Central heating options

                                                                                         

Dry, or forced air, central heating systems use a single gas or oil-fired furnace and a network of ducts through which the heated air travels throughout the building. Sometimes fans are utilised within the system to create a more even heat dispersal pattern, which is especially important in multi-storey homes where the hot air is always rising to the top level at the expense of the lower ones. Room temperatures can be controlled individually using adjustable dampers in the ducting.

Wet, or hydronic central heating systems use a boiler to heat water which is then circulated around the house through a network of pipes and radiators. The vast majority of central heating systems in the UK work upon this principle. There are two main types of hydronic system, namely open-vented and sealed.

When water is heated, it expands.

Sealed Systems use a flexible diaphragm to compensate for the expansion of the water as it heats. These systems also incorporate a safety valve, which provide an escape route for excess water if the pressure inside the tank becomes too great. A non-return valve ensures that none of this water can end up in the mains water supply, and a topping-up bottle ensures that the water level can easily be brought back up to normal once it has cooled.

Ceiling and underfloor heating systems are not true central heating systems, although they are often referred to in those terms. Both systems work by using electrical heating elements or piped hot water built into the structure, surrounded by insulation which reflects the heat into the room, rather than letting it escape into the ground or the atmosphere.

Electric storage heaters are a popular choice in lower cost housing due to their cheap installation, maintenance, and running costs. They work by using a combination of an electric heating element and insulating ‘fire bricks’, which can store and release heat energy over a comparatively long length of time. The bricks are charged up with heat during off peak periods, when electricity is cheaper, and disperse this heat over the course of the day.

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