Are you curious to know what type of central heating system you have in your home? Here we detail the most common in the UK.
There are two primary ways of categorising central heating.
In this guide, we’ll look at different types of overall central heating systems before exploring how heating systems differ based on the boiler used.
Let’s dive in!
Types of Central Heating Systems
Defining the Main Types of Central Heating
Wet Heating System
The vast majority of households use a wet central heating system.
This simply means that water is used for heating purposes, therefore a wet heating system could come with a combi, regular, or system boiler (more on those later).
More specifically, a wet heating system involves a boiler heating up water before distributing this water for use via pipework.
Some of this water can be sent to radiators to heat up rooms (or all of the water in the case of a regular boiler).
However, additional water can be used for direct hot water use (e.g. showering and washing the dishes in the sink).
Of course, the temperature of this water in use would vary from that used in radiators to avoid scalding.
Warm Air Heating System
Warm air systems (a.k.a. dry systems) were more popular in the 1960s-70s. Therefore, you might still find them in an old property today.
Warm air systems allow cold air to enter the property before heating it up with a central boiler.
This hot air will then be distributed throughout the property via vents and air ducts.
With dry systems, these air ducts may be opened or closed as a means of controlling heating levels.
Given that fitting these air ducts are complex, a dry system had to be installed when the house was under construction.
Storage Heating System
Another type of heating system is one that uses a storage heater. Electric storage heater systems work by storing heat in firebricks overnight.
This heat will be slowly released into the property throughout the day.
Since these systems primarily heat during the night (and only for a small time frame during the day), it can save money.
This is because it makes use of off-peak electricity via Economy 7 and Economy 10 tariffs.
Storage heater systems mostly use given storage heaters, albeit they also need a wiring system throughout the home to function.
District Heating System
Lastly, there is the option of a district heating system.
While only around 1 in 50 UK homes uses district heating systems, they are becoming more commonplace with time.
This type of system produced heat using one centralised source of power before distributing it to many buildings via insulated pipes.
These buildings would naturally be in close proximity to one another.
District heating can lower energy bills and reduce carbon emissions.
Homes that utilize district heating can benefit from heating and hot water distribution via pipework.
District heating means that homes which use this system will not require a boiler nor will they need to work on maintenance expenses for the keep up of the heating system.
Central Heating Systems by Boiler Type
Of course, central heating systems can differ based on the type of boiler you have.
For this section, we will assume that you use a wet system.
Regular Boiler
Regular boilers (a.k.a. Conventional or heat-only boilers) are the most traditional boiler types out there.
It will provide your home with heating. However, those with a regular boiler will require a separate hot water cylinder and cold-water tank to meet their household’s hot water needs.
Hence you can see why it’s called a heat-only boiler.
Combi Boiler
A combi or combination boiler can provide for both heating and hot water needs with a single compact unit.
In other words, there is no need for a separate hot-water cylinder and cold-water tank.
Combi boilers not only save space but can provide more efficiency and offer hot water on demand.
System Boiler
Lastly, you might also have a system boiler.
These boilers are designed for households with a high demand for heating and hot water.
System boilers come with a separate water cylinder meaning that they can offer a continuous supply of hot water for a household.
This contrasts combi boilers which provide hot water on demand.
How Do I Know What Type of Boiler I Have?
On the basis of the definitions given above, there are several ways of figuring out what type of boiler you have.
Again, your manufacturer manual will have this information.
Also, the Q and A list below, as with the previous list, will point you in the right direction but may not offer a 100% guarantee of what type of boiler you have.
But, once more, if you do not have the manual, here are some other ways of figuring it out:
Do you have a separate cylinder for storing hot water? | ✅ (System or regular boiler) | ❌ (Combi boiler) |
Does your home have an especially high demand for heating and hot water (which is met without issue?) | ✅ (Probably a system boiler) | ❌ (Possibly a combi or regular boiler |
Do you have a cold-water tank? | ✅ (Regular boiler) | ❌ (System or combi boiler) |
Was your boiler installed as a replacement for an existing regular boiler? | ✅ (Possibly a regular boiler) | ❌ (Very likely a system or combi boiler) |
With that said, if in doubt, always consult a professional.
