Removing baseboard heaters: Do it by yourself!

It could be a good idea to eliminate any outdated radiant baseboard units in your home immediately.

It’s astonishing that after significant breakthroughs in thermodynamics, some homes still have such radiant baseboard heaters since the owners apparently don’t know how to take them out. Perhaps implementing a new plan would be too expensive.

The good news is that doing so is neither difficult nor expensive.

You don’t need to call a professional or pay a big upfront fee to have them remove the baseboard heating unit for you; you can do it yourself. However, if you’d like, you can hire a professional to put in a brand new entire baseboard heating system.

Calculation of baseboard heating

The size and geometry of the room, the material of the walls, floor, and ceiling, as well as the degree of insulation of all structural elements, including windows and doors, are taken into account when calculating the needed size of baseboard heating systems. In general, the calculation is quite difficult.

Therefore, most often they take the average figure, which is derived from the analysis of many calculations.

It is believed that 100 W of thermal energy is needed to heat ten square feet of a room with medium insulation. That is, to calculate the power of a warm baseboard, you need to multiply the area of the room by 100. That is how much (and preferably more by about 20-25%) should give in total all the elements of a warm baseboard.

Replacing baseboard heaters

Baseboard heaters are available in two types. Until then, you will find out how much you want to relocate.

In electric baseboard heater and hydronic baseboard heaters, aluminum fins surround the heat elements, allowing easier heat transfer and heating. Electric heaters usually lie under glass, outside, or inside an enclosed wall.

The cold air falls under the electric heaters, which then rises in the room when the air warms. Repeat until the area reaches the temperature.

How long do baseboard heaters last?

The standard baseboard heating appliance can serve the customer from 15 years to 25 years before rusting. The thermostat, temperature outdoors, or quality are some of the factors that affect the life expectancy of baseboard heaters. A home with multiple boilers typically lasts more than one year.

Radiant baseboard heating systems are outdated

Radiated baseboards have electrical elements that provide baseboard heating. They work as nichrome cables do in incandescent bulbs, the only difference being that they do not induce light.

However, energy consumption is not only high – it may also cause you significant financial stress.

When should the baseboard heater be replaced and a new one installed?

If existing baseboard heaters are inefficient, you should remove them. Opening the baseboard and examining the rust in the heater will enable confirmation of these.

Second, the replacement of the heating element will have a huge advantage for the system if there are no major improvements in a few months from its original design.

It has improved profits in part thanks mainly to its effective heat management technology, which is extremely effective during significant temperature variations.

There is also a baseboard heating system, including dehumidifying systems for thermal control.

What are the options for replacing baseboard heating systems?

The replacement of a baseboard heating system or a single heating element is possible in several ways.

Depending on your requirements, the conditions in the home are different for different people in different areas.

We recommend consulting a qualified heating and ventilation engineer for your home.

The water system is used as a coolant. Heating occurs when an autonomous boiler is operating or connected to a central system. This method is more economical than using electricity. Adjustment of the water circuit is carried out by automation or thermal valves.

The electric one is made of a pair of copper tubes. A heat-resistant silicone cable is laid in the upper one, and a low-temperature element is inserted into the lower one. Its maximum temperature reaches 140˚F, which is controlled by an electronic thermostat.

Baseboard heaters replacement options

If you need to reinstall a heater, you can use hydronic baseboard systems or an electric heater. They can fit snugly in most rooms and can often be placed under the windows and doors.

Baseboard heater replacement costs

Although baseboard heating remains relatively commonly used, inefficiencies and the advancement of advanced and cheaper baseboard heating systems will likely lead to higher operational costs. It could need restitution.

Electric heaters are extremely cheap compared to convection ovens. Pricing for single bedrooms, including accessories, is $150 a room.

A convection oven system, however, is largely only suitable for small to medium-sized buildings and can cost around $5000.

How to hire a professional technician to get rid of baseboard heaters

Once you have commissioned HVAC systems, it may be worth it to examine a few basic principles that HVAC technicians can learn when they remove baseboard heaters and re-use them.

Do you want to avoid using a sophisticated baseboard heating system? Search for certification before you choose between HVAC systems to work with the equipment. Typical HVAC technicians have at least two or three years of work experience, which will make the process of replacing baseboard heaters with a new heating system much easier.

Moreover, when making wall repairs, specialists could be quite useful – they will do their job cleanly, discreetly, and very neatly, so do not skimp on professional help.

Materials needed to remove a baseboard heater by yourself:

• Putty knife (in case you might need it)
• Rubber protection gloves to handle an advanced system with care
• Screwdriver (preferably a Philips one)
• Voltage tester to make sure the ground wires and other wires are disconnected
• Patience (the most important one!)

Step-by-step guide on how to remove baseboard heating systems

Before using the heating system, check to turn off the electric source. It’s an important step that assures both your safety and the correctness of installing a new baseboard heating system.

It’s imperative to know how to relocate or remove a baseboard heating unit since getting carbon monoxide poisoning after you did some wall repairs is not the best scenario.

You must find an outlet box in your heater. These wirings connect heaters to electrical systems in your house. Alternatively, the thermostat can be located right or left. Make sure all the lights have been turned off completely. Voltmeter can assist. It’ll be helpful to check that your voltage meter reads 0 volts when it measures voltage.

Turn off the system

Disable the heating on the ground board in the circuit breaker box when turning it off. Always do so with care, since changing switches that feed electrical power is sometimes quite tricky for older devices with an outdated circuit breaker.

Unscrew your heating system

Remove the screws from the baseboard heat exchanger using screwdrivers or power drills and expose the walls behind the elements inside it.

