How to choose an electric water heater
A civilized resident cannot do without hot water. Comfortable living, in our time, is necessary not only to the city dweller, but also to the summer resident, and even more so to the owner of a country house. Electric water heaters come to the rescue.
Content
- What is an electric water heater
- Instantaneous electric water heaters video
- Non-pressure instantaneous electric water heater
- Pressure flow-through electric water heater
- Electric Water Heater Management
- Advantages and disadvantages of instantaneous electric water heaters
- Accumulative electric water heaters video
- Materials used for the manufacture of internal tanks
- Heating elements (heating elements)
- How to choose a flow or storage water heater video
What is an electric water heater
Heating water with electricity is the easiest option.
Electric water heaters have more advantages than disadvantages.
Small dimensions and low cost - this is the main advantage of an electric water heater.
All electric water heaters consist of a housing, it is easier to say from the tank in which the heating element is located.
According to the principle of operation, they are all divided into two types - flow-through and accumulative.
Instantaneous electric water heaters
Instantaneous electric water heaters, regardless of model, have a very simple design.
There is a housing in which several heating elements are located - this is a heating unit, heating elements can be located in a bulb or in a heat-resistant fluoroplastic casing, in addition there is a control and safety device.
Flowing electric water heaters are divided into non-pressure and pressure water heaters.
Non-pressure instantaneous electric water heater
At a non-pressure instantaneous water heater, a tap is installed at the inlet, which shuts off cold water.
Such a model is successfully used at one point of draw-off, has a small capacity, and is often sold together with a shower head or tap.
It is very convenient to use in the country, it successfully copes with providing hot water to a separate room.
Pressure flow-through electric water heater
Pressure electric water heaters are connected to a water supply network, which is under constant pressure.
Such water heaters are more powerful, capable of providing water analysis of several points, moreover, working simultaneously.
A pressurized electric water heater can operate in a non-pressure mode, and a non-pressure instantaneous water heater cannot be used to connect to a high-pressure network, since the internal tank will not withstand high pressure.
Electric Water Heater Management
Electric water heaters are mechanically or electronically controlled. The control system ensures that the heater is turned on and off at the right time.
The mechanical or hydraulic control includes all the heating elements depending on the change in the position of the membrane; it has a mechanical drive on the contact block.
Electronic control is able to turn on the heating elements, gradually focusing on the flow, temperature and pressure of water.
The electronic system allows you to save electricity, reduces water consumption, is able to maintain a constant temperature of the outlet water.
Electronically controlled models have a higher price, these are more powerful heaters and can serve several points of drawdown.
Advantages and disadvantages of instantaneous electric water heaters
The advantages of instantaneous electric heaters include small size and light weight, ease of installation and installation.
Such water heaters are very convenient to use for periodic operation.
Electricity consumption occurs only at the moment of water flow through the heater, while everything that heats up is used and the heat loss is very small.
The disadvantage is the restrictions associated with the consumption of electric power.
Manufacturers produce different models for single-phase connection from 2.5 to 10 kW.
With a three-phase connection, the power can reach up to 30 kW.
The whole question is where to get this power, since the electrical wiring in the house is designed for power not exceeding 6 kW. and therefore it’s quite problematic to put a powerful water heater in the house.
Consultation with the power supply organization is necessary and the result is most likely to be a replacement of the wiring or bringing a new network to the water heater.
When buying a water heater, you need to pay attention to the power spent on the difference in the temperature of the water at the inlet and outlet, since the cold water entering the water heater in summer and winter can have a difference of up to 15 * C, so the electric heater, working in winter, may simply not cope .
Those. you need to look in the documentation for the water heater about the declared temperature difference at the inlet and outlet.
Accumulative electric water heaters
Accumulative electric water heaters can provide a fairly large volume of hot water per unit time.
These water heaters can operate from a conventional power supply network; for a household model of a water heater, electrical wiring is not necessary.
You can also use such water heaters on poor wiring, as the water is heated gradually and is consumed as it is consumed.
Such water heaters are provided with tanks of various capacities from 5 to 500 liters.
Widely used are water heaters with a tank volume of 30 to 200 liters.
Most models are wall mounted and only very large are installed on the floor.
Storage water heaters for wall mounting can differ in the way they are installed - there are wall mounted water heaters horizontal or vertical, some models can be installed both vertically and horizontally.
Accumulative water heaters are pressureless and pressureless.
Non-pressure water heaters have a water shut-off valve before entering the tank.
If the faucet opens, cold water displaces hot water.
Such heaters usually have a small tank volume and are suitable for a single point of analysis of water.
Pressure water heaters have become more widespread; they are able to service several points of drawdown.
Materials used for the manufacture of internal tanks
The internal tank of water heaters is a steel enamel or glass-ceramic tank.
The requirements for enamel are quite high, ideally, the enamel and the material of the tank should have the same coefficient of thermal expansion - this eliminates the appearance of cracks.
Different manufacturers use enamels of various compositions and apply them in different ways.
Sometimes tanks are made of stainless steel, small volume water heaters, sometimes they have a copper or plastic tank.
Water heaters with an enamelled tank can last a very long time, but in order to extend the service life it is necessary to periodically check and change the protective magnesium anode. The magnesium anode neutralizes corrosion by applying an opposite current.
Stainless steel tanks can leak in the weld areas, if low quality steel is used to save money, the service life of the entire water heater is reduced, since such a tank cannot be repaired.
Conscientious manufacturers give a guarantee for tanks up to 10 years.
Heating elements (heating elements)
Heating elements for water heaters usually use heating elements, they are produced in various shapes, in addition, heating elements are sometimes placed to reduce the formation of scale in an enameled flask.
One or two heating elements are enough for normal operation of the water heater.
How to choose a flow or storage water heater
To heat an equal amount of water, both types of water heaters, both flow and storage, consume the same amount of electricity, the difference is only in the heating time.
Storage water heaters have a higher price, their dimensions are larger than those of flowing ones and they won’t be able to quickly heat water, and they will have more heat loss.
Therefore, if you use water periodically, it is better to choose a flow model, and if you use hot water constantly, it is more convenient and cheaper to install a storage model.
Each consumer selects the volume of the tank for his water consumption.
