A high-quality water heater will serve its owners for more than a dozen years. Therefore, it is important to know what issues you need to pay attention to when choosing. Today, a large selection of boilers for heating water is on sale. They differ in many characteristics and device. Before you go to the store, you need to consider the rating of models, customer and specialist reviews about these devices, which will be presented later.
Device features
The storage boiler for heating water is a device that works from different energy sources. Most often, electric models are on sale. They are easy to install and operate, their installation does not require special permission. You can also purchase other types of devices that run on solar energy or gas.
When choosing, it is extremely important to determine in what conditions the boiler will be operated. For industrial enterprises, public baths, hospitals and other similar public institutions, large-capacity water heaters of 150-200 liters or even more are purchased. For home use, a tank of 100 liters or even less is enough.
Experts say that the correct installation of equipment can extend its life. Therefore, it is better to entrust this work to professionals. The owners of the house are required to choose a suitable model. Guided only by its appearance is not recommended. If the main criterion is only the aesthetic appearance of the tank, most likely, it will be necessary to change it already in the first year of service.
Varieties
One of the most popular varieties is an electric boiler. It is acquired in 90% of cases. The device is simple. It connects to a household network through an automatic machine or directly into a wall outlet (the electrical safety requirements must be taken into account).
The second type is an indirect hot water boiler. He can heat water in two ways. When the boiler is running at the owners of the house, it supplies water to the tank. From here, the owners spend it as needed. When there is no heating, the electric heater is turned on. It provides water heating. Such a system allows you to save on energy. Such a boiler is installed in private houses and cottages.
Another interesting type of water heaters is a device that is heated by the energy of the sun. It has a complete solar panel. This type of device is advisable to install residents of the southern regions. In winter, water will be heated by other equipment. In the summer it is much more economical to operate this type of boiler.
A gas boiler for heating water is extremely rare today. It is much more convenient and practical to use a column or a double-circuit boiler.
Basic structural elements
Since gas boilers for heating water, as well as indirect heating appliances and solar panels account for only 10% of customer demand, electrical models require more detailed consideration. They have a specific device. The main structural elements are tank, heater and thermostat.
The durability of the container depends on the quality of the assembly. The tank is made of different materials. At the same time, manufacturers use special technologies for welding seams. The inner coating of the container can be enameled, made of stainless steel or glass ceramic. The thicker the boiler wall, the more durable it is. In such tanks, the seams are durable.
TEN is a heating element of a design. It can be “dry” or “wet”. In the first case, the heating coil is coated with a non-metallic protective layer. This prevents the rapid destruction of the heater. If it is “wet”, it works on the principle of a boiler, which was lowered into the water. The spiral is made of copper. Inside it is a nichrome spiral.
Thermostat and anode
In any boiler, a thermostat is installed. It can be managed or hidden in the system. In the second case, the factory settings suggest that the water will be heated up to 95 º. After that, the heater is turned off. If the thermostat is brought to the surface of the housing, it can be controlled. In this case, the owners can set the heating temperature from 5 to 95 º.
The thermostat can be mechanical or electronic. In the second case, in some models, you can set the program by which the device will work. In those hours when the owners do not use water (when they are at work), heating will be minimal. Before they arrive, the boiler will heat enough water. This saves electricity.
An important element of any boiler is a magnesium anode. It looks like an elongated cylinder, which is installed next to the heater. The magnesium anode prevents the development of corrosion. It requires periodic replacement. The simpler, cheaper the model, the smaller the magnesium anode. It will be necessary to change it once a year. In high-quality mid-price and expensive models, the anode is quite large. It needs to be changed every 2-3 years.
Principle of operation
Electric models and indirect water heating boilers incorporate heating elements. They are constantly in the water. Heating is carried out when electricity is supplied to the heating element. This process is controlled by special sensors. When the temperature of the liquid in the tank becomes lower than the user set, the system automatically turns on the electricity supply.
When the user opens the water, it begins to flow through special pipelines from the tank. At this point, cold water is fed into the tank through another pipe. She remains at the bottom, gradually rising up. The pipe that draws hot water is located at the opposite edge of the tank. This allows the user to supply only hot water.
Gradually, the heated fluid in the tank becomes smaller. It is gradually mixed with cold water. In this case, the heater will turn on again. However, having consumed hot water, you will need to wait a certain time until it heats up again. The larger the tank, the longer it will take. However, voluminous boilers allow you to collect a bath of hot water, bathe in the shower and wash the dishes. Depending on the number of people choose a boiler.
Volume of the tank
Various water heaters are on sale. They can be very tiny or voluminous. The choice depends on the number of people who use hot water, as well as the features of the boiler. So, for 1 person, a 30 liter water heater model is quite suitable. However, in this case you have to wash in the shower. If you need to get a bath, you should purchase boilers to heat 50 liters of water.
