Residential boilers, what are they?

by | Jun 26, 2013 | Plumbing and Plumbers

Although there are a number of ways to heat a home, three methods stand out as the most prominent of them; forced air using gas or oil as the fuel, radiant heating using electricity and hot water where the water is heated in a boiler using gas or electricity as the common fuels.

Boilers are devices or systems that have been designed to heat water which is used to provide heat or as an energy source. Boilers that are used to generate electricity are huge and extremely complex, boilers that are used to heat water which in turn heats your home are less complicated, but, both of them can periodically demand boiler repair in Ealing. A basic explanation of a boiler is straight forward; it is an enclosed container where water is heated and the water in turn is sent through the system, heating the rooms which are fitted with radiators.

Most boilers that are installed in residences do not actually “boil” water, instead they bring the temperature of the water up to anywhere between 45 and 95 degree C. The temperature can be lower than that if the home owner is concerned with energy savings.

In a conventional forced air system, a heat source heats the air which in turn is blown through ducts which allow warm air into each room where there is a warm air outlet. A boiler is very similar in concept, the difference being that water is the heated medium, not air and rather than ducts, the transfer of heat from boiler to room is done through tubes that carry the hot water. The room can be heated by having the water run through radiators or the heated water can run through pipes imbedded in the floor, this is called radiant heating. Periodically boiler repair in Ealing will be necessary for any of the distribution systems.

The air that is forced through the system of a forced air furnace returns to the furnace through the cold air return ducts, the water returns as well but of course it returns through pipes. A furnace needs a fan to move the air; a boiler needs a pump to move the hot water. Another feature of a boiler, sometimes needing boiler repair in Ealing is the pressure relief valve

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