How Does Baseboard Heating Work?

Convection Heating

A baseboard heater is a type of convection heater installed along the baseboard of a house. The baseboard heater heats air directly above it, causing that air to expand and rise. When that happens, more air moves in to replace it, and that air heats and rises too. This air tends to create a continuous current, rising into the air, spreading out, cooling down and moving back towards the heater. This rotating current, called a convection current, is what moves heat from the baseboard heater through the room.

Forced Water Baseboard Heating

A forced water baseboard is basically a smaller, lower-profile version of the traditional steam radiator. A boiler heats water into steam, and that water flows up pipes into the baseboard heater. Metal fins attached to the baseboard heater help spread some of the heat out into the air. When the water cools down enough, it condenses back into a liquid and flows down into the boiler. In some systems, the water is not heated to boiling and is driven through the baseboard heater by a pump.

Electric Baseboard Heating

An electric baseboard heater uses an electric heating element instead of steam. Electric current runs into the heating element, which is made out of a material that resists the flow of electricity. This resistance turns the electricity into heat. That heat is then flows into metal fins, which help it heat the air around it, just like in a forced water system.