Central Heating

Central heating is a fantastic way of heating your whole house with one source of energy, efficiently and consistently throughout the home. A central heating system will keep the temperature perfectly equal in every room.

Although the initial installation costs can be higher than some other heating solutions, in comparison to heating the same spaces with individual heating appliances, central heating quickly becomes a cost-efficient solution to install and run.

Traditionally controlled by one thermostat, central heating systems can range from a simple system design to a more elaborate, multiple zoned solution.

Zoning a central heating system means you do not need to heat the entire house at once, or it can allow you to maintain different temperatures in different areas – making for a more comfortable home for everyone and providing less running costs.

In New Zealand we have two main forms of central heating systems available –

  1. Hydronic systems which reticulate water through pipes and the heat is delivered into the spaces via heat emitters like radiators and towel rails which are fixed to the walls, or floor pipes installed into the concrete floor slab.
  2. Ducted systems that produce warm air which is delivered into the home via a series of floor, wall or ceiling registers.

Hydronic systems

Hyrdronic central heating is the even distribution of warmth to every room in your home from a central point or heat source.

Lounge with hydronic central heating system.

Heat sources can be Gas, Diesel or Biomass boilers or air-to-water heat pumps. Located in the garage or outside the home, a heat source circulates warm water through a closed network of pipes. The pipes lead to radiators or they can be laid in or above the concrete foundation for underfloor heating.        

Radiators provide a responsive and flexible heating option for both new and existing homes. They heat up and cool down quickly, making them ideally suited to New Zealand’s changeable weather conditions. They are also available in a variety of styles and colours so you can find the perfect fit to blend seamlessly into your home.

Underfloor heating offers an effective, efficient heating medium that is out of sight and makes no demands on wall space. Make cold and damp spots a thing of the past with underfloor heating, the most luxurious form of whole home heating.    

Save time and money when you heat your home and your domestic hot water at the same time. When combined with central heating, a 300-litre hot water cylinder takes roughly one hour to recover. That is four times faster than conventional hot water heating. This is a more energy efficient way of producing domestic hot water. Central heating systems can be programmed to heat as much or as little hot water as your family requires. We offer a range of different heat sources and heat distribution combinations so that you get the best performance and cost benefits for your lifestyle.

Ducted systems

Ducted systems comprise of a heat source which heats the air from inside the house, and a network of ducting that delivers the warm air into the spaces required to be heated.

The ducting is sized anywhere from 200mm up to 450mm. This duct system needs to be installed either under the floor or in the ceiling cavity, so not every home can accommodate this type of installation.

Mother and child enjoying the room with central heating.

Flued gas systems provide heat fast as the air delivered from the grilles is around 50 degrees Celsius. They usually only provide warm air unless an additional cooling unit is fitted to the system as additional option.

Electric Heat Pump systems can provide warm and cool air and have a larger duct sized compared to the gas ducted version. Because of the cool air for summer capability, these systems are preferred to be installed in the ceiling to provide a more effective cooling response during summer.

With a ducted central heating system, visually all that is seen are the grilles and the thermostat(s). The placement of floor grilles will need to consider any furniture repositioning as the locations will restrict options.

Come in-store or speak to one of our team today about which heating solution is right for your home.