I restored a couple more old 1960s vintage Electromode baseboard heaters. With tearing out our carpet and showcasing the nice wood floors beneath, and also painting the walls and staining the baseboards, these old heaters looked drastically out of place.
They work just fine, and I like them better than a new model from a big box store. The heating element on these old units are solid and they don't creak and squeak as they heat up and cool down. It seemed best to freshen them up, too.
They were pretty disgusting. I think you're supposed to clean out these units every few years, but I don't think they've been cleaned out since they were new in 1964.
There was quite an accumulation of fuzz and dust.
I really don't know what that fuzz was - probably old carpet fibers, dust, hair, bug parts, etc.
This is the inside of the heater cover that pops off for easy cleaning. Obviously it needs it.
This fuzz is pretty easy to remove with a long-haired brush. I used the little bench-brush that I use to clean off my workbench.
Prior to paint, there was quite a bit of degreasing to do. I used a few iterations of soap and degreasers, and on some pieces I opted for simply getting my wire wheel out and taking off that paint down to bare metal.
Paint went on pretty smooth. The hardest part was waiting for a warm day so the paint would flow.
Not seen below is the heat shield that I painted separately a nice satin black. It's a good contrast.
Here's a comparison: Old gross heater below:
...and newly restored heater:
Definitely a big improvement. I'm quite happy with the results.
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