File 06: Heating and heat pumps
Heating as a system: heat source, distribution, controls and hot water, and where a heat pump fits.
The file guide
Working guides on this file
Heating and heat pumps A Heat Pump and an Existing Boiler Keeping an existing boiler alongside a new heat pump: when it is a sensible bridge, how the two share work, and what to decide about the boiler later. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps A Heat Pump Installation Timeline A realistic timeline from first survey to handover: stages, lead times, inspections and the pauses that protect quality. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Biomass Heating, in General How biomass heating works with wood pellets, chips or logs, and what fuel supply, storage, air quality and maintenance questions it raises. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Boiler Efficiency, Explained What boiler efficiency figures mean, why a condensing boiler only condenses under the right conditions, and how controls and servicing affect real performance. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps District Heating, Explained How district heating supplies heat from a shared network, what a heat interface unit does, and what questions matter before connecting. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Electric Heating, Explained How electric heating works: direct heaters, storage heaters, electric boilers and heat pumps compared, and where direct electric heat makes sense. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Ground Source Heat Pumps How ground source heat pumps use buried loops or boreholes, why ground works cost and disruption differ from air source, and what a site survey should settle. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Heat Pump Basics: Air Source How an air source heat pump gathers heat from outdoor air, what affects its performance in cold weather, and what to check about siting and noise. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Heat Pump Controls How heat pump controls differ from boiler controls: weather compensation, room influence, timers and hot water settings, explained in plain terms. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Heat Pump Sizing, Explained How heat pump size is calculated from heat loss, why bigger is not better, and what oversizing and undersizing each cost. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Heat Pump Suitability Checks The checks that decide whether a heat pump suits a particular home: heat loss, emitters, hot water demand, electricity supply and space. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Heat Pump Tariffs, in General How electricity tariffs affect heat pump running costs: time-of-use, heat pump tariffs, standing charges and why tariff choice is part of system design. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Heat Pumps and Smart Controls What smart controls add to a heat pump: remote access, learning, tariff following, zoning and the risks of over-automation. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Heat Pumps in Cold Climates How heat pumps perform in sustained cold, snow and frost, and what design choices matter most where winters are long and harsh. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Heating Controls and Zoning What zoning means in a home heating system, how room-by-room control saves wasted heat, and where smart controls help or overcomplicate. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Heating Maintenance for Efficiency The routine maintenance that keeps heating efficient: servicing, bleeding, balancing, filters, pressure and controls checks, season by season. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Heating System Balancing What balancing means, why radiators heat unevenly without it, and how flow rates, lockshield valves and commissioning restore even warmth. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Hot Water Systems and Efficiency How hot water systems differ: combi, stored cylinder, immersion and solar-assisted, and where heat is lost between source and tap. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Hybrid Heating Systems What a hybrid system is: a heat pump working alongside a boiler, how the switch between them is decided, and where hybrids help or complicate. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Radiators and Low-Temperature Heating Why radiator size matters when water runs cooler, how low-temperature heating changes comfort, and what to check room by room. Educational only, not advice for a particular home. Heating and heat pumps Underfloor Heating How underfloor heating warms a room from the floor up, why it suits low-temperature systems, and what floor build-up and control questions to settle first. Educational only, not advice for a particular home.