Home Heating Guide

Why Vaillant?
Because they can reduce our heating bills and our carbon footprint

Because we’re here to help

If you have any questions, please call 01634 292300. Heating Hot Water Renewables
We can also give you details of your nearest Vaillant installer,
who can discuss how our systems can help you save money and the planet.
 Because ours is a story worth telling.
Contents: Page
The Vaillant story began over 135 years ago Through our specialist service offering,
High efficiency boilers 4-5 with the invention of the first practical hot nationwide gas safe registered engineers ensure
Solar domestic hot water systems 6-7 water system. That first breakthrough came ongoing after sales service support, even if you
Ground source heat pumps 8 from thinking ahead. And that’s something never need it. For most people, home heating
Air to air heat pumps 9 we’ve never forgotten. Today, we’re Europe’s and hot water systems are out of sight and out
Hot water storage cylinders 10 number one heating technology manufacturer, of mind. But now, with continued rises in energy
Intelligent controls 11 leading the field in high efficiency boilers and prices and concerns about carbon emissions, your
renewable technologies, from solar powered hot choice of home heating products has never been
water systems to ground source heat pumps and more important.
intelligent controls.
A Vaillant heating system is an investment in the
Millions of Vaillant appliances are in use across future, helping you to significantly reduce your
the world every single day, all of which come heating bills and your carbon footprint. This guide
with an enviable reputation for performance, features the different technologies available from
quality and reliability. Vaillant, explaining what they are, how they work,
and helping you choose your next heating or hot
Behind it all is our people. Assured, down-to-
water solution.
earth and always ready to offer expert advice.
They’ve helped us to bring precision German
engineering to a global market. what’s next?
To discuss the perfect solution for your
With many years’ experience in the UK,
home visit www.vaillant.co.uk to find your
we’re committed to helping you create a
local Vaillant installer.
comfortable, warm and happy home.

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 Choose the high efficiency boiler that’s right for
your home:

Combination boilers
A combination boiler is a high efficiency hot water
and central heating boiler. Often referred to as a
Because great savings needn’t cost the earth. ‘combi’ it runs on demand meaning it only heats up
the water that you need to use. This type of boiler
requires no water storage or cylinder, meaning the
High efficiency boilers space required for your heating solution is kept to
a minimum.

System boilers
This type of boiler will provide central heating and
hot water via a storage cylinder (usually installed
in an airing cupboard). This means larger volumes
of water can be available for several outlets at
the same time. A system boiler installed with an
unvented hot water cylinder does not require a
cold water storage tank (usually found in the roof
space). This makes this type of boiler/system also
suitable for loft conversions or apartments.

Open vent boilers

Open vent boilers provide central heating and hot
water via a storage cylinder. They are found in
many homes, meaning an open vent boiler is
often a quick and cost effective way to improve
the performance and efficiency of the system.
Open vent systems typically have two tanks,
both located in the loft, plus a hot water storage
cylinder. Like a ‘System’ solution they can deliver
high volumes of hot water to multiple outlets.

Vaillant total system solution

Vaillant offers the total package for your heating
and hot water solution, with all Vaillant products
working together to ensure your system achieves
optimum efficiency. All of this is backed up by our
comprehensive after sales service support.
To find out more about our hot water storage
All Vaillant high efficiency boilers are Energy Savings Trust recommended.
cylinder range and intelligent controls turn to
pages 10 and 11.
What are they? How do they work? How energy efficient are they? Boiler scrappage scheme
There are three different types of High efficiency boilers have an advanced Vaillant ecoTEC boilers (which are the top All Vaillant high efficiency boilers are
domestic heating and hot water boiler: heat exchanger which enables the boiler SEDBUK A rated) operate with an annual eligible for the Government’s Boiler To find your local Vaillant installer and discover
combination boilers (known as ‘combis’), to extract heat from water vapour that seasonal efficiency of over 90%. Scrappage Scheme. Replacing any old how to save over a third on your heating bills
system boilers and; open vented boilers. would normally be lost out of the flue. Typically, older types of conventional SEDBUK band G or less efficient boiler to visit www.vaillant.co.uk
To comply with current Building boilers only achieve efficiencies of a Vaillant SEDBUK band A boiler means you
Regulations new boilers should be high This heat is used to pre-heat water 55% – 65%, meaning your high efficiency can get a £400 government grant towards
efficiency. Vaillant has a complete range returning to the boiler from the central condensing boiler can save you over a the cost of the boiler and the installation.
of high efficiency boilers including, combi, heating system, improving the boiler’s third of your heating bills.* By choosing Vaillant for your replacement
system and open vent models. overall efficiency and reducing the This can amount to a saving of over through the Boiler Scrappage Scheme
amount of gas used. £285* on your annual home heating bill. we’ll give you an extra one year on top of
the standard warranty on your new high
What is sedbuk?
efficiency condensing boiler, ensuring not
SEDBUK stands for Seasonal Efficiency
only peace of mind but a saving on your
of Domestic Boilers in the UK. The
heating bills and your carbon footprint.
sedbuk.com website provides a range of
information on boiler efficiency. For more information, please see our
Boiler Scrappage leaflet, visit our
website www.vaillant.co.uk or go to the *Energy saving and consumption calculated using DEFRA data for a three
bedroom semi-detached house with an old heavyweight boiler. Money
EST website www.est.org.uk saving calculated using British Gas Websaver 5 Tariff January 2010

