Select your installation
Central heating systems and water heaters should be simple to install and operate. They usually comprise a boiler, with or without integrated hot water generation, a water heater that is either independent or integrated into the boiler, and a control system.
The following notes should help you to consider how best to choose a system, but we advise you to contact your installer with more specific questions about the system that is right for your needs. If you would like us to recommend some installers to you, please do not hesitate to contact us.
What are my requirements?
TYPE OF APPLICATION
The output required for a heating system is a function of:
- local seasonal changes in temperature and the design of the home
- the space to be heated and the degree of insulation of the home
Although the boiler remains the heart of the installation in which heat is generated by a gas-fired or fuel oil-fired burner or by electric heating elements, the control system plays an increasingly important role: in modern installations, the temperature of the heating circuit varies as a function of the outside temperature and the control system contributes not only to a higher level of comfort for the user but also to improved fuel economy and eco-friendlier operation.
It is increasingly the case that customers purchase a single system for heating and generating hot water instead of buying separate products. However, recent trends to install renewable energy systems favour the investment in a flexible hot water storage unit at the centre of your system, such as ACV’s SLME tank: installing both a boiler and a separate SLME tank gives you flexibility to make an investment in other sources of energy, such as solar or a heat pump, when you are ready to do so.
TYPE OF ENERGY
Natural gas
Natural gas offers a highly competitive operating cost and does not require storage.
Fuel oil
Fuel oil has been in many countries one of the least expensive forms of energy for heating, but this situation is fast evolving as fuel prices rise. Premises that are not on the gas main may have no other choice than to install a fuel powered heating system. Thanks to modern "transparent flame" type burners fuel oil can be relatively clean (low NOx) and energy savings are still possible by selecting a high-efficiency boiler.
Electricity
There are many advantages to electricity: low initial investment, ease of installation and maintenance. The cost per kWh is generally higher than that of fuel oil or gas except in certain countries that promote the use of electricity. It is an attractive option for applications involving the renovation of historic buildings (that have no chimney), for isolated homes (that are have no municipal fuel oil or gas service) or for intermittent use (secondary residences) and also for office buildings (simple installation and metering).
The sun, clean and free
The sun is a source of extremely low-cost energy and using it for home heating also serves to protect the environment. The initial investment can be considerable, however, and it always requires a "traditional" heat source, such as a gas boiler or a heat pump to make up for the energy deficit during periods of cold and weak sunlight.
AREA TO BE HEATED
ACV has heating solutions that are suitable for apartments right up to large commercial properties. We also have control and mixing accessories that allow our boilers to be used in either high temperature circuits (radiators) or low temperature (under-floor heating).
Hot water HOT WATER COMFORT
Domestic Hot Water (DHW) demand depends on
- the number of people in the household
- the level of hot water comfort they demand and the hot water-consuming equipment that has been or will be installed in the home
Whilst heating energy requirements have decreased over the course of the past several decades, the demands of modern life have significantly increased the need for stable hot water supply that neither sacrifices economy nor ignores environmental protection concerns. A modern family living in a typical northern European country with a high standard of hot water comfort will typically consume around 35% of its total annual fuel budget in the form of energy to heat water. This proportion is even higher for homes situated in warmer climates and ones that are better insulated or demand greater hot water comfort. Thus the level of hot water comfort emerges more and more often as the determining factor in the selection of heating and hot water generation systems.
