To solve the problem of hot water in an apartment or private house, in the country you can heat water using electric water heaters. There are several types, and in order to decide which water heater is best for your situation, you need to know their advantages, disadvantages and operating features of each type of water heating equipment.

What types of household water heaters are there and how do they differ?

• flow type - heat the water passing through the device;
• storage type - the water in the heater tank is heated;
• flow-storage - have two operating modes;
• liquid

It’s difficult to say which water heater is better. If we talk about appearance, the main external difference is the size. Cumulative models are large, flow-through models are small. But size is not all that is needed to understand what is best for you. You need to know the advantages and disadvantages of each type of equipment.

Cumulative models

A storage water heater (also known as a boiler) has a capacity of considerable size - from 30 to 200 liters. Inside there is a heating element - heating element. It may be one or several. The heating elements can be switched on in parallel (they always work simultaneously) or in cascades (they are switched on as needed). When switched on in cascade, there are several heating modes for more efficient energy consumption.

Many more models contain a thermometer to conveniently control the water temperature and a thermostat to maintain the set temperature. The desired temperature is set by turning the thermostat control knob to a certain position.

A storage water heater constantly contains a certain volume of water. It is heated using electric heaters. There are two types:

• heating element ( T ribbed E lectro N heater). Inexpensive classic solution. They are quick and easy to change; any specialty store has a wide selection in stock. Disadvantage - it takes a long time to heat the water.
• Spiral heating element. More powerful heaters that quickly heat large volumes of water allow you to accurately maintain the desired temperature. But they are more expensive (affects the price of the water heater), and their replacement is also more difficult.

Operating principle

Regardless of the type of heater installed, the principle of operation of a storage water heater is the same. When the set temperature is reached, the thermostat turns off the power supply and heating stops. Further, the temperature is maintained automatically. When the water cools by 1 degree or cold is added to the tank during consumption, the heating is turned on. As soon as the set temperature is reached (or rather, a degree higher than the set one), heating stops. This is how automatic storage water heaters work. They are convenient because they do not overheat (if the automation is working properly) and you always have hot water available, which is heated the way you wanted. Such equipment usually has two operating modes - with temperature maintenance or without - in manual mode.

To keep the water temperature as long as possible, insulation is used. It is placed between the walls of the tank and the body. With good thermal insulation, even with hot water, the body remains cold, maybe a little warm. It is clear that if the temperature lasts a long time, the costs of maintaining it are small. Even if you turn off the keep warm function, the water will be hot even after 24 hours.

There are very simple electric water heaters that do not have a thermostat. They are turned on/off by a toggle switch - manually. As you understand, in this case there is a possibility that the water heater will boil and fail (if you forget to turn it off).

There is one more nuance - stepwise activation of heating elements. There are usually two or more of them installed in a housing, and several heating modes are also available. One is more powerful, in which all heaters are turned on, the rest are softer - one or two heating elements can work, depending on their total number. What is this for? In summer you can use heating in a gentle mode - the water will heat up quickly, in winter they usually use all heaters - wait less. In general, you can regulate the heating rate of the boiler in this way. If you have drained all the hot water and need the next batch quickly, turn it on at full power, there is no such need - you can avoid overloading the networks by turning it on at half power.

What materials are tanks made of and features of their maintenance?

Storage water heater tanks are made of stainless and ordinary steel. Regular steel is covered with protective layers of enamel; stainless steel does not need them. From this point of view, it is easy to say which water heater is better - with a stainless steel tank. But it is also more expensive. But the service life of such equipment is much longer - the enamel, even the highest quality, flakes off over time.

To extend the service life of the enameled coating, magnesium anodes are installed in storage steel water heaters. They require periodic replacement - they “melt” during operation, and their condition is monitored by a special sensor with an indicator displayed on the front panel. The status of the indicator monitors the need to replace the anode.

