When you first see the new Linear Convection heater next to a conventional electric baseboard, you’ll likely be struck by how small it is. It is up to 42% smaller than a conventional baseboard, but that’s just the start of the story. We’ve all gotten used to the idea that things like computers and MP3 players get smaller every time a new one is introduced. However, when something has been around in the same form for 50 years, it’s generally thought that the status-quo is good enough. This was the case with the electric baseboard until Dimplex took a long, hard look at it about three years ago with a view to setting a new standard.
We started from a blank page and looked at every possible way to improve performance. Using powerful computers and computer fluid dynamics software, our engineers found the optimum shape for both the housing and the element blades that transfer the heat to the air. The result of combining a top vent with an element blade that looks like a shark fin, is an air speed increase of 40%. By moving that much air we could make the whole thing a lot smaller and also increase comfort for homeowners by pushing the heat faster and further into their room.
Conventional baseboards are notoriously slow, especially if used with a programmable thermostat. It takes half the time of an old baseboard for a linear convector to bring a room back up to temperature after being setback to save energy. We proved this and other energy saving features by building an air flow and heat loss visualization chamber – the only one of its kind in North America. Using this room we were able to measure a 10% reduction in heat loss through a cold, outside wall. This translates into immediate energy savings for homeowners.
It’s said that good things come in small packages and we’ve certainly proved that with the Linear Convector. Homeowners will have more wall space for their furnishings, greater comfort, increased savings and less packaging to dispose of. They’re also easier to install and better looking than conventional baseboards. The bar has definitely been set high for the next 50 years.
*Thank you for your post and questions regarding Dimplex’s Linear Convectors. Due to the high volume of comments raising the same issues; please review the below information.
Please be advised that the Linear Convectors are CSA Certified SAFE, and are not a fire hazard if installed and used properly.
These are high performance heaters, delivering twice the heat per foot of conventional baseboard products, heating a room up to 40% faster. Due to the fact that these are a high performance heater, you may notice higher temperatures on the wall, however there is nothing to be concerned about as these units are all completely safe. If you are concerned about the wall temperature, we do have a spacer option available that will reduce the temperature of the wall down to that of a conventional baseboard. If this option is something you are interested in, please contact our customer service department and they will be more than happy to help you.
Johanna on August 3rd, 2011 at 5:27pm
Would a 9 x 10 bedroom be comfortable with one LC series heater mounted at the floor under the window?
Gary Kraemer on August 9th, 2011 at 12:50pm
Yes. It’s just a question of how much wattage you need for that space. If the LC will be the only heat source in the room then the general rule of thumb is 10 watts per square foot. Since you have 90 square feet you need 900 watts, so you should round up to the 1,000 watt model. If the room is lightly insulated or above a garage, you could go one step further to the 1,250 watt model. On the other hand, if you are using the LC for supplemental heat only you could step down to the 750 watt model.
All LC models are intended to be installed at floor level and your idea to position it under the window is a good one as it will act like a draft barrier.
Joyce on September 5th, 2011 at 12:47am
Is this a substitute for the baseboard heater? It looks taller . How does it compare in cost? I am installing all new heaters (9) is the older model still energy efficient and economical?
chad on September 12th, 2011 at 12:39pm
Hello Joyce,
Yes this is a substitute for the baseboard heater, you can learn more here at our LPC Micro-site. http://heathatfits.com/
Please let us know if you have any more questions.
Kimberly on September 28th, 2011 at 2:26am
Can you use this with other baseboard heaters? My house is electric heat and I have multiple baseboard heaters on the same breaker. I would be putting it in a room but there will be other regular baseboard heaters on the same breaker.
chad on September 28th, 2011 at 3:54pm
As long as the voltage of the new boards is compatible with the existing boards and wiring; the circuit onto which the heater is being installed has the amp capacity to take the complete
heater load (with a 20% safety factor). The thermostat being used has the capacity to take the complete heater load. Our new heaters can be intermixed/used with other pre-existing baseboards.
Trevor on October 28th, 2011 at 4:34pm
forgot to mention Noisier…these units buzz/hum when in operation
chad on November 1st, 2011 at 5:33pm
Hello Trevor,
Some units were shipped in early production that had a louder humming sound then allowable. These units have been identified and changes have been made to rectify the issues.
