Monday 18 March 2013

Installing Central Heating? Here's What You Need By Law

Installing a central heating system can be quite the complex task. It certainly isn't a matter of just buying a boiler, some radiators and connecting it all up with pipework. Here's a list of what else you need for your central heating to be both safe and legal:


  1. A Boiler Interlock:

  2. Any central heating system that uses a boiler to heat the water will need one of these. All the controls will have to be wired in too. Whats it for? Well, when no one currently wants heating or hot water, this will ensure the boiler and pump are switched off and not wasting your money. It also makes you greener (in a good way).
  3. Space Heating Zones:

  4. Unless your home is single-storey, open-plan and 70%+ of the floor is living area, then you're going to need to divide your house into space heating zones. Each zone you decide upon will need separate temperature controls. If your total usable floor is over 150m squared then your zones will also have to have separate timing controls.
  5. Water Heating Zones:

  6. Unless you're lucky enough to have a combination boiler, then it doesn't matter what type of house you have; you're going to need a special 'water heating zone'  in addition to your space heating zones.
  7. Time control of Space & Water Heating

  8. What you will need for adequate time control of your heating are either:
    • A full programmer with a separate timing to each circuit.
    • Two or more separate timers for each circuit.
    • A programmable room thermostat to the heating circuit with a separate timer for the hot water circuit.
  9. Temperature Control of Space Heating:

  10. To temperature control for your space heating zones, you can use:
    • A room thermostat in each of your zones.
    • A room thermostat in the main zone, then radiator controls like thermostatic radiator valves on all radiators in each other zone.
    • Or you can have both for some extra control over your heating.
  11. Temperature Control of Domestic Hot Water:

  12. For domestic buildings, your central heating system will need a cylinder thermostat and a zone valve or a three-port valve to control the temperature of the stored hot water.
    If your building has a floor area greater than 150 m squared then the best option might be to have multiple hot water circuits. You can do this by installing a multiple heating zone programmer, a single multi-channel programmer or separate timers for each circuit.
    If you are going to be using a non-electric hot water controller, you wont need this.

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