Help much appreciated...

I am a DIY beginner and a tightwad. My house has a lifeless baseboard heater. It has not worked in the 10+ years we have been living here. There are no other baseboard heaters in the house; the rest of the house is heated by vents from a furnace in the basement. Is there a reasonably idiot-proof way to figure out whether I can make the heater work or remove it? I really don't want to pay someone else to do it if I don't have to!

Thanks for any advice!