Although central heating is considered to be a modern day thing, it dates back to ancient Greece. The definition of central heating is a system that provides warmth to either the whole of the inside (or just a segment) of a house/building.

Its understood that in around 350 BC, the homes of the rich and the Great Temples were heated by warm air circulating through flue systems in the floor. However because we have electricity today, we can power things like blowers and so billions of buildings world wide are heated by forced-air systems.

These forced air systems draw air into their pipes through to a furnace where the air is warmed and sent back into the room. There are different sizes of each model system so as to provide for every size room.

These systems are sometimes used with an AC (air conditioning) unit, air filter and a humidifier. The pipes themselves will normally be made from metal wrapped in insulating foam to keep in as much heat as possible.

Local heating differs from central heating as the heat is generated in one place, e.g. a furnace room. The heat then begins circulating, usually either by water thats being forced through piping, steam thats being pushed through pipe work or by air that is being forced through piping.

In parts of northern Europe, where the weather is quite cold anyway so they rarely need air-conditioning, central heating comes installed with most new homes.

Steam heating systems, heated by oil, coal or gas can be found in the USA, Russia and Europe, usually in the bigger buildings. Electric systems are found less and are practical only with cheap electricity or where geothermal heating pumps are used.