The same tank volume is suitable for a family of 2 people. It will allow you to wash the dishes and take a shower. If the family consists of 3 people, it is better to buy a boiler of 80 liters. This is the most popular tank volume today. Such a boiler will allow all family members to take a shower wash in turn. You can also have a bath. However, in this case, you will need to wait until the water for the next person heats up.
For a family of 3-4 people, a 100-liter boiler is needed. Also on sale are tanks with a capacity of 150, 200 liters. They are intended for a large number of users. Many of these devices are classified as indirect heating boilers. However, there are purely electric models.
If the bathroom and the kitchen are far from each other, you will need to purchase 2 boilers. One of them is installed to supply water to the bathroom. This is a volumetric boiler of 50-100 liters. For the kitchen, you will need a small boiler from 5.5 to 15 liters. The choice depends on the number of people who live in the house, and the amount of dishes that need to be washed with water from such a heater.
The form
A boiler for heating water of 100 liters, 80 liters or other varieties can have different shapes. So, a tank is considered standard, which has a circle in cross section and also has the appearance of a barrel. Such boilers are made in the form of a cylinder. They may seem voluminous. Many owners do not like this form. However, because of the simplicity of its design, a standard boiler is the most durable.
There are also elongated models. In this case, there will also be a circle in the cross section, but its diameter will be very small. In this case, the tank will be very elongated, resembling a pipe. Such models are installed in a room with a sufficient ceiling height. They are not able to fit into every interior. If the room is small and elongated up, such a boiler will only add disharmony.
One of the beautiful varieties of boilers is a flat tank. It can have one oval or two round containers inside. Experts say that such boilers are less durable. This is due to the features of such designs. High-quality expensive models can last 7-10 years, subject to regular maintenance.
Installation Features
Most often, families purchase boilers for heating water of 80 liters or more. Such containers differ in significant dimensions. Therefore, the question arises of how and where to install the water heater. Most often, such devices are mounted to a wall in a bathroom or toilet. At the same time, the dimensions of the space are taken into account. Even in a small toilet of ordinary Khrushchev, you can install a standard vertical boiler with a capacity of 80 liters. Some owners believe that this will cause some inconvenience. This is not true. The boiler fits into such a limited space.
In the bathroom, you need to take into account the dimensions of free space. You can install the boiler both vertically and horizontally. It should be noted that models of both categories are on sale. Some of them can be universal (installed both vertically and horizontally).
Installation must be entrusted to a specialist. This work requires taking into account a number of nuances. Vertical models cannot be installed horizontally, and vice versa. Therefore, when buying, you must immediately clarify in what position the boiler should be in operation.
Manufacturer's Reviews
Today, many foreign and domestic companies produce electric boilers for heating water. Product prices may vary significantly. This is affected by the material of the inner tank and its thickness, the type of heating element, thermostat, etc. Also, the price depends on the country in which the heater was manufactured.
Experts say that the highest quality products today are made by the German brand Bosch, Italian Ariston (the plant is also located in Russia), Swedish Electrolux. However, it is very important to consider in which country this or that boiler was produced. For example, Electrolux brand boiler models can be manufactured in China. They are significantly inferior in quality to European-made products.
A wide variety of models is represented by the Slovenian brand Gorenje. In the manufacture of its products, the company applies innovative technologies.
Domestic-made boilers manufactured by Thermex are also in demand. The brand specializes in producing only water heating tanks. Other manufacturers produce many other types of household appliances.
The best water heaters 30 l
Judging by customer reviews, 3 models are recognized as the best boilers for heating 30 l of water in our country. The first place in the ranking goes to the Polaris FDRS-30V water heater. Its cost is 10 thousand rubles.
The second place in the ranking is occupied by the Ariston ABS BLUE EVO RS model. The cost is 6.5 thousand rubles. Also, buyers recognized the quality of a Timberk SWH SE1 10 VU boiler worth 6 thousand rubles.
The best water heaters 50 l
Choosing a boiler for heating water of 50 l, you need to pay attention to the following models. The first place in the ranking is held by the Timberk SWH RS7 model. The cost is 14 thousand rubles.
The second place goes to the Electrolux EWH water heater. Its price is 12 thousand rubles. The third place in the ranking is occupied by the model of the domestic manufacturer Thermex Champion ER worth 6.5 thousand rubles.
The best water heaters 80-100 l
Choosing among the models a boiler for heating water (100 liters), the price of which would remain acceptable, and the quality is high, it is worth paying attention to the Gorenje GBFU. Its cost is 13 thousand rubles. Another model of this manufacturer OTG 100 SLSIMB6 is also in demand. It costs less - from 11 thousand rubles. The best boiler of 80 liters recognized Hyundai H-DRS. Its price is 10 thousand rubles.
Having considered the features of the choice of boilers for heating water, you can choose the optimal model.