What Types of Central Heating Systems Are There?

What Types of Central Heating Systems Are There?

Is it time for you to update your central heating system or get it repaired? Here are the types of central heating systems you can choose among.

Whether you’re already running about London in shorts or still walking around with an extra jumper on, you should think about your heating system as summer is already here.

Summer is arguably the best time to replace your central heating system since the system will be off.

If you’re considering a major change to your heating installation, we’re here to walk you through the types of available central heating systems.

You can also recap everything you’ll need to know in our article: Central Heating Installation Process.

Types of Central Heating Systems

Wet System

A wet system, the most popular system in the UK, is your traditional boiler and radiator system. The boiler heats the water which flows through a network of pipes in your home to the radiators. The hot water heats the metal radiator which heats the air passing over its surface.

Recommended reading: No Hot Water from Boiler: Our Ultimate Troubleshooting Guide

Boilers come in a variety of types, energy efficiencies, and fuels. Given the average home in the UK uses about 23,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy each year, of which about 85% is for heating, the government put strict standards on boiler efficiency standards to lower carbon emissions.

Natural gas, oil, and electricity (electric central heating boiler) all can power your boiler, but natural gas is most widely used. The type of fuel your system uses depends on some factors, including proximity to a natural gas grid, the pre-installed system in your home, and household budget.

Warm Air System

This system is more commonly used in North America, but you’ll find many homes in the UK heated this way.

A warm air system heats air with a furnace by heating a metal exchanger which warms the air passing over it. The system then forces the hot air through air vents in the home.

As with boiler technology, furnace technology has improved over the last several years, reducing wasted energy in your heating system.

Since these systems don’t have a water system, you’re less likely to encounter plumbing problems. However, they can cause draughts in your home, so it’s important to keep the doors to each room shut.

Heat Pumps

Heat pump systems are gaining in popularity across the UK, particularly in new construction.

It works similarly to a fridge, where to keep the inside of the refrigerator cool, hot air is forced out and away from the device. Do this in reverse, and you get a heat pump system.

Heat pumps can use energy from water, air or the ground to harness this refrigerator effect, with geothermal (energy in the ground) and emerging as the preferred energy collection method.

Geothermal systems include a network of shallow pipes in the ground that circulate water which is heated via the energy in the ground and returned to the central heating system several degrees warmer.

While this system is environmentally friendly and can ultimately cost less, in the long run, it is expensive to install.

Anything Else?

Do remember, no matter the heating system you have in your home or decide to change to, you should always bring in a specialist to check your central heating systems each year.

If you have any questions about which system is best for you use the blue button on the right to send us a message on Facebook, fill in our contact form or call us on ☎ 0208 252 8927 or ☎ 01206 580 481.