Step 4: Prepare The New Baseboard Heater
Required Tools
- Safety gloves.
- Screwdriver.
- Pliers.
Steps
- Place the new baseboard heater in front of the spot on the wall where it will be mounted.
- There should be at least two wiring boxes available in the new unit, possibly more.
- Find the wire box that is most near the wall-mounted cables.
- Pull out the two wires from the wire box by prying off the metal plate with a screwdriver.
Step 5: Connect The New Baseboard Heater
Required Tools
- Safety gloves.
- Screwdriver.
- Pliers.
- Scissors.
- Electrician’s tape.
Steps
- The new baseboard heater should be wired in the same method as the previous one.
- Put the metal plate from the wire box over the wall wires.
- Splice the white-to-white and black-to-black wires to join the cables from the unit to the wall.
- Screw one of the wire nuts over either of the wire ends while holding them side by side and pointing in the same direction.
- After wrapping both wires with the electrician’s tape, put the wire nuts back into the heater.
- Wrap the wall’s bare copper grounding wire over the unit’s green grounding screw, then tighten the screw.
- Replace and tighten the metal plate on the unit’s electric box using the provided screw.
Step 6: Install The New Baseboard Heater
Required Tools
- Safety gloves.
- Screwdriver.
- Drill.
Steps
- Place the new baseboard heater where the old one was against the wall and attach it there.
- Put the supplied screws in the identical holes in the wall as the old one using your screwdriver.
- Anchor screws for the new screws should be installed in the old holes.
- Turn on the power and test the heater.
When To Replace Your Baseboard Heater Covers?
Do you frequently check your baseboard heater covers and wonder what else you can do to improve their appearance? Maybe it’s time for them to go away. You can keep an eye for the following symptoms, and when they occur, you know it’s time.
Replace Your Baseboard Heater Covers If They Are Damaged
A baseboard heater with dings and dents is unattractive, but more significantly, it could affect how well your heating works.
Ensure the cover doesn’t obstruct the hot water pipes or the fins on the heating elements.
If it does, an upgrade is necessary.
Another issue is that damage makes rust development more likely, which is harmful to the unit.
Replace Your Baseboard Heater Covers If There Is Rust
The baseboard heater frequently covers rust. A little rust won’t necessarily stop your heater from working, but it’s a different problem if it gets so bad that it causes holes or broken edges, it’s a different problem.
Baseboard heating works by heating the air as it rises, warming the cooler air that replaces it before the process is repeated.
Warm air moving around the room creates a current of air that moves across the space.
Any obstruction to the air movement can reduce the effectiveness of your system.
Replacing your baseboard heater covers is the simplest approach to ensure you’re operating at optimum efficiency.
Replace Your Baseboard Heater Covers If You Want A New Style
Even if there is nothing wrong with the baseboard heater covers, updating them is quite normal.
For many years, the design of baseboard heater covers remained unchanged; however, there are some new options and choices.
Find something that better fits your style. You’ll be astonished to see the impact one small modification can have on how a room looks and feels.
Replace Your Baseboard Heater Covers If You Want To Increase Efficiency
Replacing your baseboard heater covers may increase your heating efficiency. Rather than a slot opening at the top and bottom, the new designs have a surface covered with tiny pores that allow warm air to pass through more freely.
As a result, the room’s evaporation action will rise, slightly boosting the heating.
4 Replacement Options For A Baseboard Heater
It may seem difficult to replace your baseboard heating system, but it’s simpler than you may imagine. Here are a few baseboard heating system replacement ideas that might work for you.
Solar Heat
Solar heat is one of the most cutting-edge home heating methods. Although they can be expensive, solar energy and heat are eco-friendly solutions to keep your home at the ideal temperature.
Solar heat works by heating fluid in the system using solar energy, then storing that heat in a storage system.
That energy is produced using a solar connection to collect the sun’s rays and heat the air. This option can save you money on energy expenditures in the long run, but the up-front costs are expensive.
| HUMSURE Electric Quartz Tube Wall Mount Infrared Patio Heater 1500w Waterproof And Lightweight | Price |
 | Check price on Amazon |
Heat Pump
With a heat pump, you may use your other unit less frequently while getting the most out of it for additional comfort.
They can also be powered by electricity, indicating you to replace your outdated baseboard heating system.
Due to their energy efficiency, heat pumps are a popular option for many people looking to replace their heating source.
Heat pumps use electricity to transfer heat from cool to warm and vice versa, making them excellent year-round temperature control devices.
For 1/4 of the operating costs, heat pumps offer the same level of temperature control as their alternative because they can transport heat rather than produce it.
Standard electric heat pumps can reduce your home’s energy consumption for heating by up to 40%, and high-efficiency heat pumps can help reduce humidity levels.
A heat pump system is a fantastic method to heat and cool your house, but it needs different maintenance than a baseboard heating system.
| Heagstat H725 5-1-1-Day Programmable Heat Pump Thermostat 2 Heat/1 CoolWith 4.5 sq. Inch Display | Price |
 | Check price on Amazon |
High-Efficiency Furnace
A high-efficiency furnace is an excellent option for outdated baseboard heating systems. A new furnace may seem like a scary purchase, but it might save you far more money than existing units.
You might use up to 30% less fuel and energy with the latest high-efficiency furnaces.
The price of furnace fuel, such as natural gas or oil, steadily grows yearly. Your carbon footprint can be decreased along with future energy expenditures and consumption using a high-efficiency furnace.
A high-efficiency furnace has benefits other than just fuel and energy savings.
If you have baseboard heaters, you are aware of how noisy they can be when running. In addition, newer furnaces provide the advantage of being a significantly quieter alternative to baseboard heating systems.
They can maintain a lower noise level while heating your home more efficiently and consistently regulating the temperature.
| Rinnai EX08DTN Direct Vent Wall Furnace, Indoor Natural Gas Heater Energy Efficient Space Heater, 8,000 BTU | Price |
 | Check price on Amazon |
Wood Heading
Although there are various ways to heat your home, wood heating is one of the more traditional choices.
This can be accomplished by using a wood stove, which uses wood logs to start a fire that radiates heat through the stove’s barriers. The forced-air duct system can also be applied to them.
A pellet stove is another choice for wood heating. Pellet stoves use pellets stored in a hopper to keep a fire going. This eliminates the need for regular fueling. The room then receives heat from that fire.
Even though this is a more traditional and inefficient method of heating your entire house, you might find it more practical than a baseboard heating system if you only need to continuously heat one or two rooms.
| LEISU Tent Stove Portable Outdoor Wood Burning Stove with Chimney | Price |
 | Check price on Amazon |
Bottom Line
A baseboard heater is very energy-efficient because it uses only one-fourth of the energy required by an electric furnace.
The only downside is that they’re not as powerful as other heating systems but can still warm up a room quickly and efficiently.
FAQ
Is it worth replacing old baseboard heaters?
Although replacing your electric baseboard heaters with radiant heating or heating ducts may come with a hefty upfront cost, you could save as much as 50% on your winter energy costs.
How much does it cost to replace a baseboard heater?
A baseboard heater can be purchased anywhere from $25 to $250. You’ll need to budget between $75 and $250 per hour for installation because you can not do it alone. You should set aside $300 to $500 for a baseboard heater you want to buy and install.
What is the lifespan of baseboard heaters?
The typical lifespan of an electric baseboard heater is 20 years. They can, however, survive a lot longer with the right maintenance, as with most things.
