Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
> On Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:49:09 -0700, sf > wrote:
>
>
>
>>>>
>>>> I think yours is like mine - central heating and hot water - a combi
>>>> boiler?
>>>
>>> Yes it is. Is that not usual in US?
>>>
>> I've heard of a central furnace combined with an air-conditioner, but
>> never one that serves as a water heater too.
>
> Right.
> Furnaces heat air, boilers heat water. The terms are often used
> incorrectly.
>
> I've never seen a furnace with domestic hot water, but boilers that
> both heat the house and heat the domestic water are very common.
> Probably 90% of oil boiler are made that way, at leas until a dozen
> years ago when better systems were introduced.

I don't like the term boiler unless it's really a boiler for steam heat.
That's the only time it boils. Water heaters are not boilers, although I've
seen that happen when they build up stuff in the bottom.

Greg