How can I tell what type of central heating system I have?

Question

also what types are there?

I know it is gas, just what type of system. I think there are 3, "system", "conventional" and something else.

Answer 1

Most likely its a forced air heating system. Meaning that air is forced through your heating system, as in through a fan located by yer heater. There are really only 2 types of heating systems, Central or Local. Central heating is often used in cold climates to heat private houses and public buildings. Such a system contains a boiler, furnace, or heat pump to heat water, steam, or air, all in a central location such as a furnace room in a home or a mechanical room in a large building. The system also contains piping or ductwork to distribute the heated fluid, and radiators to transfer this heat to the air. The term radiator in this context is misleading since most heat transfer from the heat exchanger is by convection, not radiation. The radiators may be mounted on walls or buried in the floor to give under-floor heating.

All but the simplest systems have a pump to circulate the water and ensure an equal supply of heat to all the radiators. The heated water is often fed through another heat exchanger inside a storage cylinder to provide hot running water.

Forced air systems send air through ductwork. During warm weather the same ductwork can be reused for air conditioning. The forced air can be filtered or put through air cleaners. Most ducts cannot fit a human being (as they do in many films) since this would require a greater duct-structural integrity and create a potential security liability.

The heating elements (radiators or vents) should be located in the coldest part of the room and typically next to the windows to minimize condensation. Popular retail devices that direct vents away from windows to prevent "wasted" heat defeat this design parameter. Drafts contribute more to the subjective feeling of coldness than actual room temperature. Therefore, rather than improving the heating of a room/building, it is often more important to control the air leaks.

Answer 2

the following maybe of help'
1 if you have a wall mounted boiler that gives you near instant hot water when you turn on a tap, and central heating,you have a combi system
2 if you have a hot water cylinder and tanks (tanks probably fitted in your loft) and either a wall mounted boiler or back boiler (boiler behind a gas fire) you have a conventional system.
3 if your system is quite new, you may have a system boiler fitted (that would be as 2 but without the tanks)

then just to confuse things, if it is item 2 or 3 you then need to determine if you have a y-plan, s-plan or some other type of system

Answer 3

There are two types of gas central heating systems. There is a free standing boiler, and a Combination boiler. A free standing boiler stands on the floor, and is fed by a water tank in the attic. There is also a copper tank in the airing cupboard that gives you hot water. A Combination boiler is wall mounted and there is no copper tank or water tank in the attic.The water in this boiler is combined to give you hot water and central heating.

Answer 4

Are you radiators all connected to a boiler of some description? If so then you have Gas Fired Central Heating. If the boiler is behind your fireplace (normally) it is classed as having a back boiler and then you can have convection heaters but I don't know much about them at all.

Answer 5

e-mail me and tell me:
general area where you live
the name on the unit
natural gas, oil, or propane in the home
is there radiators
is there air vents that blow out air
is there an outdoor unit that runs while in heating (this would be a heat pump)
is there an air filter grille
is there a thermostat on the wall
does it have gas flames inside a box
is there water pumps involved with it

Answer 6

can be a split system, the compressor is outside and the air handler is in the attic or under the house or vertical in a closet...

can be a gas pack, compressor and handler in one location outside and a main truck goes thru the outside wall/foundation...

lic. gen. contractor

Answer 7

If you have no hot water cylinder then you have a combination boiler - if you have a cylinder for hot water you have a system boiler or a conventional system. xxx

Answer 8

go down the basement and look, are you asking how to tell if it's gas or electric or what type of product you have?

Answer 9

Can you send a picture of it?
There are many types and variations.

Answer 10

Is it in the middle or on the outside? If its in the middle, then its definitely central.