# Electrical consumption of baseboard heater



## CowboyAndy (Feb 19, 2008)

Any way to tell what the electrical comsumption of these baseboard heaters http://www.hydrosil.com/ would be compared to a conventional baseboard heater?

The room I want to put it in is approc 6' x 10' (laundry room) and hopefully heat a little of the dining room too. 

We pay approx $0.12 Kwh (delivery included) and roughly use 1000 kwh per month this time of year. We use elec dryer, range and hw.

The room typically is 62* when we have the heat in the house set at 68*.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

A lot of hype in the ad. How many watts is it? Watts is watts. That is what determines the cost.


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## CowboyAndy (Feb 19, 2008)

joed said:


> A lot of hype in the ad. How many watts is it? Watts is watts. That is what determines the cost.


We were looking at either a 4' or 5', 1000 and 1250 watts respectivly.


ETA: 4' = 4.2 AMPS at 240 volt
5' = 5.2 AMPS at 240 volt


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## Jim Port (Sep 21, 2007)

The hydronic filled baseboards that I have seen use the same amount of watts as the straight resistance units.

The benefit is that the hydronics have a smoother heat curve because they continue to radiate the heat even after the thermostat is off.


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## CowboyAndy (Feb 19, 2008)

Jim Port said:


> The hydronic filled baseboards that I have seen use the same amount of watts as the straight resistance units.
> 
> The benefit is that the hydronics have a smoother heat curve because they continue to radiate the heat even after the thermostat is off.


 
So, are they worth the extra money?


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## LawnGuyLandSparky (Nov 18, 2007)

CowboyAndy said:


> So, are they worth the extra money?


No. Not unless the smoother heat curve is a must for your your laundry room.

With the rising costs of fuel and electricity, many people are looking into alternatives. There is no shortage of scoundrels and gypsies looking to capatilize on those urges by promoting products that claim to save you money when in fact they'll only cost you the same or more. 

I'll translate the ad for you. People really do need to learn how to read and comprehend sales hype.


What is Hydro-Sil?

Hydro-Sil is a unique hydronic electric zone heating system that can save you hundreds of dollars in home heating costs when replacing inefficient ways of heating.

_*Ahh, no. Notice the "can save" and not WILL save. Buying a TANK can save you fuel costs - IF you don't drive it. And notice the qualifier - "when replacing inefficient ways of heating?" Any form of heating system can save you money if it replaces something less efficient. *_*
*
It has saved some families up to 50% on their heating bills in one winter.
*
This statement is entirely useless. What were the methods these families heated with before? 
*
It can replace or supplement your electric heaters and heat pumps, your oil or gas furnace, and your kerosene heaters and woodstoves.
*
Any heating system can replace or supplement any other kind of heating system. Replacing electric heaters with electric heaters isn't going to save you one thin dime.
*
The Hydro-Sil heating system will give you clean, safe, healthful and inexpensive floor-to-ceiling warmth. You can heat selected rooms or your entire house with a permanently installed baseboard heater wired into your home's electrical system, or you can heat individual rooms with completely portable units.
*
Healthful? What does that mean, healthful? Absolutely nothing. They're trying to scare the reader into thinking that other methods of heating are Not "healthful." Much in the same way a snack might be advertized as "wholesome." Wholesome also has no real meaning. 
*
How does Hydro-Sil lower your heating costs?

Inside the heater case is a sealed copper tube filled with a harmless silicone fluid that will never spill, leak, boil or freeze. It's permanent; you will never run out. Running through the liquid is a variable watt hydroelectric element that is only being supplied a proportional amount of power on an as-needed basis. When Hydro-Sil is turned on, the silicone liquid is quickly heated, and with its heat retention qualities, continues to heat after the Hydro element shuts off.
*
Here's where it gets downright nasty. They're attempting to coax the reader into believeing this "harmless silicone" has some kind of properties that when heated and then turned off, will continue to provide you with free heat generated from nothing but it's quality to retain heat. 

