Before choosing a water heater, you should figure out how it works. On sale there are many different types of water heaters, both in terms of volume and type of design. A person who does not understand the intricacies of water heating equipment, as a rule, is lost among such a variety and either listens to the advice of the seller, or to friends and acquaintances who have real experience in using this or that boiler.
The second option is certainly better, but it will not be superfluous to learn how to understand water heaters yourself. In addition to which brand is more reliable or more powerful, there are also nuances related to the specific conditions of the intended use of the boiler - daily water draw, depending on the number of residents and the intensity of hot water use, the voltage in the house is 220 or 380 volts, the seasonality of use, the size of the boilerrooms and more.
Water heater device
Any water heater (boiler) consists of a container (tank) of a certain volume and a special element that heats the water in it. The temperature to which the appliance must heat the water is set by the user. When the set temperature is reached, the device maintains it at the set level. At the same time, electricity is economically consumed, and hot water is constantly in the water heater, with which you can wash dishes, take a bath or shower, and more.
A water heater is especially relevant in cases where there is no hot water supply or there are interruptions in it. Then the question arises of purchasing a storage water heater.
Classification of water heaters
Water heaters with storage principle are:
- electric,
- gas,
- combined.
Electric boilers are dependent on the availability of electricity in the network. Without it, they cannot function. Therefore, in regions where there are frequent power outages, gas water heaters are relevant. In addition, gas is quite cheap compared to electricity. If the electricity is turned off infrequently and not for a long time, then the solution may be to purchase an electric water heater and a generator.
Boilers of all types have both advantages and disadvantages that you should be aware of before choosing the right unit for yourself.
Water heater capacity
The main advantage of a gas water heater over an electric one isthe time it takes to heat up the water. Gas models have a capacity of 4 to 6 kW, while electric boilers have, as a rule, 1.5-3 kW.
So, if, for example, the device has a tank with a volume of 150 liters, then the burner of a gas boiler produces 7 kW. Under the same conditions, the electric heater has a power of up to 3 kW. Therefore, a gas water heater will heat a given amount of water in about an hour or a little longer, while an electric one will cope with the same task in 3-4 hours.
Installation and mounting features
Before purchasing a storage water heater, it is important to determine the place of its installation. When installing a gas appliance, there are some difficulties associated with the need for an additional smoke exhaust system. Since gas boilers come with both closed and open combustion chambers, installation nuances are also associated with this.
So, if the water heater has a closed chamber, then installation is relatively easy, although the boiler itself is not cheap. What can not be said about the installation of a device with an open chamber, where both installation and the device itself will cost much more.
Judging by the reviews, storage water heaters powered by electricity are very popular because they do not require a separate power line to connect, and they are connected to a conventional power grid.
Internal tank capacity
When choosing a water heater, an important criterion is its volume. Or in other words, its capacity. Hot water mustenough in abundance, only in this case, its operation will be comfortable, and the user will not experience a shortage of heated water.
Of course, a boiler with a large tank costs more, and sometimes it is not at all easy to place it in an ordinary apartment. Therefore, it is worth approaching the issue of choosing a storage water heater with all seriousness, so that, on the one hand, you do not overpay extra money, and on the other, you end up with a completely solved problem with providing hot water to your home.
How to calculate the parameters of the water heater
First, you need to take into account all the people who will use hot water. Since everyone has different needs, then you should take into account as many points as possible, count all the possible waste of hot water: washing dishes, washing, taking a bath and shower, washing, washing hands, and so on. It is also necessary to take into account the number of bathrooms, sinks, bathtubs and showers.
If you only need hot water for washing dishes, a boiler with a tank of about 10 liters is quite suitable. However, in practice, water heaters are usually purchased not only for washing dishes, but for a much larger number of household needs.
For example, a standard bath has a volume of about 190 liters. Of course, the tub is never filled to the brim, some water will be expelled by the human body, cold water will be added. As a result, it turns out that for taking a bath, the boiler does not need to heat water above 50 degrees and it will need about 80 liters. If the temperature is sethigher, the water consumption will also decrease.
In the same way, you should calculate the estimated amount of hot water consumed for all family members and various needs. The result should be a figure that reflects the amount of water that should be in the boiler in order to provide all the needs of living people.
Expert opinions
It is believed that for washing hands it is enough to have a model with a tank capacity of about 15 liters. If a shower is required, then a 30-liter storage water heater is quite suitable. Such models are quite economical and can be easily installed next to the shower or under the sink. For a family of 2-3 people, this is the best summer option.
There are water heaters with large volumes. They are suitable for a family with a large number of people. So boilers with a volume of up to 1 ton and operating from a conventional outlet are suitable for hot water supply of an entire private house.
So, for a family of up to 3 people, a volume of up to 150 liters is enough. If the family consists of 4 people, then the tank will need about 200 liters.
Anyone who buys a water heater, first of all wants, having bought it, not to lack hot water. However, for example, a storage water heater of 50 liters will not be able to provide hot water for two people who decide to lie in the bath one after another. After all, the boiler needs time to heat the water, and if it is drained from the tank, it will take the same amount of time as at the beginning. In this case, you need to buy a device with a volume of 150-160liters.
