Your heating system in your home is crucial. In the context of the cost-of-living crisis and rising heating bills, many families will struggle to afford to heat their homes. As such, an efficient and effective heating system is essential to give you value for money. If you’re considering upgrading your boiler, the choice can be overwhelming though. Read on for a guide to the different types of heating systems.
Conventional central heating system
This is the most common form of heating in the UK. The conventional system uses gravity and pumps to send boiling water around where needed to heat your home. However, this isn’t an efficient method: when you’ve used up your hot water, it can take around an hour to refill the tank. Plus, there’s a constant loss of heat as the water’s transferred around your home.
Sealed system heating
A sealed heating system is similar to the conventional method, but it runs more efficiently. They take up much less space than a conventional system and fewer parts mean that there’s less distance for water to travel, reducing the heat loss.
Standard gas boiler
Gas boilers are an effective way of heating your home and can be more efficient than water systems. However, you’ll need to check with gas suppliers to see if you’re connected to the gas supply. If you’re not, installing the requisite piping can cost you a significant sum.
Electric boiler
Electric boilers are growing in popularity. You simply need to connect it to the mains to get going, making it easier than gas or water. They might not be as efficient, but if you’re looking for a simple fix, the electric boiler could be right for you.
Combination boiler
Combination boilers can offer you the best of both worlds. They use water heating as the method of warming the home but also come with a programmer and thermostat to help you control your heating. This can allow you to heat your home quickly and efficiently on demand, rather than inefficiently waiting with a more conventional heating system.
Other systems
Beyond the staples above, there are some other systems that you could potentially try too. Heat pumps are becoming increasingly popular as an environmental option. Meanwhile, it’s worth exploring furnaces, electric heaters and wood-burning stoves in your search for an effective heating system as well.
The guide above should give you a good idea of the type of heating system you’ll need. But if you’re unsure about which heating system will suit your home best, it’s worth seeking energy efficiency advice from experienced professionals, to help you heat your home effectively this winter.