IAS Water & Gas are fully experienced in various different forms of central heating. And will take the time to advise you on all the advantages and disadvantages of the various systems, thus allowing you to make a full informed decision on the best heating system for your home, family and budget. We have put together a few explanations and considerations that you may like to discuss with us at our on site surveys.

What is Central Heating?
Central Heating means heating from a central source.
Even the Romans had central heating, this was in the form of an open fire under the floor. The heat from the fire was channelled through large ducts built into the floor giving a type of under floor heating.
Most modern central heating systems use water as the medium to get heat from the central source (boiler) to all the areas to be heated.
There is no such thing as a standard central heating system, the system should be tailored to suit your needs and, if working correctly, it should look after itself with regards to turning itself on & off automatically, should use no more fuel than necessary for your needs and always have the house at the correct temperature. It should also provide all the hot water you need, when you need it.
A centrally heated house will normally be cheaper to run than any other form of heating. Even just one fire can be more expensive to run than a well designed central heating system with good quality controls.

Boiler Basics
The size of the boiler should be matched to the size of the property. If the boiler is oversized, then the fuel bills will be excessive. If the boiler is undersized, it may not generate enough heat in winter. The ideal size for a boiler is one that just copes adequately on the coldest day of the year. Today with the emphasis is on energy conservation, and the fact that heat loss calculations can be done very accurately, there is no need to oversize. This means smaller radiators - less water in the system - a smaller boiler and therefore reduced fuel bills.