central heating

Central heating is a system designed to warm an entire enclosed space, primarily for occupant comfort, but also to preserve the building's structural integrity. Unlike direct heating methods, such as fireplaces, central heating converts fuel into heat at a separate source and then distributes it via a fluid medium like air, water, or steam.1

The Romans developed an early form of central heating called the hypocaust system, which used underfloor ducts to circulate hot gases. This method was lost for centuries until central heating was reintroduced during the Industrial Revolution. Modern systems typically use furnaces or boilers to heat air or water, which is then circulated through ducts or pipes to radiators or convectors within the building. Fuels like natural gas and fuel oil are commonly used, often with automatic controls like thermostats. Electric resistance and heat pumps are also employed as heating methods.1