Home » Home & Garden » Home Appliances » Other Home Appliances

How Do Boilers Work?

0 Comments

1 Like

Like 1

Pin It

Ranked #17,368 in Home & Garden, #246,893 overall

Introduction

If you are considering training to be a gas fitter, an integral part of the process will be to understand how a boiler works. The boiler is a vital part of any household as it heats water for use in central heating systems and hot water taps.

Only those who are Gas Safe registered can legally work on boilers in the UK, so if you need to perform maintenance or modify anything on the boiler you must call in a Gas Safe registered fitter or risk a hefty fine if anything goes wrong. Worse still, something might explode.

Gas boilers have both a gas and mains water supply. The water is fed into the boiler where a gas heating system heats the water to the required temperature for distribution to a supply feed tank (which is often found in lofts), a supply tank which is generally situated in an airing cupboard or straight to the water source.

What Types of Boiler Are There?

In the UK, there are currently three different types of Boiler. These are as follows:

Combination boilers (combi boilers)

Open Vent Boilers

System Boilers

Each type of boiler is slightly different in terms of the way they function and as a result, all have their own advantages and disadvantages.

In this lense we are going to look at the different types of boilers available here in the UK and detail how they work.

The only people legally allowed to work on boilers and gas fittings are registered Gas Safe fitters, making it a highly sought after trade due to the fact every home in the UK at some point requires work to be carried out on their property by a registered gas installer.

What is a Combination Boiler?

Combination boilers, or combi boilers as they are often referred to, are now installed in around 70% of houses in the UK. Combi boilers provide hot water and central heating without a separate tank to store water; this means that they can be stored in more discrete locations in the house such as under the stairs, in a cupboard or under your bed...well, maybe not quite under your bed.

Benefits of Using a Combination Boiler
Combi boilers dispense hot water around the house as and when it's needed; this is achieved by heating the water in the boiler and using a pump to propel it around the system. Ideal for small households, a combi boiler saves energy by heating water at the time it is needed, ultimately reducing the cost of energy bills.

How Do System Boilers Work?

A system boiler, (otherwise known as a 'sealed system') works on the principle of stored hot water. It does, however, only differ slightly from other types of boiler as many of the systems found in a conventional system are self-contained within one housing.

This essentially means that hot water is pumped from the system boiler through the heating system to the radiators and hot water cylinder, this results in a quick delivery of heated water and more economical running costs.

A system boiler is more suited to larger homes with multiple bathrooms or, if you're really rich, multiple kitchens.

Advantages of Using a System Boiler
There are a number of benefits to using a system boiler including:

Near instant, unlimited hot water

These types of boiler do not require a tank in your loft

Hot water can be delivered in multiple places at once

Disadvantages of Using a System Boiler
As with all boilers there are some disadvantages. These include:

Hot water is not instant, only delivered quickly

Once the water in the storage cylinder cools or runs out you have to wait for it to reheat

You'll need to find space for the water cylinder (these are usually put in airing cupboards)

How Do Open Vent Boilers Work?

Open vent boilers are known to be an idiosyncratic British invention. An open vent provides hot water and central heating through a boiler, a storage cylinder stored in the airing cupboard and a water tank situated in your loft. Often, full system renovations are performed most people choose to remove the tanks from the loft and turn their open vent system into a sealed system.

Open vent boilers are generally more common in larger homes with an existing system, and are usually available with the following outputs: (kw) 12, 15, 18, 24, 30 and 38.

Advantages of An Open Vent Boiler

These types of boilers have a high flow rate for high demand hot water needs.

These boilers run effectively with more than one hot tap or appliance running. For example these boilers are definitely preferential when it comes to heating a tank which will be feeding a dishwasher shower and hot tap simultaneously.

Disadvantages of An Open Vent Boiler

Once the water in the storage cylinder has cooled, you must wait for it to be heated again.

You will have to find sufficient space for the hot water cylinders because they can be quite large.

The bulk feed expansion tanks are usually situated in a loft or attic area, which could be an issue if you have a loft conversion or are planning to implement one.

Want to Know More?

If you would like to learn more about how to become a registered gas installer contact RF Training about our gas and plumbing courses today by calling 0800 331 7500.