Furniture in front of hot water baseboard

In_New_England

I know that placing a dresser without feet will completely block that section of the baseboard, but what about a dresser/bookcase with a closed back that's on feet, leaving the baseboard inlet open - will that be enough circulation for the hot air?

Also: a sociological question: how do I convince other family members that this is an issue. The basic answer is: why are you worrying about this, the house gets warm just fine. But I'm guessing some of the heat is just being lost to the outside because the outer wall gets warmer, instead of the room.

pecmsg

When the thermometer hits the lower digits, and that NE wind begins blowing I pull the couch a couple of inches away from the 2 built in radiators and take the top off the 1 by the staircase. Once the weather breaks it all goes back,

Jamie Hall

It's purely a matter of air circulation. If the air can get in to the bottom of the baseboard, and easily back out the front of the top (depending on the design of the baseboard) it will heat just fine. If it can't, it won't. I'd make sure that anything with a closed back is a couple of inches clear of the front of the baseboard housing.

JUGHNE

Before these grills were added to 6 convectors in a large lunch room, they did not heat very well at all.
Some of the 6 has solid plywood under them as part of the box.

So air flow makes a difference.

hot_rod

I suppose if it is a tall bookcase/ dresser it forces the warm convection currents up along the cold outside wall, but it is still within the building, just not a accessible to someone standing in front of fin tube.
You can certainly feel the heat above the fin tube and see the curtains move, as indication of the convection currents.

Making sure the fins are kept Clean also assures the operation. Behind furniture it could be plugged a bit with dust or dirt, maybe pet hair