If you are looking for a new heating system for your property at the moment youll be spoilt for choice. Whether you are looking for a heat pump or other environmentally sound solution there are plenty of systems to suit different properties.
The following glossary contains some commonly used phrases from the central and under floor heating industry.
- Actuators are electronic devices which control the opening and closing of manifold valves within a heating system.
- BTU stands for British thermal unit. BTU is the standard for measuring how much heat is required for raising the temperature of 1lb of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
- Combination Boilers are boilers that can heat water immediately without a hot water cylinder.
- Diffuser Plates are used to increase contact area in an under floor heating system. Diffuser plates provide more heat using environmentally friendly methods.
- Expansion Vessels are added to sealed systems to help ease the expansion of system water as it is heated.
- Flow Gauges are used to indicate how much water is flowing through a particular zone in a heating system. Flow gauges can be found at the top of flow manifolds.
- Ground Water Source is the name given to an underground well that supplies the water to a heat pump.
- Heat Pumps are an energy efficient solution for under floor heating in homes. Heat pumps source water from below a house and draw it into an under floor heating system.
- Insulation broadly refers to any materials that are used to reduce the rate at which heat transfers.
- Manifold is the main point where under floor heating pipes flow to the central heating system and back.
- Non Return Valves are used to make water in a heating system flow in only one direction.
- Outdoor Coil is the part of a heat pump system that is located externally on a property. The outdoor coil transfers heat to or from the outside air as required.
- Packaged Unit is a commonly used name for any self contained HVAC system.
- Remote Sensors connect to a central thermostat and allow it to be controlled from a distance.
- S Plan is the industry name for a connected system which includes a boiler, boiler pump, a cylinder circuit and a radiator circuit.
- Thermostats are wall mounted devices used to manually alter the temperature of a property.
- Under Floor Heating Blending Valves are used in under floor heating systems to blend water so that it can be supplied at the correct temperature.
- Ventilators are used in heat pumps to filter impurities from air being drawn in.
- W Plan systems use similar components to an S Plan system in a different configuration. Y Plan configurations are also available.
- Zones can be used to divide a building so that heat can be directed more accurately to where it is required.
