Central Heating Boilers - A Guide to Different Types of Boilers

People usually get confused whilst installing boilers in their house, they are unsure what will suit best for their residence, here we have tried to cover the basics that are essential before going for a boiler installation. Nonetheless, if you have any concerns then it is recommended that you consult a Gas Safe registered installer and engineer.

The first thing is the size of the boiler which is dictated by your output requirement, which is 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 and finances. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you carefully select a heating system after doing some research.

There are several types of gas boilers available in the market, so it is important to have the basic information and knowledge about the different types of boilers.

Types of Central Heating Systems:

Conventional Heating System: This type of system requires two water tanks on a high locality, one for cold storage and other a feed tank which requires a Hot Water Cylinder for storage. This system works in such a way that the storage cylinder holds in hot water and the releases it on need. Once the water is used, the cylinder needs to be filled again and heated which may take an hour or more. This system is considered to be one of the least efficient as a lot of heat is lost because of the pipework and the cylinder itself.

System Boiler Heating Systems:

System boilers mostly come in two types,

Vented Low Pressure

Un-Vented High Pressure

Vented Low Pressure boilers require Hot water cylinders, such boilers are cheaper and quickly installation as the whole system/ components are held together in the unit itself. Hot water is available in a faster response through the system with better economic running costs.

Un-vented system boilers incorporate the equipment necessary to form a sealed system including a pressure relief valve and a pressure gauge, removing the need for a feed and expansion tank.

Combi Boiler Heating Systems:

Combi Boilers run on the main water supply, these type of boilers are the preferred type to be used for central heating around UK. These boiler systems don’t require a storage cylinder as they instantly heat water when needed and require minimal amount of plumbing while installation.

Condensing Boiler System:

Condensing boilers are fueled by gas or oil depending on your locality. They are highly effective achieving about 90% efficiency. As compared to old conventional boilers that linger between 60 - 70% efficiency, a modern standard combi or conventional boiler operates at around 80 - 84% efficiency.

Types of Boilers

Gas Boilers/ Condensing Boilers:

Gas boilers can easily be installed in your house through Corgi or Gas Safe Registered installers like Domestic and General heating LTD. Natural gas is very convenient and you can chose from a variety of heating systems like Combi's, back boilers, wall heaters etc.

LPG:

LPG is an alternative of natural gas, where you can’t get gas you get LPG. It works in the same way as natural gas does but you will need a boiler that can be made compatible by using a conversion kit.

Oil Boilers

One of the most efficient boilers available in the market are fueled by oil, but you have less options for heating systems if you opt for oil boilers. Oil boilers require a tank to be installed outside your house with sighting regulations making it very complicated to be installed.

Solid Fuel Boilers

Solid fuel boilers are mostly limited to kitchens and back boilers. They are comparatively inefficient to other heating systems as they require a lot of maintenance. You have to clean them at least once a day.

Electric Boilers

Electric heating boilers can directly replace other boilers in conventional heating systems as they are very compact and can be run on electricity. They run exactly like others but are powered with electricity rather than gas.