Educate me on electric baseboard heaters and thermostats

[Bill]

I'm visiting our son in Montana for 5 days, helping them get ready for their first baby in May. He's divided a long bedroom (originally was 2 and prior owner removed the wall) back into a bedroom and small office. So far I've put in can lights in both, cans in the hallway and did some other minor electrical.

Previously both electric baseboard heaters were controlled by a single thermostat, and the 2, 240V 12/2 wires ran to the heaters under the windows. I moved wires a 2nd thermostat will be in the 2nd room.

Right now, night temps have gotten down to 5 and during the days to 33, and we're heating the whole home with a fireplace!

The question is which baseboard heaters and thermostats? The house is slab on grade if it matters.

Sizing, types of baseboard heaters?
Are they all basically the same? Anything to look for?
Are there units with oil fill or similar which continue to radiate heat once the thermostat turns them off?
Simple thermostat or one of the internet enabled ones?

BTW, driving down the road and seeing elk, mule deer and antelope makes me want to retire and move here sooner!

[Ironman]

The only thing I know about baseboard heat is, they absolutely suck power. I had them in my house in Colorado, and my electricity bill was more than my mortgage. I put in a pellet stove, which was the best thing I ever did for that house.

[critter69]

The only thing I know about baseboard heat is, they absolutely suck power. I had them in my house in Colorado, and my electricity bill was more than my mortgage. I put in a pellet stove, which was the best thing I ever did for that house.

This for sure. is the whole house elec. baseboard? I don't think they make any that are high efficient . Do they have natural gas to the house ?

[Bill]

I agree on the cost of electric heat.

No, they do not have natural gas available (they're in the country) and they do not have propane service.

They heat the house with a single, large wood stove in the family room, it actually very comfortable when it's cold outside.

The project is to have the electric heat in the baby's bedroom so they can control the temp separately from the stove and to keep the room warm at night when they're sleeping and the stove burns down. Of course, with a baby they'll be up all hours of the night anyway and could feed the stove

While they're putting one in the baby's room, he'll put one in the extra bedroom/office not that he expects to use it much if at all.

[pblaetz]

I would look hard at a couple of these.

http://www.edenpure.com/edenpure-wall-hugger-heater

I have one of their heaters that we use to supplement in our living room when it get cold, and it can easily maintain the heat in the room without any problems. They'd be quick and easy, just plug them in. Google EdenPure. they have a big following. Home Depot carriers them I believe.

[Bill]

Is the Edenpure a portable/ 120V unit? I did not see voltage on the specs page, it's listed as portable. I have 240 to the 2 locations so that would be the preference.

[pblaetz]

Is the Edenpure a portable/ 120V unit? I did not see voltage on the specs page, it's listed as portable. I have 240 to the 2 locations so that would be the preference.

Yes, they are portable 120V units.

[Ironman]

I know it would be a big investment, but pellet stoves are awesome. Need to put pellets in every day and a half/two days. It was nice to wake up or come home after having been gone, and the house still being warm. No more starting a fire and waiting for a warm up.

[pblaetz]

I know it would be a big investment, but pellet stoves are awesome. Need to put pellets in every day and a half/two days. It was nice to wake up or come home after having been gone, and the house still being warm. No more starting a fire and waiting for a warm up.

The problem Bill has is getting the heat back to the bedrooms during the night. Sounds like you just want to supplement it. I'm sure if you google it, they will give you lengths needed for the room size.
Dogs love our pellet stove!

[Ironman]

The problem Bill has is getting the heat back to the bedrooms during the night. Sounds like you just want to supplement it. I'm sure if you google it, they will give you lengths needed for the room size.
Dogs love our pellet stove!

Yeah, you would have to leave the baby's room door open to keep it warm.

[Bill]

There was a pellet stove when they bought the house- he sold it to put in a wood burner since he cuts his own firewood on national forest.

He needs the heater as supplemental in the baby's room, that's correct.

I wonder if anybody had experience on the oil filled ones or anything besides the basic resistive heaters. Thanks.

[Bill]

Educate me on electric baseboard heaters and thermostats

I did some web reading and called a couple companies. The rule of thumb is you need between 6-10 watts per sq ft (8' ceiling) depending on insulation.

The Qmark baseboard heater products are made in the US (So. Carolina) and the silicon oil filled heating elements are supposed to make room more comfortable and safer with children if they do something dumb with little fingers. They also are designed with narrow air slots making harder to stick s finger inside.

[Bill]

One other item I found out is by design the baseboard heaters require an open wall above them so warm air rises to the ceiling along wall and cool air enters the bottom.

Any sort of a built-in above it will cause the safety over temp switches to shut it off.