Electric Wall Heaters: Efficiency Tips and Safety Checks for Older Homes

If you look inside charming Old Town bungalows or in the basement bedrooms of CSU student rentals, you will often see electric wall heaters. These are the fan-forced and baseboard units that heat one room at a time, and they are common in Fort Collins homes that were never fitted with ductwork.

While they may be a quick heating option, electric wall heaters are an expensive way to heat a room. Nearly all the electricity a wall heater draws becomes heat, so the appliance itself wastes very little, but electricity costs considerably more per unit of heat than gas or a heat pump. The efficiency question is about what you pay, not about what the unit does with the power. Besides the running cost, they can also lead to fire hazards when they are not kept clear and maintained.

To protect your family this winter, you need to be proactive about electric wall heater safety in Fort Collins. With the right tips, you can keep your unit running as safely and efficiently as possible. Balance Point Heating, Cooling & Plumbing services these units throughout Larimer County, and we handle the upgrade when a wall heater has reached the end of its useful life.

What Are Electric Wall Heaters?

Often, you will see electric wall heaters in home additions, finished basements, and older homes where setting up new ductwork simply isn’t an option. Because these units have low upfront costs but high operating expenses, they are a popular choice for rental units. You may hear them called Cadet heaters, though Cadet is a manufacturer of fan-forced units rather than a category. Two types cover almost everything installed in this market.

• Fan-Forced: Also known as the Cadet style, these units look like small, square grates on the wall. They have a fan inside that blows out the warm air. While they are excellent at heating up quickly, they can be fairly noisy.
• Baseboard: Often referred to as convection heaters, these long units are placed along the floor. The heat wafts upward silently. Although they are quiet to use, they take up potential furniture space in the room. 

Safety First: The “3-Foot Rule” & Fire Prevention

When it comes to wall heater fire hazards and safety issues, there are a few prevention tips that are important to keep in mind. Electric heaters can become incredibly hot. The leading cause of electric heater fires is having flammable objects in proximity to the heater. To prevent fires, all bedding, furniture, curtains, and laundry baskets should be located at least 3 feet away from the unit.

Besides electrical fire prevention, it is also essential to protect children and pets from injuries. The heater’s metal grates can easily burn small fingers or paws.

As a part of your electrical wall heater safety in Fort Collins, you should inspect the wall above the unit for scorch marks. Additionally, pay attention to discolored or melted plugs if the unit isn’t hardwired in. If you do notice plug issues or scorch marks, immediately stop using the unit and call one of our HVAC technicians for heater repair services.

Efficiency Tips: Taming the Electric Bill

Electric heat is billed by the kilowatt-hour, so how you use a wall heater has a direct effect on what you pay each month. Small habits matter more here than they do with a ducted system, because each unit is controlled separately and each one draws power on its own. The three adjustments below make the most difference in older Fort Collins homes.

• The “Zone” Advantage: With electric wall heaters, you can decide to use heat in select rooms. If you are not using a particular room, you can turn down the heat. For example, you don’t need to heat a home office or guest room if no one is in it.
• Thermostat Upgrades: The dials on electric wall heaters are notorious for being inaccurate. If you’re struggling with high electric bills, you may be able to save money by upgrading to a digital line-voltage thermostat.
• Stop the Drafts: When cold air gets into your home, your heater has to work harder to heat the air again. You can save money by sealing your doors and windows to prevent drafts.

Maintenance: Conquering the “Burning Dust” Smell

When you switch your heater on in November, you may notice the smell of burning dust or hair. This is because dust can settle on the heating element over the summer. To avoid this odor, try cleaning electric wall heaters before you need to use them.

To clean the unit, start by turning off the heater at the breaker. This is an important safety tip and the most important step to remember in the cleaning process.

Then, use a vacuum hose to vacuum out the debris. If you have a can of compressed air, like the type used for computer keyboards, you can use it to break off stubborn dust particles. Once this is done, you can enjoy better airflow and fewer bad odors. Better airflow also means your heater can run less to heat the room, leading to lower energy bills.

The “Upgrade” Conversation: When To Move On

While electric wall heaters are great supplemental heat for drafty rooms, there is a limit to how effective they can be. Resistance heating is known for being 100% efficient, which means all of the energy that goes into the unit is turned into heat. However, this electricity can quickly become expensive. 

Instead, homeowners should consider the advantages of ductless mini-splits vs. electric baseboard heaters. When heating older homes in Colorado, there are rarely ducts available for furnaces. Because of this, ductless mini-splits are a convenient alternative. These units are designed to move heat instead of creating it, leading to significant energy-efficiency gains. Additionally, ductless mini-split installations can also air condition your home in the summer, which is something that wall heaters can’t do. 

If you are weighing the switch, our guide to setting the right temperature on a ductless mini-split covers how these systems behave day to day once they are in.

DIY Checks vs. Professional Help

If your home is outfitted with supplemental heating solutions, there are a few basic things you can do to improve your energy efficiency, comfort, and safety. More advanced tasks should be left to the experts.

To care for your system, remember to clean it before the heating season begins. Adjust the thermostats so that you do not use an excessive amount of energy. As part of Larimer County fire safety, you should also keep the area around the unit clear so that there is nothing nearby that can catch fire.

For more serious problems, you should always call one of our experienced HVAC technicians for help. If you notice the heater’s circuit breaker tripping frequently or the thermostat sparks when you turn it on, shut it off immediately and call for help. A buzzing noise indicates a bad fan motor in fan-forced heaters, which should be dealt with by our professional HVAC technicians. Additionally, call us for help if you need a new dedicated circuit or if you want to install ductless mini-splits. 

Prepare Your Home for Winter

While wall heaters are effective at heating different zones in your house, they can be potentially dangerous. By keeping up with electric wall heater safety in Fort Collins, you can protect your family from potential fires. In addition, routine maintenance can also keep your energy costs down.

Tired of high electric bills cutting into your budget? Whether you need to maintain your wall units or are ready to look at a ductless upgrade, let Balance Point Heating, Cooling & Plumbing help with all of your safety inspections and energy-efficient upgrades. Contact us today!