Warm air heating was in its simplest form invented by the Romans with the earliest example from around 350BC. In the UK market it started becoming popular from the late 60s.

The market was then and still is dominated by Johnson and Starley. Most popular models were the J25-32, Hi-Spec and higher efficiency Economaire and Warmcair.

It is an effective way of heating and will warm a house up quickly as there isn’t water in radiators to be heated up first. As the air is circulated by a fan this can lead to some people complaining of discomfort, so a lot of units have been removed and radiator central heating fitted; however there is still a lot of warm air heating in existence.

Many heating engineers are not qualified to touch warm air or just refuse to touch them. I’m more than happy to and have a huge amount of experience. 

What I cannot stress enough is servicing. These must be serviced annually to maintain safety and efficiency. Most are open flued and have permanent pilot lights. A restricted pilot light can very quickly lead to poor combustion and soot building up within the unit. This will cause damage to your heater and ultimately lead to emissions and carbon monoxide blowing around the house.

That being said, Johnson and Starley make incredibly reliable units. I often see 50-year-old heaters still going strong with most spares still supported.

If your Johnson and Starley in and around Bracknell needs a service or repair please get in touch on 01344 508076