Baseboard heaters- under or not under recepticle?

[GraceNC]

My research found the manufacturers say not to install under receptacles due to heat issues and items plugged in....not smart to do. However, they are pretty much standard in "6 inches" as being the zone of concern.

My question is this- IF a receptacle is ONLY used for a window a/c- if you were installing baseboards, would you consider this okay? Reason- the receptacle is only used between June and September and the heater would run between October and March.

Next, IF the concern is heat through the wall reaching the wiring (not read this but am trying to figure out why they say 'not under receptacles') then would a hydronic baseboard be in order? These do not have the surface temperature as regular baseboard heaters...they don't get that hot to touch. Or would insulation board behind the baseboard be wise to prevent the transfer of heat from the unit to the wall?

All my windows have receptacles UNDER them...guess the home was just designed that way. And I've decided to go with baseboard heaters. Any other advice would be appreciated.
I've done extensive research and it appears that a wall receptacle for a tv or something 5 foot off the ground- some say is fine...but some stick to the instructions and say no. And some say "conventional" outlets are the concern...ones that are used to plug things in. And everyone agrees that a window a/c outlet is not conventional as it is not for daily use. So this is my confusion. Everyone has something different to say.

[Greg]

Grace, you bring up a few valid points. My first thought would be if a cord was plugged into an outlet, the cord could lay on the heater melt and cause a short.

As for the heater getting hot enough to damage wiring in the wall, I think that the wall would be on fire before the wiring would melt.

Hot water base board from a boiler system do not get as hot and I think do heat better and more evenly than electric type. However you would need more length of hot water type to get the same amount of heat into the room. Greg

[Robert]

Ask those questions to the manufacturers and also local codes enforcement office.

That would be my first move to get some clarity.



Thanks,
Robert