Remove the electric heater from the wall

Gently remove the heater housing. Make a point to never touch or damage the walls. Use flathead screwdrivers or knives for removal.

You may need help because you need a little extra guidance to get through this step. This method is prohibited as the paint could cause permanent stains on the walls.

Disconnect wiring

If you’re starting to remove the baseboard heating equipment, you should locate the breakers of that panel. Wear gloves to protect from moisture.

Carefully remove the wire caps and disconnect the pairs of wires connected. The heater has a ground wire, a white wire, and a black wire.

Immediately loosen the screw and remove the wire.

A further pair is needed for disconnection if the machine operates at 240V.

Check the wires

To make sure that the wires are not active anymore and ensure your future safety during the process of installing a new baseboard heating system, you have to test the wires hanging from the inside of the wall.

Connect a probe of a tester with the black circuit wire and the other one with the floor or a white circuit wire. If the light is on, you have done something wrong – it should remain off and the tester should show 0. Check the breakers if you receive a reading or if the light comes on. Perhaps you switched off the incorrect one.

Remove the electrical access cover

The cover can be fixed by removing the cover from a heat source by removing a screw. The screw covers can be removed by Phillips screws.

Disconnect the power

Open the protective case where the electrical line connects to the boiler baseboard. Remove all nuts from the wires that link them together.

Some baseboard heating systems can be anchored using screws. The terminals can be retracted by unplugging the electrical cord and reconnecting the electrical wires.

Cut the wires

Cut the wires using scissors. Make sure that the cutting process takes place in the most careful way possible.

Make sure the exposed wires are secured using the wire nuts, and it is securely sealed.

Keep the tip positioned so that it doesn’t cause any damage. It can assist in reconnecting an old heater if needed.

Secure circuit wires

You may be unable to remove the heater, and the wire will hang off it. It is possible to disconnect the cable from the wall. The wires connected to thermostats must be dismantled and removed.

If you need to use a new heating unit after you’ve removed the old one, you can fix a cable cap on each of these cables.

Unscrew the mounting brackets from the wall

The mounting system and how to remove the heater unit vary among manufacturers. You may be able to detach baseboard heating units from the heater’s junction box. This type of mounting lets you remove the bracket and remove it.

If the baseboard heating device is mounted on the bracket, remove the screw holding the baseboard heater. The removal of the screw allows the removal of the baseboard heater.

Clean up the remains

The wire should never remain exposed. In the case of an electrical connector, the box folds the wire tightly in and covers the side. The exposed wire must remain covered when completing this operation. Immediately cover the wire ends and wrap them tightly to the end.

Add a temporary seal

If your children live nearby, you should take care of pushing the wire into the hole. Apply an adhesive seal by gluing the seal into the wall to keep the seal from slipping out. Once you have installed your new baseboard heater system, remove it and get started immediately.

Alternatively, consult a specialist. Likewise, eliminating baseboard heating may be helpful to some people.

What do you do with wires after removing the baseboard heater?

If your baseboard heater has been removed permanently, the wires should go to the panel of the heater. If the zone underneath the stairs is accessible, you can drop them there and place them in a convenient area inside the junction box.

The floor heater might have needed a relocation. It’s essential to understand where your baseboard heater is located so that it affects your heating system in all areas. They work best outside walls and under windows.

Rather than do extensive renovations, you could consider using the existing electrical system.

Are baseboard heaters energy-intensive?

This can be done by using “zone heat” allowing for better temperature controls. It’s not necessary to create channels. In comparison with homes that use heat and air conditioning, homes with underfloor heating have significantly lower utilities.

Moving baseboard heaters

Some baseboard heaters can be moved to another place. Your baseboard heaters affect how your heating system functions. They offer optimum performance on walls and windows inside. You may decide to use the current electrical or plumbing infrastructure for an unfinished renovation project.

Removing or moving hydronic heaters

Water heaters that are hydronic or connected to the home’s boiling system function similarly to electric ones in terms of mechanics. These heaters operate by pumping hot water via copper pipes surrounded by the aluminum fins that are their distinctive signature, rather than by using electricity to heat the core.

All the plumbing associated with these heaters connects back to the house’s boiler. You will need basic plumbing skills to deal with these kinds of heaters.

If the hydronic heater has been removed or replaced, it should be checked by a qualified plumber first, due to the fact that hot water baseboard heaters have a complex system of heater pipes.

Removing an electric baseboard heater

The most basic baseboard heaters are electric ones. A connection to your home’s electrical system is used to heat the metal heating element inside the radiant baseboard units.

When using electric baseboard heaters, it’s usually good to consult a qualified electrician who understands this technique and the procedure.

FAQ

Final thoughts

Baseboard heating systems do a good job of keeping your home warm, but they are starting to age. You will need the appropriate knowledge and tools to remove the baseboard heating systems. You should avoid playing with them without prior knowledge, as this can pose a serious electrical hazard.

You don’t necessarily have to call for a specialist to remove baseboard heating – you are able of installing a new baseboard system all by yourself! Baseboard systems are not as sophisticated as you might think, you just have to follow our step-by-step guide very carefully.

Still, if you are not as sure of yourself, it’s better to call a professional to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning – your space heater is a dangerous thing, so you must follow all safety precautions, otherwise, live electrical wires will shock you.

Find yourself a new baseboard system as soon as you notice that the heating process of your current one is hindered – it is a sign that your baseboard system is already outdated and may be dangerous for usage, so remove baseboard heating immediately. Wonder How to increase airflow to one room, read