Warm air or not? Help and information on all topics relating to your central heating, air conditioning and ventilation issues.

[davsas]

Hi this is really a question for a heating engineer unless someone out there has had the same situation. I have brought a house and it is fitted with Johnson and starley warm air heating. It works fine but as I have always had gas central heating I'm looking to rip it out and replace it. I have been told both good and bad about warm air, one being it costs a fortune in gas? Can anyone help in the decision in keeping it or updating to GCH?
Th

[Alex_H]

Hi. i think there is a difference between them. Compare the performances at first

[Alex_H]

Hi.
Read about gas heater performances and costs first.

[htg engineer]

Warm air was never very popular it was mainly used in flats, warm air is a very dry heat and no good if you suffer from breathing problems as the air circulates - so does the dust.

Regular maintenance is essential, as not only is it an open flued appliance (takes combustion air from the internal space) on a wet system if the heat-ex cracks you have a leak - immediately noticeable. If a warm air unit heat-ex splits the combustion gases mix with the warm air and the products of combustion can come through the vents in all rooms - extremely dangerous.

If you consider a combi against the warm air unit - the warm air unit is just for heating. You need a water heater such as the Janus (alongside the warm air unit) for the hot water. So a heating/hot water boiler will use less gas than a warm air unit and water heater.


htg

[davsas]

Thanks for that htg, I was looking to go down the GCH route as it is more modern and looks better. I know you can't be exact, and I won't hold you to it but what am I looking at for a complete install, remembering that I have nothing installed at present due to it being warm air. I have a 3 bed house, 1 front room ( about 20 ft) a kitchen, down stairs toilet, small down stairs hallway with stairs leading upstairs to small hallway, 3 rooms and a bathroom. Just a roundabout figure so I know what I looking to save up, cheers