Central Boiler
A central boiler is the heat-generating component of a central heating system. Central heating is able to heat multiple-room buildings by way of one central boiler, which produces hot water or steam that is distributed throughout the building through pipes or ductwork.
Forced-air heating, which utilizes central boilers, is the most common type of heating in homes and other moderately-sized buildings in the United States. Forced-air heating is powered by a natural gas-fired boiler, which heats air to be transmitted by ductwork and vents, in order to transmit hot air throughout a building.
Central boilers are used in other locations as well. For larger buildings, for example, steam heating is often used. In Europe and in some new construction in America, hydronic systems that use hot water rather than heat or steam may be used. Hydronic systems are efficient and create an even temperature, but are expensive to install because of the cost of copper pipes.