How to Turn on Baseboard Radiant Heating

Last month we talked about baseboard radiant heating but the question always comes up how do we turn them on, especially if you are new to this concept of indoor heating.

You will notice around your exterior walls of your new home a white 6 inch metal piping.  This is where the pipes are for your baseboard radiant heating.  In one of your rooms there will be dial that can be turned.  It will be placed along the radiant heating. Generally the dial will be found in the living room.   The dial will have an arrow on it, and the numbers 1 to 5 will be placed outside the dial. 1 is the lowest heat and 5 is the highest. You will turn the dial to temperature you want. As there is no actual thermometer to control the temperature in your home, it is recommended that purchase one. Home Depot has an Indoor Comfort Monitor which measures the temperature of the room and your humidity levels. The heater itself warms up noticeably even after 10 minutes or so, although it may take as much as a couple of hours to significantly change the temperature in a large cold room.

Please note that your baseboard radiant heating won’t work until the landlord turns the large boiler on for the whole building.  In Saskatchewan that is generally late September and it is left on until mid May. This is dependant on your landlord.

Places You Won’t Find Baseboard Heating

In bathrooms as the paint on the radiator will be damaged by water and soap. Soap is corrosive and will eat into the coating. After a while, your radiator will start to show rust marks and begin to stop working properly.

And generally in the kitchen due to cooking and the heat that comes from cooking will affect the flow of the air needed to keep the temperature good for the rest of your apartment.

If you have questions about how to turn on baseboard radiant heating, please contact JOB Heating & Air Conditioning, they will help you.