Central heating

Central heating warms multiple rooms from a shared heat source, distributing heat through water, steam, or warm air. Its defining feature is separating heat generation from delivery to individual spaces.

Hydronic heating: A heating system that circulates hot water through pipes to warm rooms. It is the common water-based method of carrying heat from a central boiler.
Heat pump: A device that transfers heat from one place to another using a refrigeration cycle. It can supply a central heating system by moving heat rather than generating it through combustion.
District heating: A system that supplies heat from a central plant to multiple buildings through a network of pipes. It extends centralized heat beyond one building to a neighborhood or city district.
Space heater: A portable or fixed appliance that heats a limited area directly. It heats one space locally, unlike a central system serving multiple rooms.
Steam heating: A system that distributes heat as steam through pipes to radiators or other emitters. It delivers heat from a central boiler using steam rather than circulating hot water.
Furnace: A device that heats air by burning fuel or using electricity. It is a common central heat source paired with forced-air distribution, unlike a boiler.
Underfloor heating: A space-heating method that warms rooms through pipes or electric elements beneath the floor. It is a building-level heat emitter that can connect to a central hot-water system.
Electric baseboard heater: A fixed electric heater installed along a wall, usually heating one room by convection. Room-by-room units avoid shared distribution pipes or ducts.
Forced-air heating: A system that heats air and moves it through ducts using a fan. It distributes centrally generated heat through warm air instead of pipes.
Natural gas: A fossil fuel composed primarily of methane and used for heating, cooking, and electricity generation. Gas-fired boilers and furnaces use it as a fuel for central heat.

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