A water heater, as the name implies, is a household appliance designed to heat water when there is no hot water in the water supply. They are used either as a backup source of hot water supply during a short-term shutdown of hot water, or as the main one, as a rule, in suburban homes with a local water supply system.
Water heaters are divided into 2 types: flow and storage. Devices of the first type produce water heating only in the process of its consumption. Flowing heaters are mostly gas or electric. The latter are divided into heaters of open and closed type, as well as pressure and pressureless, depending on the number of customers served.
Storage water heaters or boilers incorporate a tank in which a constant water temperature is maintained. In more detail, the device and the features of each of the types of devices will be given below.
The main elements of a storage water heater are: an internal tank, a tubular electric heater (or heater), a thermostat and an external casing with good thermal insulation.
Such a boiler is hung on the wall by means of powerful fixing anchors or screws. At the entrance, the device is connected to a cold water supply. The outlet is connected to the internal distribution system of hot water, or directly fed to the end user - shower, sink.
When the device is turned on in the electric network, the water inside the tank is gradually heated with the help of heating elements to the level set by the user. After the temperature has reached the set, the thermostat is activated, and heating stops.
The volume of the storage water heater must be carefully selected based on the estimated flow rate. Usually, for a comfortable use of the shower and washbasin of a bathroom with a family of two people, the minimum sufficient volume of the drive will be 70-100 liters.
For private houses with several bathrooms and a large number of permanent residents, it is advisable to use larger boilers: 200-250 liters.
The capacity of this type of water heater is small, depending on the volume, as a rule, does not exceed 5-6 kilowatts. For devices with an average volume of 100 l, the power will be only 2-3 kW. To connect them, a standard outlet with a standard electrical wiring, with a wire cross section of 2.5 mm, is quite suitable2.
Pros
The advantages of these devices can be attributed to a wider scope due to the lack of special requirements for the power grid: not all houses, and even more so urban apartments, have the opportunity to connect to a three-phase network and provide the power level required by flowing models.
Storage heaters are able to heat more water and provide more consumers. Also, boilers are less demanding on pressure.
At the same time, they can heat up to much higher temperatures, and in the event of a power outage, hot water will still come from faucets for some time, and not immediately end.
Minuses
Drives have a number of minuses in comparison with flowing analogues:
- they take up more space;
- less durable, especially with a constant presence of water inside the tank;
- consume more energy;
- more demanding for installation - it is necessary to have a support capable of withstanding a large mass;
- unable to immediately provide a hot stream immediately after switching on;
- can warm a certain amount of water, which the tank is designed for, after which the drive needs time to prepare a new portion;
- more expensive flowing drives.
The energy source of instantaneous water heaters can be: an electric heater, gas burner or even solid fuel. Consider the simplest and most affordable heater option - electric.
It is a compact device in which the heater has time to heat the cold water flowing through it. Non-pressure models are designed for use on a single consumer and are equipped with a built-in shower tip or spout.
When water flows through the heater, the flowing relay directs the liquid to a working heater, which is turned on by the built-in automatic control system, as a result of which heating occurs instantly. Thus, the heater has no restriction on the amount of hot water produced, but heating can only occur to a certain temperature, due to the power of the device.
Control systems come in two types: hydraulic and electrical. The latter have high efficiency and are able to automatically maintain a given temperature level at the outlet of the device, regardless of the pressure level.
In open-type flow heaters, the heating elements directly heat the water flowing through the heater. In closed-type devices, water does not come into contact with heating elements; heating is carried out through metal tubes made of copper or brass, through which water passes. In such systems, energy consumption is less, but they are less efficient than open ones.
Pros
Instantaneous water heaters:
- cheaper than boilers;
- less demanding in terms of installation, because it is much smaller in size and weight;
- can instantly produce warm water, without restrictions on duration;
- do not consume electricity when the crane is closed;
- much more efficient and economical.
Minuses
- due to its high power (sometimes several tens of kW), they require a three-phase electric network and a large resource for consumed electricity;
- low-power devices are not able to provide a large head and temperature above 30-50 degrees (depending on the external temperature of the room).
The choice in favor of this or that type of heater should always be determined by the parameters of the external conditions in which it is supposed to operate. Firstly, it is necessary to consider the existing limitations: is a three-phase electric network available at 380 V, will the wiring withstand a large level of electric current. Secondly, is there a place in the shield for the corresponding machine? Thirdly, is there enough power allocated?
If the answer to at least one of these questions is negative, then consider the option of instantaneous water heater, especially if it is necessary to provide a large number of consumers with hot water, it is impractical.
On the other hand, if there are no problems with the power grid, but there are significant restrictions on the space where the device can be installed, or for the installation of a boiler, laborious and expensive work is required to lay water pipes to the location of the comb, it makes sense to consider installing a flow heater.
In the absence of any of the physical limitations, it is necessary to be guided by the parameters that must be provided with the devices: the amount of water consumed simultaneously or the duration of the selection and its maximum temperature.
Attention! When choosing a household appliance, it should be borne in mind: instantaneous heaters are more durable, economical to operate and cheaper than drives.
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