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 How does solar work?
Because a brighter future can be yours. Solar
collector
panels
The panels on the roof contain a highly effective absorber
of solar radiation. This material collects heat, transferring
it to ‘solar fluid’ contained in pipes within the panels.
Solar domestic hot water systems This heated fluid then circulates through a coil in the
cylinder, heating the water for household use.
A solar control unit monitors the temperature of the
panels and of the cylinder. When sufficient solar energy is
available the control switches on the solar pump to heat
the cylinder.
If insufficient solar energy is available to heat the water
to the desired level, the controller activates the boiler.
By automatically switching between the two, the system
minimises energy use while ensuring there is always hot
A typical solar hot water
water on demand.
and home heating installation
How energy efficient is it?
%
You might think that the UK would be a poor location
100 for a solar hot water heating system. In fact from April
90

80
until September solar systems can provide as much as
70 60%-90% of domestic hot water requirements.
60
Even in mid winter a solar system can contribute 10% of
50

40 daily hot water demands. That’s because solar panels can

30
absorb solar radiation even when the sky is overcast.
20

10 Overall, a typical solar hot water system will provide

0
50%-60% of domestic hot water needs throughout the
year. That means your hot water bill can be cut by over
Typical contributions made by solar heating to
domestic hot water supply in the UK throughout 50%, a big saving at a time of escalating energy costs.
the year.
Is solar right for your home?
A solar system will work most efficiently if your house has
a pitched roof that faces south and is not shaded by trees
or other buildings. If the roof faces between 30 degrees
east and 40 degrees west of south the system will work
with a small loss of efficiency. Even so, this loss can be
compensated by installing a larger area of collector panels.

Vaillant total system solution

Vaillant offers the whole solar system from the auroTHERM
solar collector panels to the auroMATIC intelligent control
and the auroSTOR hot water cylinder. By using the Vaillant
total system solution all components work together
seamlessly to achieve the optimum efficiency of your
system all backed up by our nationwide after sales
service support.

What is a solar system?

Solar systems collect the sun’s energy in panels mounted
on the roof. These are connected to a storage cylinder that
delivers domestic hot water to taps.
A supporting high efficiency boiler is also connected to the What’s next?
system to provide heating and to back up the solar hot water To discuss solar domestic hot water
supply when solar energy levels are low, for example in mid solutions for your home, visit
winter, or at times of peak demand in the home. www.vaillant.co.uk to find your local
Vaillant accredited solar installer
Vaillant vacuum tube and flat plate solar collector panels.

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 Because natural energy is right under your feet.
Ground source heat pumps
Because there’s something special in the air.
Air to air heat pumps

What are ground source heat pumps?

Ground source heat pumps collect energy stored in the
earth and use it to heat water in a cylinder for the provision
of central heating and domestic hot water in the home.
This is the most advanced technology available for home
heating and hot water. Because the earth itself ‘stores’
energy it is an extremely reliable and constant energy
source, it creates no harmful emissions and only a small
amount of electricity is used to drive the heat pump itself.

How do they work? How energy efficient are they?

