Hot Water Systems

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Solar Power
The beauty of solar power hot water systems is that they provide and effective solutions by harnessing the natural free energy from the sun. Benefits include cost effective environmentally friendly hot water. Once the system has been paid for that's it, no fuel costs. They can provide around 50% to 70% of hot water which a typical home will use. With solar power you are prolonging the life of a normal boiler due to less usage. The amount of CO2 emissions is reduced. Also there is little or no maintenance required.

Combi boilers
A combination boiler is a very clever space saving idea and is one of the most popular choices these days. With a combi you are getting both heat and hot water directly from the boiler as these types of boilers combine water heating and central heating in one small unit. Combi are best suited to one bathroom homes as they don't allow multiple baths or shows at the same time. The installation costs are reduced as there is less pipe work involved. You save money as the water is only heated when someone runs a hot water tap.

Open Vent Boilers
Also known as ...
... a heat only boiler, an open vent boiler provides hot water and heating through a hot water storage cylinder and cold water top up tanks. Heating causes the water in the cylinder to expand and the vent pipe allows a safe route for excess pressure, air bubbles and any steam if there is overheating occurring. The down side open vent boilers to this is that they need more room but then they are more suited to larger homes where there would be more room generally anyway. These type of boilers means you can run more than one bath or shower at any one time.

System Boilers
A system boiler provides central heating and hot water with the use of a storage cylinder which normally is located in an airing cupboard. They are great for larger homes with more than one bathroom, also known as a sealed system. The difference between a system boiler to a open vent boiler is that all major components are built into the boiler which includes the pump, pressure vessel, programmer, valve etc.

Condensing Boilers
Condensing boilers are called this as they produce condense from time to time. The way the boiler is designed means it is more economical with its use of gas. Condensing boilers extract heat from the flue gases. The reason they are called condensing boilers is because that flue gases are cooled to a temperature where the water vapour starts to condense out, releasing latent heat.

Each of the above boilers could be suitable for your home but there are many factors which go into the equation when trying to work out what boiler is best suited for you. The size of your home is one, the amount of bathrooms, also the type of water is important as some water causes more limescale than others. Limescale could be likened to cancer. It can kill your boiler. There are methods to keep limescale to a minimum but having the correct boiler in the first place made with the correct materials is the best start. Getting an expert around to analysis your needs and your home should be the first thing on your list when planning on buying and having a new boiler installed. Boiler technology has seriously evolved over the past few years. Most new boilers are now highly efficient and as long as you get the right type and controls fitted you will be saving the environment as well as your pennies.
Northern Gas Heating - the UK's local supplier of new Condensing boilers. Contact us today if you are looking at replacing or installing a new boiler.