Elements in all baseboard heaters are built with a helical electrical resistance wire that is surrounded in an electrical insulating powder and inserted in to an outer steel tube. When the heater is turned on a current is passed through the electrical resistance wire causing it to heat up. The current passing through the element also creates a small magnetic field which results in an oscillation of the element at the frequency of the alternating current electrical supply; North America uses a 60Hz AC electrical supply. In most cases this oscillation is barely audible and is normal
Trevor on January 16th, 2012 at 5:11pm
can you provide me with the revised part#/seriel #’s or a list of the known Bad?
how do I know if the stock at the store is of the revised kind? I need to replace my noisy 2500w unit. its driving us nuts.
chad on January 19th, 2012 at 8:02pm
Hey Trevor,
Thank you for your question, in order to fully understand your needs and provide help, we will require more information regarding the product, please contact our customer service department directly and they will be happy to assist you. http://dimplex.com/customer_support/contact_us
Mark on November 20th, 2011 at 5:44am
I purchased 5 new LC linear convector heaters on November 10th 2011 and had an electrician friend install them. I am very disappointed with the amount of buzzing that comes from these new heaters. We had friends over for dinner and they asked us what that buzzing noise was. We even hear them over the TV. We had everything checked out by the electrician and seams that the thermostates and load are all OK. We exchanged one of the heaters and the replacement was just as loud. Is it possible that these heaters are from the early shipment? Do you have any recommendations for us?
chad on November 22nd, 2011 at 2:55pm
Hello Mark,
You can contact our tech department with this contact form – http://dimplex.com/customer_support/contact_us
They will quickly respond to your issues.
Dave on November 22nd, 2011 at 1:31am
What units were corrected for noise/hum? I have a 2000 watt model 6001540350
Its loud. if there’s not a fix I will have to return it for a conventional model.
chad on November 22nd, 2011 at 2:54pm
Hello Dave, you can contact our tech department with this contact form – http://dimplex.com/customer_support/contact_us
They will quickly respond to your issues.
Dave on November 22nd, 2011 at 9:29pm
So I called; and after a short wait , The woman on the other end, was familiar with the issue affecting 2000 and 2500 watt units. The store I got mine from is still waiting for the updated units so I will send in my sticker from the heater; its safe just noisey ; Dimplex will send a new one when they are ready. You have to open a case with them though. date code was 3011 on mine. At least I will still have heat until the new one arrives.
Overall I’m pleased with the service!!
Bill on December 17th, 2011 at 4:58pm
I just installed a 750 watt lc heater replacing a 1000 w old chromolox heater in a 9 X 9 bedroom.
I am alarmed at the heat of the panelling above the heater. It will not allow you to keep
your hand on the wall. It is too hot!
It looks like this new design directs all the heat up the wall. IS THIS NOT A FIRE HAZARD?
chad on December 19th, 2011 at 3:02pm
The LC Heater is designed specifically to top discharge heated air, resulting in 40% faster air flow, and quicker heating of your room. The product is CSA approved from a safety perspective and is in no way a fire hazard when used as outlined in the Operating Instructions.
Trace on December 21st, 2011 at 5:34am
Refering to the issue of the wall getting hot, i am looking to replace the baseboard heater in my 2 year olds room, whould this unit be safe in a childs room, or is it a burn hazard?
chad on December 21st, 2011 at 8:09pm
Hello Trace,
When the LC Series heater is operating, it’s surface can become very hot. It is recommended that caution be used whenever installing baseboards around children. If you were able to previously operate a baseboard in the room safely, you shouldn’t have any problems with a new LC.
Just exercise the same care as you did previously.
charles marchand on December 26th, 2011 at 7:14pm
Purchased a small 40 inches baseboard heater for my bedroom and am shocked at the noise level of this thing. The salesman at home depot garanteed the product to be virtually silent, but what I am hearing is a definetely audible metal humming (vibration?)
I am putting back my old heater as I will not be able to sleep with that noise.
chad on December 29th, 2011 at 4:09pm
Hi Charles, thank you for your comment regarding the humming noise you are noticing from your linear convector. Please contact our customer service department at 1-800-668-6663 as the salesman at Home Depot was correct and these units should not be making a humming noise. Our customer service department is able to help you with this issue. http://dimplex.com/customer_support/contact_us
Tom on December 29th, 2011 at 11:28pm
I too recently bought a bunch of these or varying lengths. They all buzz. I will be calling customer service but I expect they will all have to be scrapped. I’m surprised these things
chad on January 5th, 2012 at 10:16pm
Hey Tom,
Thank you for your question, in order to fully solve your issues, please contact our customer service department directly and they will be happy to assist you with Stainless Steel Elements. 1-800-668-6663 or visit our page at http://dimplex.com/customer_support/contact_us
Cali on December 31st, 2011 at 7:49pm
Having just purchased a dozen panel and linear convector heaters to replace my old baseboards, I was extremely frustrated in finding that 20% of the product shipped to me was damaged in some way (along with the fact that the linear convector being too noisy as the above comments identified). Dimplex would greatly improve their customer satisfaction by improving their boxing. Both the panel, but especially the linear, convectors would arrive more successfully if there were central foam supports instead of just at the corners so that they weren’t being crushed while being tossed about during shipping.
