Top 10 tips for choosing a water heater for an apartment

Who is the best manufacturer of water heaters for an apartment?

Timberk

Electrolux

Ariston

Oasis

Gorenje

Total voted: 1

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Among electric water heaters for installation in an apartment, they choose between a flow and storage boiler. The principle of operation of such devices differs in the method of supplying, heating water. Consider the pros and cons of each type of heating device.

Flowing water heaters. The device heats the water at the moment of its supply to the point of analysis. Installed directly on the mixer. There is a heating element in the body of the device, which increases the temperature of the liquid as it moves. To supply water to the system, the device is equipped with a pressure switch. A power breaker (if the water gets too hot or a pressure surge occurs) and a pressure stabilizer are responsible for safe use.

Flow models have their advantages: the small size of the device does not take up much space, simple installation and quick installation, high speed of water heating, low cost from 2000 rubles. The downsides are also obvious. The instantaneous water heater can only be installed on one mixer, the device cannot provide several points of analysis with hot water. The device consumes a lot of energy, has a lot of power - you will have to install a separate electrical wiring line, since plugging into a regular outlet is fraught with knocking out the machines. And, finally, there are restrictions on the degree of heating - the final degree depends on the temperature of the cold water in the system. Often the water coming out of the faucet is warm rather than hot.

storage boilers. The most popular type of heaters for apartments.The device in the form of a tank with a heating element inside is installed on the water supply line, the hot water supply is diluted to all points of analysis. Inside the sealed tank, water accumulates, warms up to a certain temperature, which is constantly maintained automatically as the liquid is consumed. The check valve is responsible for regulating the pressure inside the tank.

The advantages of such devices include providing the entire living space with hot water, the ability to choose the volume of the tank, energy savings (consumption does not exceed 3 kW / h), energy efficiency due to heat conservation due to high-quality thermal insulation of the body. Cons: Waiting time for the first heating of a full tank, which can be up to several hours depending on the volume of the tank and the power of the heating element. Compared to instantaneous water heaters, storage boilers cost more.

The diversity of water heater manufacturing companies can be confusing. Popular companies are the market leaders in flow and storage boilers.

Electrolux - a company from Sweden offers several lines of flow and storage devices in the budget and medium price range.

Thermex is an international company headquartered in Italy. Under the brand, the best models of storage and flow type are produced. The production uses innovative technologies that are developed in our own technical laboratories.

Ariston - a trademark from Italy produces reliable and ergonomic equipment. Under the brand, storage boilers are produced.

Gorenje - a Slovenian company supplies the Russian market with unpretentious, reliable and inexpensive models of storage and instantaneous water heaters.

Polaris - Swiss quality and affordable cost of storage and instantaneous water heaters make the brand popular among buyers in Russia.

Hyundai - the largest South Korean conglomerate offers electric flow and storage boilers with an original design, powerful functionality.

Atlantic is the leader of the European market, a French concern, whose share of sales of storage boilers in the EU was 50%. Water heaters are presented in horizontal, vertical execution.

You can also pay attention to such brands as Hajdu (Hungary), BAXI (Italy), Oasis (Russia). The water heaters of these companies have decent characteristics and many positive user reviews.

The water temperature rises due to the operation of the heating element - a tubular electric heater. In flow devices, a heating element or a spiral heating element is installed, in storage boilers - a hollow tubular one. In fact, this is a consumable component that will eventually require replacement. The duration of the operation of the part depends on its type.There are "dry" closed and "wet" open heating elements.

Open - the hollow tube is in contact with water on the outside, therefore such a heating element is called "wet". They are made of copper or stainless steel, while the metal is alloyed and coated with a protective layer. The tube can be straight or curved; in the second option, the area of ​​the heating element increases and the water heats up faster.

Closed - such a steatite heating element does not directly have access to heated water, as it is enclosed in a ceramic or metal flask. Such a casing evenly transfers heat from the heating element to the liquid, leaving the heater itself dry. Inside the bulb is a dielectric that prevents short circuits.

If it is difficult to decide on the choice of heating element, you need to pay attention to the following nuances. "Wet" the element heats the water faster, models with this type of heating element are somewhat cheaper. However, the service life of an open electric heater is less than that of a “dry” one due to the deposition of scale and dirt. To increase the operating period, it is necessary to carry out preventive cleaning of the heater or its complete replacement once every 1-2 years. "Dry" the heating element will last longer, but such a part costs more. At the same time, due to indirect contact, the temperature of the water rises more slowly.

A closed steatite heating element is preferable if you have hard water - deposits on the flask will not lead to burnout of the heater, will not reduce the efficiency of the device. The price of models with a “wet” heating element is less, the cost of the part itself is low, in case of replacement, repairs will be inexpensive.

Storage water heaters are produced in the form of a cylinder or a rectangle."Barrel" is the most common design, models are cheaper due to ease of production. However, such a boiler takes up a lot of space. Rectangular flat water heaters are more compact, save space, can be installed in specially equipped niches, cabinets. You can also select a horizontal or vertical fixture. When every square meter is important, it is better to consider a flat model with the possibility of installation under the ceiling or a vertical one for installation in a niche.

The volume of the boiler is selected based on the needs of the inhabitants of the apartment and the number of hot water outlets. You can focus on the following indicators.

• 1 person washes from one tap - 10-15 liters.
• 2 people use the sink, one of them takes a shower - 30-50 liters.
• 2 users wash, wash dishes and take a shower - 50-80 liters.
• 3 consumers use a washbasin, a kitchen sink and a shower - 80-100 liters.

