Regular hot water supply is a real headache for many of our compatriots. Worn out networks and frequent repairs lead to the fact that even in the middle of winter you can be left without hot water.
That is why electric instantaneous water heaters are so popular . Reviews about them are very diverse, and therefore we decided to analyze the most common, making final conclusions about the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of equipment.
Principle of operation
Judging by the reviews, fans of the “flowers” are especially impressed by their ability to instantly heat water. He came home, stuck the plug in the socket ... and you can immediately wash or wash the dishes! Agree, with accumulative models in this regard is much more complicated.
The fact is that in such heaters a powerful heater is installed, which can immediately heat the water passing through it even under decent pressure (in theory).
Among other things, flow-type devices consume a relatively small amount of electricity, since they work strictly necessary time. If we talk about funded varieties, they spend a lot of energy on maintaining a given water temperature.
Other comments
In general, the power range of the “machinists” ranges from 5 to 27 kW. Reviews show that for taking a shower and washing dishes, most often enough device for a "modest" 8 kW. Such a flowing electric water heater, the price of which starts from 2-3 thousand rubles, is available to almost everyone. But only if you intend to splash around in the bathtub, which is filled from such a water heater, you need a 380 V network and specialists who will stretch it.
Moreover, the latter should not be saved: the wiring for such a powerful consumer should be done only by qualified electricians with normal experience, and not "Uncle Vasya" from a neighboring entrance, which once screwed in one of the many state-owned enterprises.
User Tips
So for what purpose can flow electric water heaters be used? Testimonials from people who actually use them indicate several areas of application.
- If the sources of hot water in the city are constantly unavailable, and the wiring allows the connection of such powerful consumers.
- In the form of a backup for short-term shutdowns of hot water.
- In that case, when you will use a water heater to provide builders of a country house with hot water.
In the latter case, a flowing electric water heater, the price of which is low, may well serve as an excellent one-time "heating pad", which is not a pity to send to a landfill after construction is completed. Considering that in the evening and in the morning (when there is a need for hot water) the network at the construction site is free, the wiring must withstand.
Reviews in this case are positive, since it is extremely important for builders that the speed of heating water for domestic purposes.
The aesthetic side of the issue
What else is good about electric instantaneous water heaters? The reviews indicate that their other attractive feature is compactness: such a device can be placed somewhere in the corner of the bathroom or kitchen, and it will be completely invisible. Compare this with the huge tank of the storage boiler!
Oddly enough, but this is where the main wave of enthusiasm ends. The fact is that the very principle of their work makes unacceptable for many houses and apartments in our country electric flowing water heaters. Reviews of people say that in the best case, before starting their operation, it will be necessary to completely change the wiring, which is far from affordable for everyone.
The fact is that for the most primitive model you need at least 5 kW, and if you want to wash not under a weak stream of water, but under a normal shower, it would be better to provide at least 10 kW. Needless to say, such an electrical network is not in every new cottage village.
In most villages, people don’t even think about buying instantaneous heaters, since the local network does not hold more than 3 kW.
Consumer Tips
The most positive reviews about those devices that have electronic stabilization of water temperature. Since instantaneous heaters increase the temperature of water almost instantly, it is desirable to be able to precisely regulate it, as otherwise even burns are possible. Despite all the existing shortcomings, there are many people who put up with them. Having studied their recommendations, we would like to share with you tips on what to look for when buying an instantaneous electric water heater. Which is better to purchase? Let's try to figure it out.
Consumers unanimously say that they should not buy cheap Chinese models, electronic components of which rarely withstand operation for more than a year. In the event of its failure, you can expect a lot of not too pleasant surprises, including rinsing with boiling water.
Combined solutions
It is advisable to buy a flow-type electric water heater complete with a battery water tank. The pages of the Internet are full of sad stories that tell of a sudden blackout right in the middle of the “bathing day”. If you have at least a small reserve of water in such a tank, then you can wash off the foam. Of course, it will not be very pleasant to complete the procedure in the complete absence of hot water, but in any case it is better than “soap races” around the apartment.
Thus, an instantaneous electric water heater is ideal for summer cottages. Of course, if you have the opportunity to make a separate tap from the meter, and also change the wiring to copper (if it has not changed for a long time). The reviews indicate that these devices are extremely useful, they “eat” relatively little electricity, and therefore are simply irreplaceable in some situations.
A huge plus is the fact that the scale on the heating element of such equipment simply does not have time to be deposited, so that these water heaters are almost not needed for maintenance.