chad on January 5th, 2012 at 9:53pm
Hello Cali,
Thank you for your question, in order to fully solve your issues, please contact our customer service department directly and they will be happy to assist you with Stainless Steel Elements. 1-800-668-6663 or visit our page at http://dimplex.com/customer_support/contact_us
Tony on January 3rd, 2012 at 9:32pm
I just had an electrician install 3 of the 1500 watt heaters (240 volts). I am impressed with the overall look of the baseboard heaters and that they give off so much heat. However, I am concern how hot my drywall gets since the heat shoots straight up. The drywall is extremely hot which others have pointed out. I would be afraid to leave these heaters on for an extended amount of time. I am aware of the solution to reduce the wall heat by 10 degrees C, but this build out would consist of cutting some wood to push this 5/8 inches from the wall. These instructions were not included with my purchase. The only way I found out about this was through this blog. I am not sure how that would look if this was done and if 10 degrees would add any relief.
chad on January 5th, 2012 at 9:49pm
Hello Tony,
Fundamentally the units are high performance heaters, and the level of heat output ( including heating of the wall) has been carefully measured (and CSA approved) to be within safe limits. The use of the shim does reduce wall heat by 10 degrees C, however, rendering your LC’s 10 degrees C safer than the current safe level is an action you can take if it makes you feel more comfortable.
Steve on January 3rd, 2012 at 11:38pm
I am glad that I stumbled across this blog!
I moved to a new house a few weeks ago and have been updating to the newer Dimplex heaters. My wife is very happy with how they look.
My 2000 watt one was making buzzing noises, so I swapped it out for a 2500 watt that was destined for the basement. I took the 2000 watt one back to Home Depot and exchanged it for a new one.
Unfortunately, the 2500 watt is having the same buzzing, though it seems a bit louder. As suggested above I’ll give Dimplex customer service a call.
chad on January 5th, 2012 at 10:16pm
Hello Steve,
Thank you for your question, in order to fully understand your needs and provide help, we will require more information regarding the product, please contact our customer service department directly and they will be happy to assist you.
Steve on January 6th, 2012 at 9:12pm
Thought I would give an update …
I spoke to a customer service rep who was extremely helpful. She iwas having a new heater shipped out.
Great customer service!
Thanks,
Steve
Claude on January 5th, 2012 at 6:09am
Urhg… I was kind of excited to find that newer model of electric baseboard (seeking the LC model)… I need to replace two old style electric baseboard 1250 and 2000w… The 2000w would be replace by a 2500w (3000w if it was available…).
All the features look excellent like faster heating, smaller unit but I was really looking for noise information… as there is no mention of “silent design” or something like that… I am glad I found this blog…
My old ones are making noise when they heat. The metal case makes noises. I have replaced the old mechanic thermostat with the newer triac thermostat but now it is even worst…
I hear “tic tic tic… tic……. tic”, then a pause of 12 seconds and then again “tic tic tic… tic……. tic” since these new triac thermostat are working in cyclic mode to save energy… that is driving me crazy…
But now I hesitate a lot to buy the LC series since I see in this post that people are reporting loud buzzing issue (that seems fixable) but then I read that this is kind of normal that it will make a minimal buzzing sound…
Instead of “tic tic tic… tic……. tic”, I’m going to hear “buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuz” every 12 seconds of the electric element resonating… I hope that on top of that the metallic case do not make noises when it gets hot…
Maybe that’s why convection heater are so expensive (à la Convectair)… they do claim it is completely silent but it’s 10X the price of an LC model…
chad on January 6th, 2012 at 5:04pm
Hello Claude,
Thank you for your question, in order to fully understand your needs and provide help, we will require more information regarding the product, please contact our customer service department directly and they will be happy to assist you. http://dimplex.com/customer_support/contact_us
Steve on January 6th, 2012 at 9:23pm
Claude, I upgraded my thermostats from those old Honeywell dial ones to all Honeywell RLV450 (thanks be to Costco 5-packs). From my experience they don’t seem to make any noise which is so nice, especially in the bedrooms. And, from my experience, the LC heaters that I have 1500w and below are virtually silent. I expect that my new 2500w one will be the same, when it arrives
Rob on January 10th, 2012 at 8:42pm
I’m looking to replace my old style baseboard heaters with the LC series. Although they seem to be quite the improvement over the ones I installed 4 yrs ago. They seem to have some issues that need to be worked out. I would like to know if the buzzing problem has been rectified and if so,what manufacture date should I be looking for on the fixed heaters? I really don’t want to purchase the ones with the noise. Also ,do they come with shims to help reduce the temperature of the wall?