How to choose and which one is better

In most cases, storage water heaters are installed in private houses or in apartments in multi-storey buildings where there is no centralized supply of hot water. Equipment is selected according to tank volume. If you don’t like restrictions, you can calculate it at the rate of 50 liters of hot water per family member. This should be enough. In the tank it heats up to, say, 70°. It is unrealistic to use this, you will dilute it. As a result, there will be 100-150 liters of warm water per person (depending on the temperature of the water in the water supply). This does not take into account the fact that during consumption the water is also heated.

Everything is clear about the material of the tanks: if it is possible, it is better to take a storage electric water heater with a stainless steel tank. The number of operating modes is not so critical, but it is also a good option, although such models, due to their more complex circuitry, are more expensive.

About which company is better to choose. No one can objectively tell you which water heater is better - people have different needs and requests. But we can draw some conclusions from operating experience. People speak well of storage heaters from the following companies:

• Termex. If we talk about prices for water heaters with a stainless steel tank, then this company has no competitors in terms of price. It’s hard to say about the quality, reviews vary.
• Real. Good storage boilers, the main thing is that you have the consumables in your city.
• OSO. Very good, but expensive.
• Electrolux (AEG). Well-known company with stable quality.

Instantaneous water heaters

The instantaneous water heater has more modest dimensions. This is a small box that is attached to the wall. Inside there is also a tank with a heating element, but their dimensions are very miniature, and heating elements usually have the form of a spiral - in order to better heat the passing water.

One of the necessary elements is a flow sensor. It monitors the appearance of water movement in the device (the tap is opened) and sends a command to turn on the heating element. When the tap closes, the flow sensor turns off the power supply.

There is also a thermostat that sets the water temperature. It may be a rotary type with a scale; there are models with an electronic display with push-button or touch controls.

Pressure and non-pressure instantaneous water heaters, their connection

There are two options for instantaneous water heaters - system and individual. System ones cut into cold and hot water risers, also called pressure ones. Several points can be provided at once - for example, a shower, sink and washbasin. There are 220 V system instantaneous water heaters with relatively low power consumption (about 8-9 kW), but they can heat a small amount of water. There are very powerful units - up to 32 kW, but they are three-phase - 380 V.

There are two broad classes of pressure flowers.

Individual instantaneous water heaters - non-pressure - are connected to cold water. At the outlet they have a flexible hose with a nozzle or, as an option, a faucet for washing. These devices are good for periods when the hot water supply is turned off or as a solution to the problem of hot water in the country.

Please note that the shut-off valve is only for supply and you can only turn off hot water using it. Connecting shut-off valves at the outlet will sooner or later lead to a rupture of the tank in which the water is heated. This happens when the automatic water shutoff does not work. But it is not intended to track water consumption, but only monitors its appearance/disappearance at the inlet. So sooner or later a failure occurs.

When connecting pressure and non-pressure options, grounding is required. In general, it is advisable to run the power supply to such connections using a separate line - high power consumption, the combination of water and electricity is an unsafe combination. Conventional wiring may not hold up. Therefore, a separate line is needed from the one on which the machine and the RCD are located.

Control type

There are two types of control for instantaneous water heaters:

• Hydraulic. When there is a flow sensor at the input (the first photo in the section), the signal from which turns the heating element on/off. The disadvantage of such a system is that it always turns on at the same power. Some models have several power modes, but they must be changed forcibly each time (by pressing buttons).
• Electronic. The operation is controlled by a microprocessor that monitors the state of the device using several sensors. These systems allow you to maintain the required temperature.

Tankless water heaters with hydraulic controls can only add a certain number of degrees to the water temperature. Exactly what depends on the power of the heating element, but on average it is about 20-25°C. This means that in summer you will get quite warm water at the output - about +40°C, and in winter it will only be slightly warmer than +20°C, since the incoming water is very cold and the device is simply not able to heat the device to higher temperatures.

More powerful models - system ones, with the Sistem prefix - have electronic control and can cope with the task of maintaining the set temperature. Their disadvantage is that they require more power and are expensive. But if you have such an opportunity, the automation will maintain a constant (set by you) temperature at any time of the year. The installation rarely operates at full power, but it is still necessary to pull the power supply line at maximum power and use it to calculate the machine and the RCD.

