My old bathrooms website is here. Beware, it is an old site and I don't maintain it. Some of the info will be out of date.
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Warm air boilers and heating systems... ....were very trendy in the large housing estates built in the 1970s and 1980s, but have been largely superceded by water-filled radiator systems these days. A surprising number of warm air systems still exist though, and a significant proportion of my work is servicing and repairing them. (I hold the right certificates to competently and legally work on domestic gas-fired warm air heaters). Most people who live with warm air heating seem to actually like it. A well designed system is quiet, warms the house very quickly and the absence of radiators makes room layout much easier. On the other hand, some people report problems with draughts, dust being wafted around the house, and problems with temperature control. Draughts are caused by incorrect system design or incorrectly set air outlet grills, dust should be removed by an air filter (sometimes missing) and poor temperature control can be improved by cleaning the filter(!) or having proportional control instead of an on/off room thermostat. Most people with well-designed warm air systems really like them. Most other people have already taken their warm air out and replaced it with a 'proper' radiator system!
Maintenance of warm air... ... can be a problem. Not many CORGI bods have the 'warm air' qualification and as such, are inclined, when faced with one, to condemn it and advise the customer to replace it with a conventional radiator system. This is appallingly unprofessional in my opinion but I encounter customers from time to time who have had this problem. For example I was contacted a while ago by a new customer whose warm air heater had been (incorrectly) disconnected from the gas supply and labelled as dangerous by another gas engineer who refused to work on it, but provided a quotation of £3,000 to fit a new boiler with radiators. I re-connected the gas supply, serviced and and tested the warm air system and found nothing wrong with it. The water heater attached to it was dangerously sooted up but this was easily cleaned and both appliances are now back in use and operating safely. The customer was so pleased he wrote this letter thanking me.
Hot water with warm air heating... ...is not the same as with a water-filled central heating boiler. Either a hot water cylinder with electric immersion heater or an 'ascot' style gas-fired instantaneous water heater can be used, but the best option is the 'Janus' water heater accessory which fits inside the warm air heater casing. This is a miniature gas boiler designed to heat just a hot water cylinder (and bathroom towel rail if needed), and they work very well. |
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