QUESTION FROM Jill

We just purchased a home built in 2000 with a hot water baseboard system. I seem to be hearing conflicting advice on how close I can place furniture and drapes. Some people have said to steer completely clear and other have said I can put long drapes right in contact with the baseboard. Can you please clarify for me?

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD

Dear Jill:

I think maybe the conflicting advice you are hearing about placing furniture and drapes in front of hot water baseboard heating radiators may be the difference between whether you "can" versus whether you "should".

At Home-Wizard.com we believe that you should not obstruct your baseboard radiators with furniture, drapes, carpet, etc. The reason is that this reduces the efficiency of the heat transfer from your heating system into the room. The purpose of the radiators (and why they have the fins on the pipes) is they are designed to transfer the most heat from your heating pipes into the room that you want to warm up. You might notice that the baseboards are open at the bottom, and this is so air can flow through the fins and up through the top, where the louvers should be in the "open" position to allow the heated air to flow out. So in addition to the radiation of heat from the baseboards, you also get some convection from this heated air flow.

However, all of this is impeded if you have drapes or furniture blocking your baseboard radiators (including carpet or rugs which sometimes get flapped up under the bottom of the radiators and cut down on the air flow past the fins).

So should you keep your baseboard radiators clear of drapes and furniture? Yes, if you want your system to operate the most efficiently, and cost you the least to heat your home.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com