Silicone is not a fuel. it's only property relevant to this product is that it has mass, and when you heat it, like a pot of water on a stove, it will stay warm even after there is nothing heating it anymore. But you still pay for the energy to heat it up in the first place. You're just storing that energy and releasing it slowly. 
*
Hydro-Sil's room-by-room technology greatly increases energy savings and comfort.
*
The only way this product increases energy savings is if it is used to replace something that is less efficient. "Room by room technology" isn't new technology at all, it's called zoning. And most standard electric baseboard heat is zoned room by room anyway. When a room calls for heat, only that room's heater turns on. 


This simple principle and function is similar to hot water heating, providing the same comfortable, healthful benefits. However, unlike hot water heating systems, the liquid in the heater never needs replacing and will not freeze or boil.

There they go again with the healthful. As for the benefits, how often has anyone had to replace the water in their hydronic baseboards? How often have they frozen? And the product these units most closely compare to are standard electric baseboard heaters, which also don't have water to replace or freeze. 

More efficient than other heating systems.

Which "other" heating systems? Notice the lack of and definitive facts all over this ad?

Hydro-Sil is 100% efficient heat. The proportional power feature greatly adds to the overall savings, using only 25-50% of the available power to maintain home comfort during most of the heating season.

All electric heat is 100% efficient. That is, you will get X number of BTU heat output per watt of electric input. 

The "proportional power feature" is nothing more than a sales gimmick. More often than not, a heater will sit idle because the room temperature is at or greater than the heater's thermostat is calling for. All heating systems sit idle! That's what thermostats do! They're trying to re-word standard operating procedure as if it were some kind of brand new money saving technology. I'm suprised the term "space-age" isn't all over this ad.

Plus, Hydro-Sil's fluid has remarkable heat retention properties, creating shorter power-on periods while always maintaining even temperature levels, even after the electricity shuts off.

Translation: When the room temperature reaches the setpoint, the heater turns off, and the unit continues to radiate the heat it stored into the room until the room temperature drops and the cycle beging all over again. Absolutely nothing different than any other kind of electric heater, or modern baseboard or radiator syatem. 

Hydro-Sil is the solution to the rapidly rising cost of heating.

No it isn't. This is an opinion obscured by fact. Heating costs are rising. Whatever you choose to purchase can be considered the "solution" but nowhere are they claiming it's the cheapest solution. A Cadallic Escalade is ALSO the solution to the rising costs of fuel associated with commuting in bumper to bumper traffic. But do you think it's the best solution?

Hydro-Sil represents economy in heating.

You have absolute room-by-room thermostat control with Hydro-Sil. This offers two advantages: [1] you have more control over operating costs, and [2] you have more control over room comfort.

Any portable electric or baseboard electric heater has exactly the same benefit. However, generally in this country electricity is the absolute worst choice when it comes to economically heating a home. Unless you're in an area where the electricity costs are still quite low, like .03 cents a Kwh and the Hoover Dam in you backyard. 

Hydro-Sil provides a uniform floor-to-ceiling temperature. Stratification of temperatures - warm ceilings and cold floors - is eliminated. This "destratification" lets you achieve a greater degree of comfort at lower operating costs.

For new homes or old.

Hydro-Sil fits right into your building, remodeling or addition plans. You don't have to give up valuable space. Baseboards install flat on the floor against the wall, and can be direct-wired or plugged in.

No Maintenance.

Eliminates yearly service calls and maintenance contracts - a one-time purchase that should last a lifetime!

That "should" last a lifetime. Not "will" last a lifetime.*


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## CowboyAndy (Feb 19, 2008)

LawnGuyLandSparky said:


> No. Not unless the smoother heat curve is a must for your your laundry room.
> 
> With the rising costs of fuel and electricity, many people are looking into alternatives. There is no shortage of scoundrels and gypsies looking to capatilize on those urges by promoting products that claim to save you money when in fact they'll only cost you the same or more.
> 
> ...


*

So essentially it is NOT worth the $250 for it, compared to the $40 for a standard electric.

All we need to do is warm up the laundry room a bit, so if anything we will probably go with a basic electric baseboard.*


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

No it is not worth the extra $210 over a standard electric heater.


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