A Guide to Central Heating Systems

The output you require dictates what size of boiler is suitable for your residence, which is usually measured in terms of radiators and hot water cylinders. It was common in the past to have big sized boilers for heating houses which caused a staggering drain on Energy as well as finance so carefully select a good heating system for your house with a bit of research.

Mainly there are three types of residential gas central heating systems.

•     Combination Boiler systems
•         Gravity Fed Systems
•          High-Pressure Systems

All three of these systems provide heat to or heat central heating radiators in similar ways, the difference is in the way boiler operates at water pressure.

Combination Boiler System

Also known as a combi boiler, this type of boiler works by providing hot water directly without the need for a hot water tank or even a water tank. Supply water inside the boiler directly as you need it, Hot water is then provided instantly when you turn on the hot water tap. Combi boilers work in such a way that the boiler fires up and heats the water coming through the pipes, making it more efficient.

The major downside of combi boilers is that they aren’t suitable where hot water is needed in multiple outlets for example you require hot water in two taps or showers at the same time, combi boilers won’t be suitable in such a situation

In order to have a hot water flow the combi boiler’s output needs to be in the range of 25-30kW where a system boiler requires 15-20kW.

If in the future you are planning to go green and you opt for Solar Energy, such boilers won’t cope with solar systems as they need a hot water storage.

Gravity Fed Systems

Gravity fed systems were one of the most common heating systems in the UK, they are less common now and not that much in use as combi boilers and high pressure systems have replaced them.

Many older homes in UK still use gravity fed systems as owners find it more efficient to upgrade the boiler only rather than baring the expense of changing the whole heating system.

Cons of a gravity fed system include weak water pressure for hot and cold taps as the pressure depends on gravity.  Flats which don’t have lofts for water tanks, shower water in such situations can be poor unless you are using a shower pump.

High pressure systems

These types of systems operate at mains water pressure and use a hot water storage system. Also known as mains pressure systems, if you require hot water at a forceful pressure then this is the right system for you.

The main downside of these systems is that they tend to be more expensive to run and to install, as you have an additional expense of a hot water tank.

There are a lot of complications in the installation of high pressure systems like notifying the building control, hiring of certified installers who are required for setting up high pressure systems and annual maintenance for safety reasons

Pressure and flow only depends on your mains pressure.

The best boiler suitable to you depends on your hot water demand and lifestyle. Combi Boilers are more suitable for small homes as multiple hot water usage is impossible with combi boilers. For larger families living in a rather bigger house a standard boiler will do the job perfectly. A combi boiler provides you with both heat and hot water, it saves space and suits small houses a lot. 50 % of new boiler installations are combi boilers making it the best choice of people living in UK. 

Heating Industry and New Energy Efficiency Laws

In September 2015 a new law regarding energy related products is due to come which will have a large impact on the boiler industry called as the Energy related Products directive. The ErP is the part of the European Union Legislation which has an aim to bring a 34% reduce in carbon emissions by 2020 and further decrease it by 80% in 2050.

The ECO design directive EuP (Energy Using products directive) was replaced by the new energy-related products directive in 2009. The older directive covered products like computers, washing machines and microwave ovens. The new ErP-Directive not only covers products using energy but also those that are energy related and do not use energy directly such as water saving taps and showerheads. The goal of ErP is to save energy through the supply chain, from the design stage to production, transport, packaging and further on.

ErP sets out a minimum standard of requirements for the efficiency of heating and hot water systems. Manufactures will no longer be allowed to design or manufacture products that do not meet the energy efficiency standards.

The new Directive will hopefully lead to a changing trend in the building and heating industries and encourage consumers to go for the most efficient boiler for their residence. Customers can easily compare the efficiency of different products by a new energy labelling system that will come in effect.

Heating manufactures have long recognized the need for better and more efficient products and have started working to implement these measures and have started designing more efficient boilers for the future concerns.

A lot of innovation has been seen in the area of boiler modulation and development in the past years. Boiler modulation is the ability of a boiler to reduce its maximum output to its minimum output.

Advances have also been made with smart temperature controls, which has led to householders having a much greater degree of control over their heating systems. Preprogramming a boiler to intelligent thermostat control provides the ability to make huge increases in energy efficiency savings and we expect this technology to continue to develop and improve.

With this directive, the European Union regulator has managed to lay the groundwork for measures affecting a broad range of EuP and ErP. The goal is the reduction of energy along the supply chain from the design stage throughout production, transport, packaging and so on.

Products that comply with this directive are easily recognized by carrying the CE marking. In this case, the CE mark covers product safety and energy efficiency requirements.

As the new Energy-related Products Directive is almost here, the heating industry seems well-prepared for the resulting changes. 

Should I Replace My Conventional Boiler with a Combi Boiler

If you have just moved in a new house, with a broken boiler or older than 12 years, then a replacement might be in order.  

Is it worth the hassle?

First of all it is important to have a look at what kind of a heating system you have? And will a combi boiler make any difference?

When we talk about ‘normal systems’ we generally refer to a conventional heat only boiler, which consists of two cold water tanks usually adjusted somewhere in the loft and a hot water tank that is found in the airing cupboard.

A system boiler is very much like a heat-only boiler, except you don’t require the feed and expansion cold-water tanks in the loft.

A combi boiler works by providing hot water directly without the need for a hot water tank or even a water tank. Supply water directly according to your requirement, the hot water is also instantly supplied on turning the tap on. Combi boilers work in such a way that the boiler fires up and heats the water coming through pipes, making it more efficient.

Why Install a Combi Boiler?

Here are some of the reasons why people prefer installing a combi boiler

Saves space

You can get rid of water tanks and free a lot of space, Combi boilers are popular in flats and small houses.

Combi boilers save you energy

With regular boilers, hot water is usually produced twice a day regardless if it is used or not in this case you are wasting a lot of energy and hot water as the boiler fires up to produce hot water. Combi boilers provide you with hot water when you need it whenever you turn the tap or shower on.

It is worth mentioning that Combi boilers are one of the most efficient boilers, these boilers can save 80% of your energy bills easily.

Combi boilers are suitable for small hot water demands

If you require hot water in multiple outlets, for example you need hot water in two taps at the same time, then the combi boiler won’t be suitable.

When should you install a Combi boiler?

In theory you can get your boiler changed anytime of the year, but it is recommended that you do it during the general refurbishment phase. A lot of extra costs like running new pipes under floors, adding new radiators will be minimalized during the refurbishment time as your house will most probably me opened apart.

Try to install as much insulation as you could whilst getting a new heating system installed during the refurbishment period. Better insulation lowers gas demands as heat takes time to leave the house.

It is a good idea to get a boiler installed in the summers as boiler prices are low and there isn’t much workload on plumbers during that time of the year.

CONDENSING COMBI BOILERS

All boilers available nowadays for domestic usage are standard combi boilers – any boiler you get whether it is a combi, heat only or a system boiler they are condensing by default. Condensing boilers are the most highly efficient boilers you can get from the market with an efficiency of 90% or even more. Condensing boiler reuse the waste heat flue gas to pre heat the cold water going into the boiler.

A condensing combi boiler (like all condensing boilers) will have an additional condensing pipe that allows the condensed vapors to be drained away as the boiler is working.

So is it worth swapping to a Combi Boiler?

Certainly if you live in a small house and you are short of space, combi boilers is the best answer to all your heating questions.

If you have just moved to a new house and you are carrying out refurbishment then getting a new combi boiler installed is ideal.

If you are tight on budget it could be the perfect time to get financed by government warmth schemes like the Green deal and ECO.