Planned hot water shutdown in summer is familiar to everyone. There are also cottages and country houses in which centralized hot water supply is not provided. The problem can be solved with the help of water heaters. But that the device effectively replaces hot water supply, it must meet the operating conditions and specific requests. It should be decided what exactly is needed for the water heater. Only wash dishes, and can take a shower or for other purposes? In each case, the water flow and some other indicators differ.
Before you buy a water heater, you need to make a few clarifications:
- gas or electric model;
- age of the house, features of the electricity network and the condition of the wiring;
- number of planned points of draw-off (washing, bath, shower, etc.);
- the dimensions of the room intended for installing the water heater;
- the number of household members and their preferences when using hot water.
Types of water heaters
All water heaters can be divided into two large groups: gas and electric. Gas water heaters can only be used if there is natural gas in the house. They should be installed by specialists.
Electrical appliances are built on the principle of a boiler. There are no difficulties in connection. All electric water heaters are divided into two types: flow and storage. Flow-throughs are aggregates that have high power. They warm up the flow of water passing through them, so the amount of warm water is unlimited.
Water heaters of storage type look like steel tanks having different capacity. In them, the water gradually heats up to the desired temperature, which is then maintained at a given level. Reduces the heat loss of a special thermal insulation.
Instantaneous water heater: hot spring
The convenience of a flowing water heater is that it reproduces hot water continuously. The need to check the amount of remaining hot water does not arise, as well as counting on what exactly it can still suffice. Flowing water heaters are compact. Most often they are flat, not occupying much space.
The heaters immediately heat the water due to the special design of the heaters. Hot water flows immediately after the opening of the tap.
Models of modern flowing water heaters differ in features and in price. Small flow-through water heaters have a flow of water up to five liters per minute and power from 3.5 to 5 kW. If this seems small, then attention should be paid to modern three-phase units. They are designed for a network of 380-480V, and their power reaches 27kW. Not every wiring can withstand such a load.
Water piggy bank
Models of water heaters of storage type have their advantages. This is an easy installation and a relatively low power consumption. The device is connected to a normal electrical network in 220V. It does not overload it and does not require updating the wiring. The power of such devices is usually from 1.2 to 5 kW. Most of the water heaters have a capacity of 2 kW, which is enough to heat up a large volume of water. Despite the fact that the accumulation systems consume electricity regularly to maintain the desired water temperature, in general they consume less flowing water heaters.
The storage model can be divided into two groups by the displacement. Water heaters with small volume - from 5 to 20 liters - can serve a kitchen sink and other similar analysis points with low water consumption. Models with a volume of 30 to 200 liters are able to supply a bath and shower with hot water in the right amount.
It should be borne in mind that hot water is diluted during use, mixed with cold water. This increases its volume by about half.
To install most of the storage water heaters requires a separate room, because they are very cumbersome. However, modern manufacturers offer models in a flat casing and with a universal installation, both vertical and horizontal.
The drawback of the storage water heaters can be considered a long process of heating. It takes from one and a half to three hours to wait. The heating process depends on the power of the heaters, their number, and also on the presence of scale. To avoid the appearance of scale, models have been developed with a "dry" TEN.
Inside the tank the water heater can have an enamel coating. It is finely divided enamel or more durable variants - glass-ceramic and titanium enamels. This coating protects the metal walls of the tank from corrosion and temperature changes.
To ensure that the water is kept hot longer and the electricity is not wasted to maintain the temperature, thermal insulation is used. Most often it is a layer of polyurethane foam, which allows you to store heat for several hours.
Quality models have protection systems: from overheating, from switching on without water and overpressure.