Don't buy an oversized storage water heater, unless you need water around the clock. Otherwise, excess hot water will not cover the cost of purchasing the device.
Internal lining of the tank
The inner surface of any water heater must be covered with a special material that prevents corrosion. Glass porcelain, enamel or stainless steel usually act as such a coating. The titanium coating also proved to be quite good.
The service life of the boiler also depends on the anti-corrosion material and the quality of the coating of the inner surface of the tank. And the cost of the device directly depends on the type of coating. Anti-corrosion materials have a different cost, which also depends on the degree of their resistance to corrosion.
Covering features
The best storage water heaters are models that have a coating of internal walls in the form of enamel and glass porcelain. The cost of these materials is quite acceptable, and they resist corrosion well. But they also have some significant drawbacks. They react extremely negatively to temperature fluctuations, up to the appearance of small cracks. Therefore, it is better to purchase models with such coatings if the water is supposed to be heated no higher than 60 degrees. But there is also a downside - at low temperatures of water heating, bacteria will inevitably begin to develop in it.
In order to prevent the appearance of harmful bacteria in the tank, it is recommended to periodically increase the temperature of the water heating. It is also worth considering that the warranty period for water heaters with this type of coating usually does not exceed one year.
Among the boilers there are those that have a warranty period of up to 10 years. This can be boasted of by devices whose tanks are covered with stainless steel or titanium enamel from the inside. But judging by some reviews of storage water heaters of this type, they have their drawbacks. Over time, in the places of welding, reacting with water, these materials supposedly begin to affect the smell and taste of water. Although users who have been using such boilers for a long time do not complain about such a problem.
Installation of a magnesium anode gives additional protection to the internal tank. It needs to be changed approximately once a year. Stainless steel-coated water heaters also have them, but they don't need to be replaced as often because steel is more resistant to corrosion.
Features of water heating
The water heating time directly depends on the power of the heating element - the water heating element. To increase power, many electric storage water heaters with a volume of 50 liters are equipped with not one, but two heating elements.
The user is given the right to regulate how many heating elements to use - all or just one. In addition, if one fails, the second will continue to work. The boiler, although it will lose half the power, will remain operational until repairs are carried out.
Safety and comfort
In the design of water heaters there are elements thatresponsible not for heating water, but for the safety of operation of the device. The main one is the thermostat, which is responsible for controlling the temperature of the water. It is desirable that an additional thermostat is also installed in the boiler. But this is rather a rare exception to the rule.
Thermal insulation is also important. The thicker its layer, the better. Usually in storage water heaters with a volume of 100 liters, the water has time to cool down by about 7 degrees per day. There is a pattern: the larger the boiler, the thicker the thermal insulation layer. Therefore, in smaller models, the water cools down faster than in those with a larger tank volume. When choosing a water heater, it is recommended to pay attention to the size of the magnesium anode. The larger it is, the less often you will have to change it.
Cost of aggregates
Prices of storage water heaters range from 5,000 to 50,000 rubles. A model with a small tank can be purchased for an amount of about 5,000 rubles. The price also depends on the manufacturer. So, an 80-liter storage water heater model from Bosch Tronic 2000T ES 80 will cost about 5,500 rubles. There is an opinion that the highest quality boilers are made in Germany. Italian models are much cheaper, but although it is believed that German ones are of better quality, there is no fundamental difference between them. They are arranged in the same way.
German model of storage water heater for 30 liters - AEG EWH 30 Trend costs about 22,000 rubles.
However, you can see that German appliances are noticeably larger than Italian or Turkish ones. It's in the layerthermal insulation - in German boilers it is much thicker. Thanks to this, the water in them cools down by about 5 degrees per day, thereby saving electricity.
The best storage water heaters, distinguished by quality, reliability and ease of use, are units of the Italian company Thermex. Any Thermex water heater is made according to a special technology invented in Japan, as a result of which there is almost no metal corrosion at the welds.
In addition, these models have a function of accelerated heating in case of need, which allows you to quickly get hot water and save time.
Another equally well-known Italian manufacturer of electric storage water heaters is Ariston. The company represents a very diverse range. Each model has an enameled water tank and an installed magnesium anode. These measures are aimed at combating corrosion and significantly extend the life of the boilers. The model with the smallest tank is represented by an electric storage water heater with a capacity of 50 liters.
Ariston occupies a large part of the water heater market and produces about three hundred models. Ariston storage water heaters compare favorably with their power, ease of installation and installation. The boilers of this company always have a modern and stylish design.
Timberk, a well-known manufacturer of hot water equipment from Sweden, is famous for both high-quality storage water heaters of 80 liters and larger models. Companyhas production all over the world. It is popular due to the high-quality materials from which the boiler bodies are made, high performance and high reliability of the devices. Along with these advantages, the products of this brand are not cheap.
AEG is a German brand producing boilers with one of the highest water protection ratings among its competitors. In addition, AEG devices weigh very little. For example, a 50-liter storage water heater of the AEG EWH 50 Trend model weighs only 21.4 kilograms. These boilers consume electricity efficiently, but as a result, they are much more expensive than their counterparts.
