Need a New Radiator for Baby's room. Help!

[Muckmaw1]

My wife is due to deliver any day now and we are putting the finishing touches on the baby's room, which needs a radiator.

I was thinking a permanent electric baseboard, but hear the costs are high to run it.

Then I thought, add a radiator. But thats 2000 to install.

Safety is everything here, so that's the key.

I would like to save some $$ as well.

Any thoughts?

Once again, I turn the AH knowlege base.

Thanks.

[AKS\/\/ulfe]

No idea.

But I will say this - central air for heating sucks.

Anyone that tells you otherwise is a damn fool.

Oil furnace is the best. Too bad they make houses out of paper mache these days and an oil furnace would cause the walls to catch fire.
-SW

[Muckmaw1]

I have oil but to add a radiator to that room would cosr 2000.

What do you guys think about standard electric baseboard heating?

Safe for Kids?

[capt. apathy]

Originally posted by Muckmaw1
I have oil but to add a radiator to that room would cosr 2000.

What do you guys think about standard electric baseboard heating?

Safe for Kids?

NO, baseboard heat and kids don't mix well.  stuffed animals and other things left directly on the heaters are fire hazards, plus eventually they are going to get to an age where they will start shoving things into it.  one little plastic soldier my son shoved into a baseboard heater stunk for the whole winter. I dis-assembled, scraped cleaned, you name it.  it still stank like plastic until spring.

is your oil furnace a boiler, forced air, or convection?

[Muckmaw1]

My furnace is a boiler.

[capt. apathy]

that limits you a bit.

if you had forced air you could just add another duct. even with convection you could add duct and a small booster fan.

your best bet would probably be the radiator for long term economy and reasonable safety (though I'd put a safety cage around it for a kids room).

another option you could go with is an electric in-wall unit.  they just fit in the wall between the studs, with an upper and lower duct opening and the heating elements in between.  
   the cheaper of these units just count on convection to move the air through, these aren't very efficient though and tend to heat the air from the top down, which keeps the upper air warm and the floor cold, and it shuts off when the warm air comes down to the level of the thermostat.
   the better ones have the intake on top and a fan to force the air out the bottom duct.  they heat the room much more evenly, and since they have a fan to force the air through, you can put a filter on the air intake (a big plus for a babies room IMO).
  the major downside to this type as opposed to adding a radiator is long term cost.  also if you are in a house old enough to have a boiler it also likely has lathe and plaster walls which can make cutting into the walls for instillation, enough of a PITA to make it worth just paying for the radiator.
  both types of these are safer than the baseboard (since there is no easy access to the heating elements), while for room comfort the baseboard does a better job than the convection type but not as well as the forced air type.

[Toad]

Just a thought, although it isn't "cool". I like simple, cost-effective solutions. Elegance comes in third.

If it's a 10x10 or 12x12 room, you can put a quartz or ceramic heater with fan/thermostat in there and have all you need for functionality.

I have one of these in my office out behind the garage. The space is heated/air conditioned through the house system but it's on a slab and it gets cold in the winter. This thing totally solves the problem... for $40.

As a bonus, you can tailor the temperature in the baby's room to any level required, either cooler or warmer than the rest of the house.



800-watt and 1500-watt heat settings plus cool fan setting
Oscillates 60 degrees
4-hour timer can be set in half-hour increments
Instantly shuts off if it's tipped over
Top-mounted control panel with soft-touch controls and LEDs to show settings
Full-function remote control turns power on and off, controls heat settings, selects the fan function, sets the timer and controls oscillation
Stands 32" tall and aprox 9" wide by 9" deep

[Muckmaw1]

Toad and Apathy...Thanks alot.

I'm going to show my wife this thread so we can talk about your ideas.

Thanks alot, guys.

I appreciate your expertise.

[GreenCloud]

what happen to electric blankets?

they make some dam smart ones now

[nsty1]

TOAD,that's kinda what i was looking for,where did you buy yours?

[Toad]

That one is available at Walmart for ~$40. Lowe's, Home Depot, Costco, Sam's Club... just about everybody has them.

The one I got has a thermostat that does a great job of holding the room temp just right. The oscillating aspect keeps you from having cold spots in the room.

It's cheap, it works, it's relatively unnoticed in the room. Not the prettiest thing, of course.

[Curval]

Originally posted by GreenCloud
what happen to electric blankets?

they make some dam smart ones now

Diaper leaks and the baby is electrocuted.

Good suggestion....NOT.