How to choose a water heater: Overview of water heaters for an apartment or house

The question of buying a water heater arises for the owners of private houses and summer cottages not connected to the central hot water supply, and for city dwellers, for whom a two-week summer shutdown of hot water often lasts two to three months. Water heaters, which are selected depending on many conditions, help to get rid of the problems with the lack of hot water. In the modern home appliance market, there is plenty to choose from - there is a huge variety of heaters on sale, and each is designed to meet specific customer requirements.

A water heater for an apartment, purchased to work from time to time, may not be expensive and have a minimum volume, and a device intended for a large cottage, in which a large family constantly lives, must meet completely different requirements.

What to consider when choosing a water heater

Gas or electricity?

Before choosing a water heater, you should decide on the source of energy that will heat the water. Depending on this, all units are divided into two types:

gas,
electrical.

Gas-heated boilers in operation may turn out to be cheaper and, it would seem, if gas is supplied to an apartment or house, then the issue is resolved unequivocally in favor of gas. In practice, this is not the case. A cheap gas water heater heats water slowly, and its installation is complicated by the need to attract gas service specialists, turn off the gas, lay additional pipes and a ventilation duct, which can result in a serious amount. Gas boilers, which quickly heat up a significant amount of water, are quite expensive. It makes no sense to install such units in an apartment, but for a large country house they can be indispensable.

In cottages, it is customary to solve the issue of heating and hot water supply at the same time, installing double-circuit heating boilers, which also heat the water. This option is rather ideal than real, since more than one month passes between the construction of a house and its commissioning, and gas is supplied only to the officially commissioned building. In addition, the gasification process itself is also time-consuming. Therefore, in reality, the owners of erected country houses often first install an electric water heater, and then, after gas supply, they are limited to a single-circuit heating boiler.

Electric water heaters can be operated from the network:

single-phase, 220 volt,
three-phase, 380 volts.

The most powerful water heaters for the home, which quickly heat water, are designed to connect to a three-phase network, but they are expensive, require powerful wiring, expensive to operate, besides, three-phase electricity is far from everywhere. Most electric water heaters operate on a single-phase network. It is not recommended to install appliances that consume more than 5 kW in old comfortable city apartments and rural houses, as this can cause network overload.

In modern apartments, and even more so in cottages, the capacity of the water heater can be much higher, and the owner usually knows how many kilowatts he can consume in accordance with the project.

Many people think that having an electric heater has a big impact on bills. In fact, the presence of a permanent heater of average volume and average power costs a couple of hundred rubles a month.

Local selection of a water heater

If the project did not provide for a place for installing a water heater, then finding it is not so easy. Together with water, the structure weighs enough to make it difficult to attach it to a non-capital wall. In this regard, water heaters are produced:

floor,
wall.

Wall-mounted water heaters save space, while floor-standing water heaters stand securely on the floor and can hold large volumes of water without the risk of collapse.

If the wall-mounted option is chosen, it is worth measuring the height and width of the unit with a tape measure. These measurements will tell you what the permissible dimensions of the water heater are, and how it should be located. Wall-mounted units can be mounted:

horizontally,
vertically.

Horizontal tanks are usually purchased for installation in confined spaces. Some units have mounts that allow them to be hung both vertically and horizontally. This is very convenient in cases where the tank is purchased before it is decided where exactly it will hang.

There are water heaters that take up very little space and are installed under the sink, but they have a limited volume.

Selection of a water heater by volume

To determine the required volume of the tank, take into account its permissible dimensions, the number of family members and connection points. If hot water is needed only for washing dishes, it is enough to purchase a tank with a volume of 10 to 30 liters. If family members shower one after another, the volume should be significant, and if they take a bath, even more. The table will help to determine the volume of the tank:

Selection of a water heater by device type

The device of water heaters corresponds to one of three types:

cumulative,
flowing,
cumulative indirect heating.

Most often, consumers choose storage type water heaters. In such units, the entire volume of water is heated. They provide the required temperature, and once heating water to it, they only maintain it at the same level, so they are the most economical. It should be borne in mind that at full consumption of hot water, you will have to wait until it is heated up again, so it is important to correctly calculate the required size of the tank.