chad on January 11th, 2012 at 8:50pm
Hello Rob,
Thank you for your questions regarding the LC series heaters, we are happy to hear you are enjoying the improved heating capabilities that the LC provides. In order to properly answer your questions, our Customer Service department has asked that you contact them as they will require some more information. Our Customer Service Department can be reached at 1-800-668-6663, they look forward to taking your call.
John on February 12th, 2012 at 1:28am
I have a 2500watt unit (also noisy) installed in my cabin. The cabin tempaerature was -13C today when I arrived (Feb 11, 2012). The heater would not work. The line voltage was 235 V at the heater connection wires. I heated the room up with a construction heater. When the temperature inside the cabin reached about +10C, the baseboard heater started working. Is this new technology susceptible to extreme cold?
chad on February 16th, 2012 at 3:55pm
Hello John,
Thank you for questions regarding your baseboard, in order to fully understand what the issue might be. Our customer service department would like for you to contact them. Our customer service department can be reached at 1-800-668-6663.
Ray on March 17th, 2012 at 11:45pm
I strongly considered the Dimplex LC series for the 1910 cottage I am renovating (I need 9 heaters between 500W and 1500W). However, after reading the comments on this site regarding noise and wall heating, I have decided otherwise. The smaller, attractive design made the LC series quite appealing, however, when it comes down to it, performance is the bottom line, and again, the noise and wall heating performance concerns expressed by actual users has turned me off. Sorry.
chad on March 19th, 2012 at 2:50pm
Hello Ray,
I have updated the post to accompany your issue, please take a look at the bottom of the post. That should help answer your comment.
Darren on April 20th, 2012 at 9:49am
I must say I am very disappointed with the answers given on this site concerning “LOUD BUZZING HEATERS” . People not only WITH the problems of buzzing, but those of us CONSIDERING buying one of these heaters, deserve an answer OTHER than “contact customer service”.
- IS THERE AN ISSUE OR NOT?
- IF THERE IS A PROBLEM, HAS IT BEEN RESOLVED?
(Since some people say new Ones are being sent to them because of the buzzing, I would assume there must be an issue)
- HOW DO WE DETERMINE IF THE STORES HAVE OLDER MODELS OR NEWER ONES?
These are VERY simple questions that deserve to be answered. (and NO, I dont want to call customer service)
chad on April 25th, 2012 at 12:12pm
Hello Darren,
I apologize if you have been mislead by the comment thread above. The harmonic buzzing was limited to the 2000 & 2500W versions of our LC Series. Due to their length, the copper sheathed element occasionally developed a harmonic resonance (audible humming). After some customers reported this problem, Dimplex initiated a design change, employing a stainless steel element. As well, we have found that the wall thermostats can contribute to this problem when the combined wattage loads the thermostat too close to it’s capacity. Some customers have been successful in eliminating the noise by changing to a thermostat with ample capacity. Customer who have experienced and isolated this problem to the copper sheathed element have been helped directly by reporting this problem and replacing the affected heaters.
I hope this helps with your issues. Please let us know if we can help in any other way.
Leon on April 29th, 2012 at 12:11am
I’m recently purchase these heater as well, 7 in total various sizes. I did not experience any of the noises issues, but am somewhat concern with the heating of the walls and had my cell phone charger melt from the heat. I have a outlet about 4″ above the heater. (I don’t use this outlet anymore) I’m a little concern if curtains or stuff get to close. I notice your previous answer about CSA approved, what are the safety measure to prevent overheating?
chad on April 30th, 2012 at 1:48pm
Hello Leon,
The new linear convectors are high-powered heaters if you take a look at our owner manuals for the LC http://bit.ly/IA6ZdK and LPC http://bit.ly/IA71Cu.
Including in the document are instructions on how much distance you should keep objects from the heaters.
chad on April 13th, 2012 at 1:15pm
Hello Chris,
Wall heating occurs to a greater or lesser extent with every baseboard currently manufactured. Our linear convectors are high performance heaters, they are designed specifically to heat your room faster. In fact 40% faster, which makes you more comfortable faster. A 42% smaller heater, gives you the freedom to place the small heater in unused areas.
This also means you’ll be heating more efficiently which saves you money.
Thank you for your interest and feedback into our products.