A heat pump works in the same way as a refrigerator, but Heat pumps provide heating and hot water with
in reverse. The collection system consists of a single deep extraordinary energy efficiency. The only energy consumed
borehole in the garden or, where space permits, a looped is for the periodic operation of the pump. For every 1kW
array of pipes buried approximately 1.2 metres below the of electricity used to operate the heat pump, up to 4.5kW
surface enabling the ground source heat pump to extract of heat can be provided to the house for heating and hot
What are air to air heat pumps?
heat stored in the earth. This low temperature energy water. A heat pump can also reduce the CO2 emissions from
Air to air heat pumps utilise energy from the air to
passes through a CFC-free refrigerant circuit which converts a domestic property by up to 40%. The heat pump unit
efficiently heat or cool a room. This technology provides a
it into higher temperatures to heat the home. In summer, also contains a 4kW immersion heater that if necessary
cost effective renewable solution where mains gas or other
with an underfloor heating system connected to the heat automatically boosts the hot water temperature.
technologies are not suitable. Perfect for apartments and
pump energy flow can be reversed, cooling the room to a
Is your home suitable for a heat pump? smaller homes, air to air heat pumps require no storage
comfortable temperature. If you’re considering having What’s next?
The heating characteristics of heat pumps make them space for fuel and can provide up to 10kW to heat rooms,
a ground source heat pump installed you may be eligible To find out more about Vaillant’s range of
perfect for homes with underfloor heating. They are with the added benefit of cooling during the warmer
for a grant through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. ClimaVAIR air to air heat pumps and details of
suitable for a variety of homes. The vertical borehole months. Advanced filters ensure that the air is cleaned
requires minimal space in the area around the building. whilst it is circulating around the system, offering comfort your nearest installer, visit www.vaillant.co.uk
The only limitation for heat pumps is in achieving a to allergy sufferers.
satisfactory balance between the energy loss of the
How do they work?
building and the required flow temperature of the heating
Air to air heat pumps extract heat from the air outside
system. For these reasons heat pumps are most suitable
to produce warm air distributed by fans to heat a room. 
for new buildings and major refurbishments.
Rather than burning fuel to produce heat an air to air heat
pump works much like the way a refrigerator works. 
Vertical ground loop collector Horizontal ground loop collector What’s next?
The ground collector is positioned In a depth of about 1.2 metres, the To find out more about ground source heat pumps and How energy efficient are they?
vertically in the soil and therefore ground loop collector system is laid Vaillant air to air heat pumps achieve efficiencies of over
is extremely space-saving. Vaillant horizontally in the earth and here it
to find your nearest installer, visit www.vaillant.co.uk
will support you to find a partner gains the heat contained in the soil. 400%, meaning that you can gain up to 4.2kW of heat
for the required drilling. from every 1kW of electricity used.

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 Because comfort shouldn’t be complicated.
Intelligent controls

Because you want hot water on demand.

Hot water storage cylinders

What are they? • W

 eather compensation
Programmable controls provide a comfortable living Outside sensors measure temperature changes and
What are they? environment within your home and help to minimise domestic adjust the boiler performance to maintain the desired
Vaillant’s stainless steel cylinder range ensures that in heating bills. Temperature data from thermostats and sensors inside temperature, allowing your boiler to operate with
situations where hot water is needed, for example with is fed back to the boiler maximising efficiency. These controls maximum efficiency.
a system or open vented boiler, or where there is a solar also give you a wide choice of easily adjustable options to • L
 oad compensation
installation, hot water can be stored with minimum heat loss. further optimise heating efficiency and fuel economy. Reduces the temperature of hot water going to radiators
How do they work? as the target room temperature is approached, cutting
How do they work?
Programmable controls are either fitted into the fascia of back energy consumption.
Vaillant’s stainless steel cylinders come in two ranges –
a high performance unvented standard storage cylinder the boiler or wall mounted in a convenient location within How energy efficient are they?
which is connected to a boiler, or a solar cylinder which is the home. The thermostats in the heating zones and outside Correctly setting up controls will help you to reduce your
connected to a standard solar system. The hot water in the sensors are then linked to the boiler. There are three areas of energy consumption. Vaillant estimates that a further
cylinder is stored after it has been heated by a boiler. With control that greatly improve the economy of your boiler: 5%-10% saving on energy bills can be achieved with the
its minimal heat loss it ensures a quick delivery of hot water use of programmable controls.
• Advanced timing control
to multiple outlets. The solar cylinder has a coil containing This function offers different settings for groups of days
the solar fluid from the collectors on the roof which heats What’s next?
of the week and three switching periods per day.
up the water inside the cylinder. The solar cylinder is also to find out more on Vaillant’s uniSTOR storage cylinders
Summer and winter settings, holiday mode, hot water
connected to a conventional heat source to top up the hot and intelligent controls visit www.vaillant.co.uk to find
advance and temporary override options all further help to
water when there is insufficient solar energy. your local installer
optimise boiler use, maximise your home comfort and reduce
energy consumption.
The information in this brochure was correct at the time of going to
Vaillant’s hot water storage cylinder solutions. print. Vaillant reserves the right to make any modifications to product
specifications, or any other details, without prior notification. Jan 2010.

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