What Is a Warm Air Heating System?

One form of central heating is the warm air heating system, which circulates heated air throughout the house via ducts and vents after being heated by an electric or gas-fired heat exchanger. It doesn’t need pipes filled with water like water-based radiator systems require. It acts like a big fan heater, sending warm air straight into rooms instead. In the UK, these systems were quite popular from the 1960s to the 1980s since they were easy to set up and heated rooms faster than radiators.

How Does a Warm Air Heating System Work?

The warm air heating system takes in cool air from your home, passes it through a heat exchanger, and then sends the warm air through ducts to each room. Some systems feature filters that purify the air, and newer ones may even incorporate air conditioning. These methods were useful in their time, but today’s boilers have better controls and are more efficient.

Advantages of Warm Air Heating Systems in the Past

A long time ago, warm air heating systems had a lot of good points. They could swiftly warm up rooms, which was great on cold mornings. Without radiators, there was more room on the walls, which gave homeowners more options for how to arrange their furnishings. They also made it rather easy to build up new homes, which made them popular during housing booms.

Why Warm Air Heating Systems Are Becoming Outdated

It used to be very popular to heat your home with warm air, but now people think they’re old-fashioned. Because they don’t give hot water, people need to use separate immersion heaters or tanks. Finding replacement parts for these warm air boilers is becoming increasingly difficult, and they are less energy-efficient compared to newer combo boilers. As energy costs rise, many families find these systems difficult to keep up with and costly to operate.

Why Replace a Warm Air Heating System? 

The major motivation to switch from a warm air heating system is to save energy. Most of the heating systems in UK houses are now more than 30 years old, and they cost a lot more to run than modern boilers. Additionally, buyers often perceive them as outdated, potentially reducing the home’s value upon sale. Not only does replacing the system with a combi boiler update your heating, but it also lowers your bills and makes your house more appealing to purchasers.

Common Problems with Warm Air Heating Systems

• Uneven heating between rooms.
• Difficulty in sourcing replacement parts.
• There is no built-in hot water function.
• Compared to modern boilers, these cost more to run.
• Not very compatible with smart heating controls.

What Is a Combi Boiler, and How Does It Work?

A combi boiler, which stands for “combination boiler”, is a small appliance that can heat your home and give you hot water when you need it. It doesn’t need a separate hot water tank or cold water storage like standard systems do. It heats water directly from the mains when you turn on a tap or shower, which saves space and is very efficient.

Combi Boiler vs. Warm Air Heating System

Hot Water Supply: a combi boiler can provide you with hot water, but a warm air heating system can’t.

Efficiency: modern combi boilers are substantially more energy-efficient than previous warm air systems, so they obtain an A grade.

Space usage: a combi boiler doesn’t take up much room because it doesn’t need ducts and vents like a warm air heating system does.

Maintenance: It’s easier to maintain with combi boilers than warm air systems because it’s easier to find parts for them.

Running Costs: Modern technology and condensing functions have made combi boilers more energy efficient and hence cheaper to operate.

Benefits of Switching to a Combi Boiler

By replacing a warm air heating system with a combi boiler, you’ll enjoy:

• Consistent room heating
• Instant hot water
• Lower energy bills

A modern combi boiler also:

• Reduces carbon emissions
• Supporting your green effort
• The installation will be completed in just a few days

Energy Efficiency Gains After Replacement

You can save up to 30% on your energy bills by switching to a combi boiler. A lot of models feature condensing technology, which saves heat that would have been lost. This means you will spend less money and use less energy. Over time, the lower energy expenditures can make up for the expense of installation.

Comfort and Hot Water Benefits of a Combi Boiler

One of the best things about the new version is that you can always have hot water. Warm air systems only heat, but a combi heater gives you both heat and hot water right away. You don’t have to wait for a tank to reheat, and you won’t run out of hot water if you have multiple taps open.

Environmental Impact: Reducing Carbon Emissions

Usually, combi heaters use less fuel than warm air systems to heat the same amount of room. Cutting down on your carbon footprint can help your home last longer and be better for the environment. It is very important to know this because the UK is trying very hard to meet its goal of having no net emissions.

Installation Process: What to Expect

1. Initial Home Survey

The first step is for a heating professional to come to your home and look at your current warm air heating system. They will look at the ducts, vents, boiler cupboard, and the way your hot water supply is built up. The survey also finds out where the new combi boiler will go, which is commonly in a kitchen, utility room, or airing cupboard.

2. Removing the Old Warm Air Unit

The engineer disconnects and takes out the old warm air heating unit after everything is set. It could take longer to take these systems down because they are frequently big and heavy. Gas Safe rules say that if your system uses gas, it will be safely capped off.

3. Detaching and Removing Ducts

Most homes with warm air systems include ducts that go through the walls, floors, or ceilings. A combi boiler system doesn’t need these anymore. Engineers will often take the ducts out completely. But if it would be too hard to get them out, they could be locked up and left alone.

4. Putting in new pipes and radiators

Most of the time, new lines are needed because combi boilers use water-filled radiators instead of air ducts. Copper or plastic lines will be put all over your house, and radiators will be put in each room. You need a certain number of heaters based on how big your home is and how much heat you need.

5. Installing the Combi Boiler

After that, the new combi stove is put where it was chosen. There are engineers who connect it to the major gas, water, and heating systems. While warm air heating systems used to be big, current combi boilers are small and can be mounted on the wall, which makes room on the floor.

6. Flue Installation and Ventilation

Fire safety is ensured by a flue pipe that goes through an outside wall or roof. Your contractor will make sure that the ventilation is done right and follows all the rules to keep you safe and make the machine work better.

7. System Testing and Balancing

It’s time to test the boiler and radiators after they’ve been put in. Engineers have to “balance” the heaters so that they all heat up the same amount. That way, you can be sure that your house will always be warm. They will also look at the water pressure, temperature settings, and safety measures.

8. Final Handover and Instructions.

When they put in your new combi boiler, they will show you how to use the settings and explain how everything works. There are also directions and a warranty that you will get. You will also get a Gas Safe certificate, which shows that the work meets safety standards in the UK.

Warm Air Heating System Replacement Costs

Putting in a combi heater instead of a warm air heating system usually costs around £3000 to £5000. Putting in a new boiler, pipes, and, if needed, radiators is what this means. Prices vary based on the home’s size, the type of boiler you pick, and the amount of work that needs to be done.

Eligibility Criteria for ECO4 Boiler Grants

You may qualify if you:

• Receive certain government benefits (e.g., Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Child Tax Credit).
• Live in a property with poor energy efficiency.
• Are a homeowner or private tenant with landlord permission.

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