Should I install backup electric baseboard heating in my Ottawa addition?

Backup electric baseboard heaters in an addition can be a sensible precaution, even when the addition is served by forced air or radiant floor heating. If the main system fails on a January night with temperatures well below -20°C, an independent heat source can keep the space above freezing and protect pipes while you wait for a service call.

The cost is usually modest compared with the rest of the addition, because baseboard heaters themselves are inexpensive and the main cost is the wiring and thermostats. Ask your electrician to price backup heat as a separate line so you can decide room by room.

Redundancy is the point. A frozen pipe can do serious water damage quickly. Electric baseboards provide real backup because they don't depend on the gas supply, the furnace blower or the main thermostat wiring. They do depend on electricity, of course, so they cover a furnace failure but not a power outage.

Baseboards need dedicated circuits and line-voltage or smart thermostats. Electrical work requires an ESA notification and is done by an electrical contractor licensed by ESA. Your electrician must also confirm the panel has room and capacity for the new circuits. If your house has a smaller service, the addition may already be prompting a load calculation, and backup heat should be included in it.

Placement matters for comfort. Baseboards are usually placed under windows or along exterior walls, where they counteract cold downdrafts off the glass. Follow the manufacturer's clearance instructions for drapes, furniture and cabinetry, and plan furniture layouts before the heaters go in so they don't end up behind a sofa.

Using baseboards as the main heat source usually costs more to run than an efficient gas furnace or a heat pump, depending on energy rates. As backup, though, they rarely run. One approach is to set the baseboard thermostats to a low setpoint so they only come on if the primary system stops keeping up, which turns them into automatic freeze protection.

They are also useful in spring and fall. Baseboards can take the chill off the addition on a cool morning without running the whole-house system, which helps if the addition is on a different level or wing from the main thermostat and tends to run cooler.

If you'd rather have backup that also cools, a ductless heat pump in the addition can serve a similar role, though it costs more to install. A heat loss calculation for the addition helps decide how much backup heat is enough. Compare itemized quotes from electrical and HVAC contractors before you choose.

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