Heating

Heating is an essential home function that keeps indoor temperatures at or above a safe level to prevent hypothermia and ensure occupants’ comfort. Heating inside a home is achieved by using the following types of mechanisms.

• Boilers: Boilers are the primary means of powering a home’s hydronic central heating system, which comprises a network of pipes, radiators, and towel rails. Boilers come in three main types: combination, system, and heat-only. All three primary boiler types typically run on natural gas in the UK, although off-grid properties often use LPG, oil, and electricity to power their boilers.
• Space heaters: Space heaters provide supplementary heat when the boiler-powered central heating system does not suffice and in outdoor settings. Indoor space heaters are electric and work by radiating warmth from a heating element. Outdoot space heaters may be powered by electricity or gas, and use radiation and convection to propagate heat.
• Water heaters: Boilers typically serve as water heaters for a home’s domestic hot water. However, there are plenty of other appliances that are able to produce hot water on demand, and these are typically smaller in physical dimensions and capacity than a boiler, and usually run on electricity.