Heating and Plumbing
Heating an old building is a conservation problem as much as an engineering one. Solid walls, single glazing and high ceilings change the heat loss calculation, and the route every pipe takes through historic fabric is a decision that has to be justified. The firms in this category design and install systems in period and listed buildings: low-temperature and underfloor heating, heat pumps, traditional and reproduction radiators, and the careful first-fix work that keeps chases, notches and drilled joists to a minimum. Several also handle churches and other large, intermittently heated buildings.
What this category covers
- Heating design for solid-walled and intermittently heated buildings
- Underfloor and low-temperature systems suited to old fabric
- Heat pumps and controls in period and listed properties
- Cast iron, column and reproduction radiators and pipework
- Discreet first-fix routing that avoids cutting historic timber
Carron Heating
Carron Heating supplies cast iron radiators, fireplaces and multifuel stoves from its ...
Cowley Group
Cowley Group designs, installs, commissions and maintains commercial boiler and heat pump ...
Foundry Radiators & Bathrooms
Foundry Radiators & Bathrooms is a radiator and bathroom specialist trading from ...
Sedibus Heritage Heating
Sedibus Heritage Heating, a trading name of Sedibus Ltd, is an independent ...
Senergy Heating Limited
Senergy Heating Limited designs, supplies, installs and maintains low-temperature heating and renewable ...
The Big Heat Pump Company
The Big Heat Pump Company designs and installs renewable heating systems built ...
Vintage Cast Iron Radiators Ltd
Vintage Cast Iron Radiators is a family business that has supplied and ...
Heating an old building sensibly
Fix the fabric first. Repairing rainwater goods, draught-proofing and insulating the loft reduce the load before anything is sized, and a wet wall loses heat far faster than a dry one. Sizing a system to an unrepaired building locks in running costs for decades.
Watch the first fix, not just the boiler. Most of the damage heating work does to historic buildings happens when pipes are routed: joists notched, panelling lifted, plaster chased and floorboards cut. Agree routes on a drawing before anyone starts, and ask what will be surface-run in conduit or trunking instead.
Low and steady beats hot and intermittent. Old buildings with heavy fabric respond badly to rapid heating and cooling, which drives moisture through plaster and moves timber and panelling. Lower flow temperatures over longer periods suit both the building and heat pumps.
Expect consent to be involved. Listed Building Consent is normally needed for pipe routes through historic fabric, new flues and external plant, and heat pump siting also raises noise and permitted development questions. Raise it early rather than after the order is placed.
Questions to ask
Are heat pumps suitable for a listed building?
They can be, but they depend on lower flow temperatures, which means larger emitters and a fabric that is dry and reasonably draught-proofed. Siting the external unit, running pipework and any associated fabric changes usually need Listed Building Consent, so discuss it at design stage.
Can underfloor heating go into a period house?
Often yes, particularly where a floor is being repaired or a failed concrete slab replaced. The build-up must suit the floor construction and stay breathable over old ground floors, and lifting historic boards or flagstones will normally need consent.
Should I keep the original cast iron radiators?
If they are sound they are worth keeping. They have a large surface area, which suits the lower flow temperatures modern systems use, and they can be pressure-tested, refurbished and repainted. Reproduction versions are available where extra capacity is needed.
All 13 businesses listed under Heating and Plumbing
- Baystar Ltd West Sussex
- Carron Heating Lincolnshire
- Castrads Greater Manchester
- Cowley Group Surrey
- Foundry Radiators & Bathrooms West Sussex
- Heissen Lincolnshire
- JK Floorheating Ltd Devon
- ODS Group Oxfordshire
- Sedibus Heritage Heating Norfolk
- Senergy Heating Limited Surrey
- The Big Heat Pump Company Norfolk
- Vintage Cast Iron Radiators Ltd York
- Wärmetek Norfolk
Directory information is provided to help visitors identify potentially relevant specialists and suppliers. Inclusion does not constitute a recommendation, approval or guarantee by Tuscan Foundry Products. Please check current services, credentials, availability and suitability directly with each business.