Baseboard heating..

[His_sugar]

Hello folks.. this is my first trip to the "How to" section of the BB.

We have an older home that has baseboard heat. I don't mind it, but I am curious if anyone knows how I can safety proof it from my two year old son.

I have tried placing the furniture so that most of the baseboards are covered.. but of course they run the entire length of each room and he keeps standing on them.

Any ideas?

 

[Weird Harold]

I have tried placing the furniture so that most of the baseboards are covered.. but of course they run the entire length of each room and he keeps standing on them.

The best solution is to swat him everytime you catch him standing on the heaters. Eventually, he'll get the idea and stop.

Covering/blocking baseboard heaters will raise your heating bill and can be a serious fire hazard.

The only safe suggestion I can think of for making them difficult to stand on is to buy some metal open mesh shelving about 16-18 inches wide. Lean it against the wall and secure the top edge with cable fasteners.

 

[James G 5]

I Googled this
there're several articles on it, and most of them say there are no safe ways to cover the baseboard heaters due to fire hazards & dispersal of heat
they suggest placing a "ring" of furniture to block access without covering the vent, combined with placing things in other parts of the room to focus attention there
One site also says that while there is enough heat to cause a burn, it's not hot enough to cause a "flash burn"...you'd have to hold your hand there for some time, and even a child would feel discomfort and pull away before any real damage was done.

 

[A7inchPhildo]

Whoa! And the Chicken wire and Barbed wire ideas have not even been suggested yet!
How about the dog collar that Zaps! Or calling the plumber to have them moved up higher on the wall?

Honestly if he is a toddler and the pipes have the metal fascia, how much more protection can you expect? Be attentive but not overly concerned it takes quite a bit to damage the pipe and as explained above very hard to become burned. More of a concern is the placement of little objects such as crayons and paper items that not likely but potentially could fume the house or even catch on fire.

 

[Krinaia]

yah, move your furniture immediately - OFF the heater.

He's a smart little cookie I'm sure. sometimes you have to figure things for yourself. Like, touch stove, ouch that hurts! Note to self- don't touch stove. In the meantime, keep and eye on him.

I'd rather the poor kiddie burn his tootsies then your couch catch fire and burn your house down. Couches ARE NOT FIREPROOF.

One thing I do recommend - figure out who the manufacturer is and then get online and look for their website. They might have recommendations. If you email them, they might even have a product they can sell you that will protect your child without you putting yourself in danger of burning your house to the ground.

 

[HoldenMcCrank]

Ok so I grew up with this type

of heat. This may sound cruel but tell him to stay off because he will get burned. Then watch him and let him figure it out.

DO NOT BLOCK off the base board heater! I can not say this strongly enough. I lived in an apartment till I was 23 years old so I know what I am talking about. Just before I bought my first house the apartment below ours caught on fire. Jan 28th 1989. The apartment was occupied by a Mother and her Autisic son. They both died. What was the cause of the Fire? Newspaper and Records stacked up and around the base board heaters!!!!

I remember as a young child touching a hot pan on the stove. I still have the scar to remind me. It is a tough lesson to learn but sometimes you have to let your children learn the toughest lessons by and for themselves.

Holden

If all else fails pm or email me. I know of ways to protect your heaters and son.