What are flow heaters made of?

The internal filling can be:

• Made of copper. These models have very good characteristics - they quickly heat the water. Copper has high thermal conductivity and quickly transfers heat.
• Made of stainless steel. Not a bad option, durable (if the water is not hard).
• Made of plastic. The cheapest and not the most durable. Even though special plastic is used, it is better not to buy such flow tubes.

The choice of instantaneous water heater based on this criterion is obvious. If possible, buy one with a copper “filling,” but stainless steel ones also work well.

They draw power with a copper wire with a cross-section of at least 3.5 mm (with a power consumption of up to 7 kW) and 4 mm - up to 12 kW. The machine is selected based on the current consumed; the RCD is taken one step higher with a leakage current of 10 mA. With this connection method and properly functioning grounding there will be no problems.

Features of choice

When choosing an instantaneous water heater, you need to focus on several indicators:

All these parameters should be in the description. Having selected several models, you can then, based on reviews, or based on technical characteristics, decide which water heater is better. If we talk about companies, then German and Italian devices are better in quality. With Chinese ones, it depends on your luck, although many companies have moved production to China. And now most household appliances have dual “citizenship” - they usually write - the homeland of the brand and the place of production. Most of this equipment works reliably, as companies value their name and introduce strict control over product quality.

Specific models

There are instantaneous water heaters of non-standard format. The most common is a faucet with an instantaneous water heater. This is an interesting option for a summer residence, for example, but it’s difficult to say how things stand with regard to maintainability - there are not very many users of such devices yet and the operating experience is very small.

Which water heater is better: instantaneous or storage?

Deciding which water heater to buy - a boiler (storage) or a flow tank - is, in principle, not difficult. First of all, the limiting factor is the power consumption: for storage water heaters the maximum is 3-4 kW, for instantaneous water heaters it is pointless to take less than 7-8 kW - they can only heat a very small volume of water. Not everyone has the opportunity to install such powerful equipment.

Secondly, you need to look at whether you will use the electric water heater constantly or only periodically. For periodic use, especially in summer, instantaneous water heaters are convenient, even of the open type (individual, which are installed next to the sink). For example, this is a great way to heat water to a comfortable temperature if the sun is unable to cope with this task. This is also a way to solve problems in apartments when the hot water supply is turned off for repairs.

For constant and regular use, storage water heaters are more economical and convenient. Modern models “keep” the temperature for more than a day, so the electricity consumption here will be less rather than more.

Flow-through storage water heaters

This is a combination of the two devices described earlier. They work in two modes. If the water consumption is small, water is supplied from the storage tank; if it increases, flow-through heating is also connected. The equipment is very convenient, but expensive. There aren't many options. This is Stiebel Eltron SHD for 30 liters and 100 liters. Price - $1500-1750.

Bulk water heaters

An excellent solution for a summer cottage or if there is no running water in the house. A tank water heater is a container with a lid in which a heating element is mounted. The container can be made of stainless steel, plastic, ordinary steel coated with enamel. The temperature is regulated by a thermostat. A shower hose is attached to the body.

There are two types of such devices - gravity and with pressure created by a small built-in pump (Alvin EVBO). Gravity-flow tankless water heaters must be hung above your head. You can take a shower, but the water flow will be weak. Models with a pump have more pressure, but the tank capacity must be decent and such a model cannot be called a camping one.

The functions here could be:

Bulk water heaters are an original Russian invention and all manufacturers are Russian. There are similar electric water heaters of the following brands:

• Success;
• Alvin Evbo;
• Aquarius;
• Elbet;
• Mr. Heath Summer Resident;
• Fairy tale.

The devices operate on a 220 V network, the power is about 1-2 kW, the price is from $20 to $100, depending on the functionality and material of the tank. Which water heater is best in this category? Stainless steel with pressure, but these are just the most expensive models.