If the water intake from three points (sink, washbasin and shower) is supposed to take a bath in turn by 4 or 5 inhabitants of the apartment, then a boiler of 120-150 liters will satisfy the need for hot water.

In flow and, to a greater extent, in storage water heaters, the coating of the inner surface must protect against corrosion. In boilers with a tank, protection against scale settling is also necessary. Manufacturers can use enamel, glass-ceramic or stainless steel for coating. The tank, enameled from the inside, is reliably protected from rust, even with significant temperature changes. Magnesium dioxide is added to the coating composition, which increases the strength of the protective layer. Additional additives are also introduced into glass ceramics, due to which the coating does not crack and is resistant to corrosion. Such boilers serve for a long time, provided that the tank is not subjected to shock, mechanical damage.

But still the best tank option is a stainless steel tank. Durable material is protected from chemical and mechanical corrosion, resistant to deformation. But even such a tank has a weak point - a welding seam. Without proper protection, it first begins to rust, although modern boilers provide for the treatment of the metal joint with an anti-corrosion coating. In order to provide additional protection of the tank and the open heating element from rusting, all water heaters today are pre-installed with a magnesium anode, which repels scale and prevents erosion on the metal, while the tank itself serves as the cathode.

This parameter affects the rate of water heating.In storage devices, the power indicator usually varies from 1.5 to 3 kW / h. For example, a water heater with a volume of 80 liters with a power of 1.5 kW will heat up to 60 ° C in 2.5 hours. If the heater's power is increased to 2.5 kW, the desired temperature will be reached in 1 hour 40 minutes. The advantage of a storage boiler is that at the next service it is possible to replace the heating device with a more powerful one. Such manipulation will be inexpensive, but will significantly increase the energy efficiency of the device.

In instantaneous water heaters, the situation is different. The power of the device should be enough to instantly increase the temperature of a good water pressure, and a 3 kW heating element can only heat a thin stream to a warm state. For comfortable washing dishes, flow-through appliances with power ratings of 5-7 kW are suitable, however, for taking a shower, the water will still be cool. A full-fledged hot water supply will be provided by a flow-type device with a heating element of at least 15-20 kW. But it is dangerous to connect such devices to ordinary wiring - the power of a household outlet is designed for 3-3.5 kW, which means that when the water heater is turned on, the safety switch will work. The best option is to output a separate line to the boiler or connect to a three-phase network.

The indicator of the maximum heating temperature is more relevant for the storage device.The higher the allowable limit, the less hot water is consumed when mixed with cold water. However, there is a risk of burns if the faucet is accidentally opened. And yet it is better to choose a boiler with heating up to 75-85 ° C. You can always set the maximum values ​​manually, for example 60°C, and if necessary, increase the heating to the maximum.

When buying a water heater in an apartment, especially if it is located on the lower floors of the building, you must carefully select the “permissible pressure” parameter. Ordinary urban water supply networks have pressure indicators of 4 bar, but water hammer often occurs in them and the values ​​\u200b\u200bare doubled. Therefore, it is better to select a boiler with a permissible pressure of 8-10 bar, so you will protect the device from bursting, and your apartment from flooding with hot water.

Modern storage boilers can have a mechanical or electrical control system. for settings. Devices with mechanical control are easy to operate, have limited ability to regulate the work. On the panel there is a rotary switch with which you can manually set the maximum temperature. There may also be an indication of turning the heating on and off, to control the temperature - a mechanical thermometer with an arrow. Such a control system is reliable, practically does not fail, since it has a minimum number of elements.

Electronic control provides more options for adjusting the parameters of the water heater. Usually touch or physical buttons, LED-display, light indication are installed on the control panel.The advantages of such a system are precise temperature control up to one degree, the ability to select modes, set the on and off time. More expensive models of boilers can be integrated into the smart home ecosystem, interact with virtual assistants Yandex, Google. However, the vulnerability of the system becomes a disadvantage of control - there is a risk that the electronics will fail.

A device for heating water installed in an apartment is a source of danger. There are risks of getting burned, electric shock or flooding the apartment with hot water. Therefore, when choosing a boiler, it is necessary to study what protection elements are installed in the device. Ideally, the device should have:

heating controller – with it you can set the maximum possible temperature. This is especially necessary in families where children can use the faucet on their own. Setting a lower temperature setting will prevent burns.

Overheat protectiona - automatic shutdown of the power supply when the water temperature in the tank reaches critical values. So that the storage tank does not burst when water boils, and the instantaneous water heater does not fail, the usual automation of the device is not enough, a system of protection against overheating is needed.

Safety (check) valve - provided for storage water heaters from the bottom of the body. With excessive pressure, such a device, by bleed, helps to stabilize it.

In the water heater, instantaneous and storage, there must be dry start protection. In the absence of water, the included heating element quickly fails.

Depending on the installation location of the water heater, the intensity of its use, you should also pay attention to additional functions and parameters of the device. So, in storage devices, an important indicator is the thickness of the heat-insulating layer. Inside the case, between the outer shell and the inner tank, a heat-retaining material with a thickness of at least 35 mm must be installed. This will ensure a long cooling of the water and reduce energy consumption. Moisture protection indicators for the device, which is installed in the bathroom, must be at least IP44. For other premises, it is possible to install a water heater with IP23 degree of protection.

The length of the electric cable - this parameter must be taken into account during installation. If the cable is short and does not reach the power point, you will have to bring the outlet closer to the water heater, since the use of extension cords and adapters is undesirable. The presence of a timer on the storage boiler will make it possible to turn on the device at certain hours, for example, at night, which will reduce the cost of electricity consumption.