How to choose a water heater that won't disappoint

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Eight simple steps for those who do not want to freeze in the shower and overpay for light.

1. Find out what water heaters are

Electric and gas. The latter are usually called columns and are rarely installed because of the heap of room requirements. Therefore, we will focus on the former. They are divided into flow and storage.

Instantaneous water heaters

They are based on a spiral heater enclosed in a small heat exchanger. The device turns on when you open the tap and instantly heats up the water passing through it. After closing the mixer, a special sensor turns off the heating element.

In budget models, the heating temperature is regulated hydraulically, by reducing or increasing the pressure. The larger the jet, the faster the water passes through the heat exchanger and, accordingly, has less time to heat up.

Really hot water can be obtained only by reducing the pressure to a thin stream.

Expensive groovers boast an electronic control mechanism and variable wattage heating elements. Such devices allow you to adjust the temperature regardless of the pressure. True, it will still be less than that of boilers.

What to buy

• Instantaneous water heater from Timberk, 3 490 rubles →
• Instantaneous water heater from Proffi, 3,990 rubles →
• Instantaneous water heater from Stiebel Eltron, 11 895 rubles →

Storage water heaters

These are containers with a heating element and a thermostat that heat the water to a predetermined temperature. They are often referred to as boilers.

A layer of thermal insulation makes the tank look like a thermos, and once heated water remains hot for a day or more. Unlike flow pipes, the boiler does not work instantly: depending on the volume, the initial heating takes from 40 minutes to 2-3 hours. But then the water is heated as it is consumed, and there are no more delays.

What to buy

• Accumulative water heater from Haier for 50 liters, 5,990 rubles →
• Accumulative water heater from Ariston for 30 liters, 7 490 rubles →
• Accumulative water heater from Hyundai for 80 liters, 17,990 rubles →

2. Assess the availability of free space

This is probably the most important parameter that directly affects the choice.

Instantaneous water heaters take up the least space. The smallest versions are almost the same size as a conventional mixer. Wall mounted models are comparable to hand dryers.

If there is not enough free space, your choice is an instantaneous water heater.

Due to the water tank, the boilers are more impressive in size. Miniature models for 10-15 liters can be placed under a sink or in a cabinet, but heaters with a volume of 50-80 liters resemble a medium-sized barrel. These take up almost the entire wall and may not fit in a small bathroom.

What to buy

• Instantaneous water heater-tap from Proffi, 3 490 rubles →
• Small instantaneous water heater from Stiebel Eltron, 17 790 rubles →
• Compact boiler from Hyundai for 40 liters, 8 990 rubles →
• Big boiler from Timberk for 200 liters, 43 490 rubles →

3. Check connectivity

It is possible to connect to a regular outlet - subject to modern wiring with grounding - water heaters with a capacity of no more than 3.5 kW are possible. Almost any boilers fit into this border, but with flowing ones it is more and more difficult.

Only the simplest versions in mixer format have a power rating. More efficient models are equipped with heaters of 5–8 kW and higher. And to power them, you will need a separate cable with a cross section of 4 mm² or more, laid from the switchboard.

The boiler can be installed and connected in almost any apartment. There can be problems with flutes in old houses.

In addition, the allocated power for the apartment is important. In old houses like Khrushchev's, it ranges from 1.5 to 3 kW, in fresher panels - 5 kW, and in apartments with electric stoves - 7 kW. And only in new buildings can it reach 15 kW.

What to buy

• Ariston horizontal instantaneous water heater for outlet, 2,990 rubles →
• Horizontal boiler from Timberk for the outlet, 11 345 rubles →

4. Count the number of taps

As a rule, instantaneous water heaters are designed for use at one point, for example, a washbasin. More powerful devices that cut into the water supply are capable of providing hot water for a sink and shower, but at the same time they are demanding on the connection line and are much more expensive.

With the correct storage capacity, you can simultaneously wash dishes and take a shower or even fill the bathtub.

