Unless you're a professional, you're probably wondering ‘how do gas boilers work?’.
Most of us are familiar with the main parts of a central heating system: the boiler, the radiators and the piping that connects it all. The boiler heats the water which is circulated through the pipe work and radiators by a pump, before returning to the boiler. But if you really want find out how boilers work and what the difference is between them is, read on...
From this basic arrangement a number of different systems and boilers have been developed; below you'll find a guide to the 3 types most commonly found in British homes.
You might have heard of the term ‘condensing boiler’ and you may be thinking how does it fit with the 3 boiler types shown? Essentially, a condensing or High Efficiency boiler can be a combi, system or open vent boiler. Condensing boilers work on the principle of reusing heat that would normally be rejected into the atmosphere from the flue of standard efficiency (non-condensing) boiler.
As a result, the temperature of the gases from the flue of a condensing boiler is typically 50-60°C compared with 120-180°C in a current non-condensing boiler. This creates a condensate (hence the name ‘condensing’), which is harmlessly expelled as vapour through a flue and as liquid through a convenient drain point.
All new boilers sold in the UK must be High Efficiency Condensing models.