Choosing the best model
Now you know what an electric instantaneous water heater is. How to choose the most optimal model that will fully meet your needs?
Of course, for this you need to analyze your requirements, since without it you will be ineptly spending your own money. First of all, why do you need a "protochnik"? If for a short-term supply of hot water at home, then take a look at the models from ELECTROLUX or ATMOR low and medium price category.
They cost between 1600-2500 thousand rubles, which makes them affordable even for buyers with a very limited budget. The power of such models ranges from 2.5 to 5 kW, which allows them to be used in most apartments and rural houses without the need for a major wiring upgrade.
In addition, in this price category you can find even a relatively good instantaneous electric water heater with shower. However, customer reviews immediately warn that one should not flatter oneself: the jet pressure is so-so, and when you try to add it, the water temperature drops significantly. The pleasure of washing with cool water is a bit.
Would you like a bath?
Thus, if you want to have something more substantial, you will need a normal instantaneous electric water heater for a shower. Models from THERMEX have proven themselves perfectly. Their cost is approximately 6-7 thousand rubles, which is not so much. As a rule, they are equipped with a mechanical temperature controller, the power is in the range of 5-8 kW.
In this case, all buyers already say that it is highly desirable to replace the wiring with a more reliable one. In addition, consumers are advised to use the services of a professional electrician, since for such power it is highly advisable to make a separate tap from the meter to avoid all sorts of troubles.
Most powerful varieties
Finally, instantaneous heaters for a constant and unlimited supply of hot water to the whole house - we strongly do not recommend saving money on such a purchase (!). The list of well-established manufacturers is wide: Bosh, ELECTROLUX, THERMEX, LG ... They have one thing in common - exactingness to operating conditions.
Despite the power of 10-15 kW, the wiring must withstand all 20 kW. The network is needed at 380 V. In addition, we strongly do not recommend that you do this kind of installation yourself, as the consequences can be sad. In the conditions of rural wooden houses it is generally undesirable to use such a powerful technique, since it is weakly correlated with the fire-fighting requirements of the relevant authorities.
In this case, it is better to purchase a more or less voluminous storage boiler, which is much safer in this regard.
In what cases is it undesirable to buy instantaneous heaters?
Having dealt with all the positive aspects and recommended manufacturers, let's discuss those situations in which the use of instantaneous heaters is not only pointless, but simply dangerous.
Firstly, it is better not to buy them if you need hot water regularly and in significant quantities, but even the meter in your apartment is designed for a maximum of 10-16 A. This is often found in our country. You can put a heater at 3 kW maximum (!), Which even in the most optimistic case can provide you with only warm water for washing dishes.
We talked about the fact that flow models are not too sensitive to hard water. This is so, but if you often get muddy water with impurities from the tap, it would be better to buy a regular boiler. Even the filter will not save the situation in this case: reviews indicate that instantaneous heaters clog extremely quickly with tiny organic impurities, after which their heating elements fail. Replacing them is unrealistic.
A little more about wiring ...
In addition, if your home has at least one junction of aluminum and copper wiring (which is very bad in itself), and even located close to the place where you are going to connect the "protochnik", the idea of buying it is not too good. In this case, there is a high probability of the formation of a galvanic pair and the destruction of the wire, which will almost certainly lead to a fire.
Buyers of flowing heaters confirm that during their operation, cheap Chinese outlets can heat up to such an extent that their melting begins. What this is fraught with, you can guess for yourself. So before installing such equipment, be sure to change not only the wires, but also other accessories, since it is not recommended to joke with such things.
Instead of a conclusion
In general, reviews of instantaneous electric water heaters are quite the same. As a rule, buyers are attracted by the ability to heat water almost instantly, they really like their compactness and extremely low cost.
But almost all of them agree that in most cases they have to pay a tidy sum for a complete replacement of wiring and the installation of more powerful automatic machines. In addition, there is no reserve of water (you can buy an additional accumulator), which is very important for rural areas and small towns, where it is not so rare to encounter water outages.
However, instantaneous electric water heaters, whose price (reviews are also quite good) are so low, quite deserve their part of the market as small and compact sources of hot water in case of its sudden disappearance from the tap.
In addition, no one will forbid you to combine two types of heaters: put a flowing model in the kitchen, which is quite enough for washing dishes, and even for the bathroom get a large boiler, which will additionally play the role of a water tank.