Central Heating: A Design and Installation Manual

Product Information

The latest articles and guides from NBS subject specialists and construction industry contributors. Combi boilersare the only option that do not require a hot water store. That apart, there are a number of other reasons for choosing another option (which include a hot water store) — not least, the increased efficiency of all the other options and that combi boilers preclude the use of any form of renewable energy.

The PDF version of the Domestic heating design guide has been corrected to reflect corrections to Table 3.18. A thermal store will also maintain water at layers of different temperatures (called stratification) which is useful for multiple heat sources and the requirements of different outlet types (i.e. UFH and hot water).

The control system is as important as the heating system itself and without knowing how to operate the system it is not possible to gain the full benefit of the investment. Hot Water Cylinders Explained You should also, at this early stage, understand that heat is required in two forms — for space heating (i.e. keeping you warm) and for hot water (i.e. for showers etc). So, the simplest of all systems would have: To make a difference to your heating bill, the control system must allow the temperature to be set for each room. It is uncommon that a house will need every room to be heated to the same temperature at the same time (think guest bedrooms which only receive occasional use). You could have UFH on the ground floor and radiators in the bedrooms; there could be more than one heat source with a boiler supplemented with solar panels; and there are ‘intelligent’ systems that apparently learn when we want the house heated and to what temperature. Typical boiler requirements for a larger detached house would be in the region of 30kW. Heating System Jargon Buster

This Guide covers the most widely used system designs, but contains sufficient information to inform a more general design process when the standard approach is not suitable. The most trusted BIM Library in the UK, certified to the internationally-recognised NBS BIM Object Standard The storage vessel which supplies hot water on demand to taps and showers, located in the airing cupboard. Depending on the type of system, it either heats up cold water supplied by the cold water storage tank, stores hot water supplied directly by the boiler, or heats up cold water supplied directly from the mains. The big decision is whether to go with just a boiler or go down the route of installing a renewable energy system, and if so, whether it will be the sole heat source. However, the more sophisticated the system the greater the potential for problems, so good design often requires a compromise between what is the ideal solution and what is advisable in terms of operational and maintenance considerations.Moving in 2002 to a small-holding in South Wales, providing as it did access to a wider range of natural resources, fanned his enthusiasm for sustainability. He went on to install renewable technology at the property, including biomass boiler and wind turbine. Because water expands when it heats up, there needs to be room in the heating system to accommodate the additional capacity. In traditional systems this would be in the form of an expansion tank in the loft, but on more modern systems is in the form of an expansion vessel, located either next to or within the boiler or hot water cylinder. In situations where there is a very high heat demand in older houses, wood pellet boilers are still a good option. Although, bear in mind theRHI tariffis not as generous as it was.

Radiators :Radiators are cheaper than UFH and choice is as much about aesthetics as it is by the amount of heat neededMains gas (when available) is the cheapest fossil fuel option in terms of installation, capital and running costs. Renewable energy systems still have a relatively high capital cost but their low running cost make them the better long-term option.