Building your own home from the ground up means making a lot of important decisions, and one of the most crucial is what type of heating system to install. The heating system that you choose will not only impact how comfortable your home is, but also how much you will spend on heating, the maintenance required, and the size of your carbon footprint. If you are planning to build your own home and are considering which heating system to install, this guide summarises the most popular options on the market at the moment.
Of course, your final choice will be different depending on the unique circumstances of your build, your budget, and the fuel available to you. You should always consult a professional to achieve the best results.
Gas, LPG, or oil boiler
More than 85% of UK homes are heated by natural gas boilers as they are connected to the national grid. This is one of the cheapest and most convenient ways to heat a home as the fuel is readily available and supplied automatically. The boiler itself is a sleek, compact unit that produces hot water for radiators or underfloor heating, and, if it is a combination boiler, hot water for your taps on demand. In addition, when compared to many renewable heating systems, installing central heating is less costly. To set about installing yours, make sure to get in touch with a local business. For those living in Shrewsbury, you can find a central heating Shrewsbury business that does more than just install your boiler, like Shropshire Gas. They will ensure every stage is covered right through to the aftercare.
For off-grid homes, boilers fuelled by LPG or oil (which is delivered by a supplier and stored on the property) are popular alternatives.
Heat pumps
Heat pumps are being touted as the future of home heating in the UK as they do not emit carbon into the atmosphere when working. Air source and ground source heat pumps are powered by electricity, but for each unit of energy they use, they produce 3-4 times as much in heat.
An air-source heat pump uses a fan to take latent heat from the air outside the home, compresses it, and uses it to heat water for radiators, underfloor heating, and domestic use. A ground source heat pump works on the same principle, but heat is extracted from underground via pipes of fluid.
There are some downsides to consider as heat pumps require a lot of space both inside and outside the home, they become less efficient (although still operational) in winter, and they cost significantly more than a boiler to install.
Biomass boiler
A biomass boiler works in the same way as a gas or oil boiler, but it burns wood pellets, logs, or chips rather than fossil fuels. Wood is regarded as a carbon-neutral fuel, as when it is burned, it only emits as much (or slightly less) carbon as the tree absorbed while growing.
Biomass boilers take up a lot of space in the home, require a cylinder to store hot water, and also require a fuel storage space. Biomass boilers also require more maintenance than traditional boilers as they need to be cleaned regularly, the fuel needs to be ordered and stored, and they have to be fed fuel manually.