If you thinking of adding a baseboard heater to add a little extra warmth to a room, then you're going to need a baseboard heater thermostat. A thermostat turns the power on and off to the electric heater and controls the temperature. The thermostat can be mounted either on the heater itself or on a wall. Baseboard heater thermostats come in two different models, 120-volt and 240-volt.

By turning the thermostat dial clockwise, you'll increase the temperature setting. Wiring a baseboard heater thermostat can be an easy project with a few electrical tools and a few electrical supplies.

Photo: Timothy Thiele

Baseboard heaters are a great addition to a room or space that has a draft or a cold spot that needs a little extra heat. Baseboard heaters are mounted along the wall base, usually on an outside wall of your room. They mount near the base of the wall and are connected to a 20-amp circuit. Baseboard heaters come in various lengths to accommodate the amount of heat that you need to add to the room. These heaters are meant to supplement a room's heat.

Baseboard heaters come in 120-volt and 240-volt styles. Both heat effectively, but the 240-volt model is more efficiently. Baseboard heaters are controlled by a thermostat that either mounts on the unit itself or can be installed in a junction box in the middle of the wall. These thermostats act as a switch to turn the power on and off to the baseboard heater. So if there's a chill in the air in a room in your house, get yourself a baseboard heater and feel warm and fuzzy all over in no time!

Practicing safety, especially around electrical circuits and equipment, is everyone's responsibility. The problem is that we live in a hurry-up society and we tend to take chances when we hurry through things. When working with electricity, there sometimes isn't a second chance. Electricity kills and one false move could end it all for any of us. That's why it's so important to turn off circuits, check circuits with circuit testers to be sure they are off, and treat everything you work on like the circuit is live.

Safety should always be your number one concern when doing any electrical project and here are some safety tips to help keep you safe from electrical shock.

So what is a four-way switch? Could it be a switch that toggles up, down, and side to side? Well, not exactly. Four-way switches bridge the gap between three-way switches. In fact, they provide the third switching location for controlling lighting circuits. By adding additional four-way switches, you'll be able to control lighting from many different locations. Switching can be accomplished from many locations when you use four-way switches.

Photo: Timothy Thiele