An instantaneous water heater is smaller in size, but the water in it does not have time to warm up to a very hot temperature, and they consume more electricity than storage water heaters. But taking into account the fact that heating is carried out only at the time of taking a shower or washing dishes, the costs are not so great. It is suitable for an apartment in case of a water cut-off, but its use will be comfortable only for lovers of a warm shower. For apartments with old wiring, it is better not to buy them, since the average power of an instantaneous water heater exceeds 6 kW.

Accumulative heaters of indirect heating are the most economical, as they work in tandem with a single-circuit heating boiler. In winter, they use the same energy that goes into heating. Its main disadvantage is its complex installation, which requires a tie-in into the heating system. The storage heater of indirect heating does not need to be connected to the mains, maintains a constant water temperature, and allows you to connect several plumbing devices.

Heaters of indirect heating are intended for installation in country or city private houses with an autonomous heating system.

Selection of a water heater by performance and power

The capacity of a water heater depends on its capacity and is measured in liters of hot water per minute that can be consumed. The strongest dependence on power is the performance of an instantaneous water heater. In order for water to be enough for the simultaneous execution of several tasks, its power must exceed 12 kW.

Large storage heaters consume about 2 kW, which allows them to be used in old apartments and rural houses with a limited electricity supply.

When deciding which water heater to choose, you should also take into account the number of heating elements - heating elements. There are models on the market:

with one heating element,
with two heating elements.

A heater with one heating element uses energy under the control of automation, and to maintain the temperature, it turns on the economy mode, but when the water is fully used, heating is slow. With a high flow rate of hot water, the model with two heating elements is preferable.

For heating, one will be used in an economical mode, but in the case of rapid use of a large volume, the second heating element will be connected at full capacity, so hot water will flow without interruption.

Other selection criteria

Modern water heaters are characterized by low heat loss, only up to a few degrees per day, thanks to the thermal insulation of the tanks with expanded polystyrene, fiberglass or polyurethane foam. When choosing a water heater, you can compare the indicators of heat loss in different models, if this parameter is indicated in the technical documentation.

The service life of the unit is very important. At best, it is indicated at 7 years, on average - 5. This parameter indicates the reliability of the water heater, since the manufacturer will not underestimate it for no apparent reason. The service life can directly depend on the material from which the tank is made and the quality of the anti-corrosion coating.

One of the most important criteria for choosing a heating device is its price. It depends on all of the above factors and the manufacturer's rating.

Major manufacturers of water heaters

The most popular in the class of inexpensive but reliable storage electric water heaters is the Ariston company. Water heaters of the Swedish manufacturer Electrolux are available at a price. It is considered the leader in the gas water heater segment. Its electric models are of high quality, but quite expensive, like the Bosh brand heaters. Inexpensive and high-quality heaters of the Thermex brand are gradually conquering the market, the Gorenje and Drazice units have earned good reviews. Manufacturer AEG is the market leader in compact water heaters.

The Drazice company is famous for its expensive, but productive models, designed for a private house with several bathrooms and toilets. Due to their high power, their connection requires a thick power cable, and due to their high weight, there may be problems with surface strengthening. A model with a capacity of about 150 liters can be purchased at a price of a little over twenty thousand rubles.

Ariston water heaters are characterized by fast heating, protection from power surges and pressure surges. A water heater of this brand with a volume of 80 liters can be purchased for about 12 thousand rubles.

Among cheap and high-quality water heaters, Thermex devices are quickly gaining ground, which are not inferior to Ariston products, but cost the consumer even cheaper. A model with a 50-liter tank can be purchased for about 8 thousand rubles.

Electrolux produces inexpensive instantaneous gas water heaters. They have a smooth temperature control function and are easy to install. Such a heater can be purchased at a price of 5 to 6 thousand.

The most economical electric water heaters are produced by Stiebel Eltron, but at the time of purchase they require significant costs. The popular 80-liter model costs the buyer more than 27 thousand rubles.

If you accurately determine the priority of the listed criteria, then the search on the Internet can be greatly facilitated, since most of the sites take them into account when searching for the desired model. After that, it is easier to order the product or find it in stores in your city.

On the Internet, you can find a video on how to choose a water heater:

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