What to buy

• Flowing water heater from Zanussi for the kitchen, 2 690 rubles →
• Average boiler from Electrolux for 50 liters, 6 890 rubles →
• Big boiler from Timberk for 300 liters, 49,990 rubles →

5. Consider the heating rate

Powerful heating elements in flow-through heaters allow you to bring water to the desired temperature almost instantly: after 20-25 seconds, instead of cold, warm water will go from the tap.

In boilers, everything is exactly the opposite. Due to the low power heating elements, the initial heating takes a long time. For 15 liter tanks this is about 40 minutes, for 80 liter models it is about 3 hours. Then heating occurs automatically and imperceptibly.

If you need a little hot water and not so often, choose an instantaneous heater. In other cases, the boiler will be more profitable.

What to buy

• Instantaneous heater from Thermex, 2 590 rubles →
• Boiler from Ariston with fast heating function, 18 490 rubles →

6. Don't forget about the temperature

Manufacturers indicate a maximum temperature of 60 ° C, but in practice it turns out to be something around 40 ° C. In this case, the set temperature can strongly depend on the pressure drops in the pipes.

Boilers calmly heat up to 75 ° C. The preset temperature can only decrease at an increased flow rate, when part of the accumulated hot water is used, and the new one has not yet appeared.

In this case, both types of water heaters depend on the temperature of the cold water at the inlet. In summer it is about 15 ° C, and in winter it drops to 5 ° C.

And if the boiler simply needs more time to heat up, then the power of the flow pipe may not be enough at all to warm up to a comfortable temperature.

In general, if you need a good flow of hot water, buy a boiler. The protochnik will give out really hot only with a thin stream.

What to buy

• Instantaneous water heater from Electrolux, 14,990 rubles →
• Accumulative water heater from Zanussi for 100 liters, 21 490 rubles →

7. Estimate energy consumption

Since the water heats up immediately in the flow pipes, they are equipped with very powerful heating elements. Even in the simplest model there will be a heating element of 3.5 kW, not to mention more efficient ones, where this figure is 5, or even all 8 kW.

In boilers, water is heated slowly. Therefore, even in devices with a storage volume of 100-200 liters, heaters of more than 2 kW are rarely installed. And in some versions of the heating element, it is even 1.5 kW.

Due to the lower power of the heating elements, the electricity bills when using the boiler, all other things being equal, will be lower.

What to buy

• Kitchen instantaneous heater from Atmor for 3.5 kW, 1 949 rubles →
• Storage heater from Ariston for 1.5 kW, 16 390 rubles →

8. Decide on a budget

Prices for instantaneous water heaters start at 2,000 rubles for mobile versions in the form of mixers and reach 15,000 rubles for stationary models that cut into the water supply system and work at two or three points of parsing.

Storage heaters cost from 3,000 to 18,000 rubles. A miniature boiler for 25-30 liters will cost about 5,000 rubles, versions for 80-100 liters will cost 11,000-15,000 rubles.

If the budget is limited, a compact instantaneous water heater will be the best purchase.

What to buy

• Instantaneous water heater from Hyundai, 2 399 rubles →
• Boiler from Electrolux for 50 liters, 6 890 rubles →
• Accumulative heater from Ariston for 100 liters, 9,990 rubles →

Briefly about how to choose a water heater

An instantaneous water heater is suitable for you if:

• there is very little space in the bathroom;
• the apartment has new wiring;
• hot water is needed only in one place - either in the kitchen or in the bathroom;
• do not want to wait long;
• only water heating is needed and mainly in the summer;
• water is rarely heated and energy consumption is not important;
• do not want to spend extra money.

A storage water heater is suitable for you if:

• there is enough free space or you do not mind installing a boiler in the toilet;
• the allocated power for the apartment is low, and the wiring is old;
• you need a full hot water supply for the kitchen and bathroom;
• the amount of hot water is more important than the speed of its heating;
• you like hot water, not lukewarm;
• you use hot water frequently and want to save on electricity;
• the budget for the purchase is average or unlimited.