10 ways to wash yourself without hot water

Summer in Russia is not summer without planned shutdowns of hot water. The housing office says that washing with cold water three weeks a year is simply necessary. You are itching, and at this time they are carrying out preventive measures in the boiler room.

The most obvious way

The simplest and most obvious way to wash your body in the absence of hot water is to heat it in a large saucepan or bucket. There seems to be nothing to explain here. You heat the water harder, and then dilute it in another container to make more. You sit in the bathroom and carefully pour yourself with a large mug or ladle. Lathered up, washed off. Lathered up, washed off. The method is quite effective, but for some reason it evokes terrible melancholy and decay.

Technological progress

For the desperate

Do you remember what a boiler is? Yes, this is the thing that sometimes gives an electric shock. But, if it is working properly, then of course there is no danger. The main thing is to triple check. There are large, powerful boilers that our ancestors used to boil water in buckets. You lower such a device into a filled bath and wait until the water warms up to the desired temperature. After that, you climb into it and rinse yourself. We recommend pouring water for rinsing into a saucepan or bucket in advance. Otherwise, such washing will not be of much use.

Lifehack for those with long hair To save water when washing long hair, wash the hair at the roots and, in fact, the head itself with warm water, and wash the rest of the hair under the tap. The hair doesn't care about the cold, it's just the skull that's freezing.

Like an astronaut

Like an athlete

Have you been to the fitness club or swimming pool lately? Summer is the time to correct your figure. Moreover, in such establishments there is always a shower. Hooray! You can put yourself in order in every sense of the word. Continuing the logical series, you can go to visit your parents or friends. Don't forget to briefly check with them about the hot water at the tap. If people are good, they will not refuse you a bath.

Emergency Rescue

For the desperate

There is such a thing called “dry shampoo”. It is a spray that needs to be sprayed onto dirty hair. Then you massage your head and smear it all over your hair. Then carefully comb your hair with a fine comb. In theory, they should look better now. “Dry shampoo” removes oil from the hair and loose flakes from the scalp. In fact, the cleaner your head is before you start “washing,” the better the result will be, because this product works so-so.

For the inventive

Escape

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There are two main ways to prepare hot water. First, the water is heated while moving through the heater and supplied to the water tap. Such a heater is called a flow-through heater.

The second method is to heat a large volume of water in a thermally insulated container, then gradually consume it. Such a heater is called a storage heater. The energy source is usually gas, electricity or heated coolant from the heating system.

Flow-through – high peak power

The instantaneous heater must be relatively powerful in order to ensure the required flow of hot water in the tap. For a shower head, a power of at least 10 kW is required, for filling a bath - from 15 kW, for two hot water taps - from 20 kW.

Heating water with an electric instantaneous heater is not cheap. In addition, you need a three-phase connection (over 6 kW) and a special permit for higher power.

It is optimal to provide several taps by installing a compact electric flow-through heater on each of them. At the same time, protection is installed against their simultaneous operation, so as not to overload the network.

A cheaper option is heating water using gas. A gas water heater or a second circuit of the heating boiler is used. The power of such devices can be enough for two taps, and hot water is cheaper.

Disadvantages of flow-through

With a flow-through circuit, the heater should be located as close to the tap as possible in order to drain less water until it gets hot. The recommended distance is no more than 5 meters. But in any case there will be excessive consumption of water and energy. A similar drawback is typical for a storage heater.

Another disadvantage of a flow-through DHW (hot water supply) circuit is the inability to pick up some hot water. Each device has its own minimum power. Therefore, when water flow is low, it simply does not turn on.
This also results in waste of water and energy.

Pressure surges in the system cause discomfort because they change the outlet water temperature.

In retail outlets, in order to sell an unsuitable flow-through electric heater, they simply indicate that it produces so many liters of water at a temperature, for example, +50 degrees, which at first glance is acceptable. But it is not indicated at what temperature the water is heated. The key characteristic of such a device is the temperature difference. After all, cold water is usually +6 - +10 degrees, and not +15 or +20.

Storage water heating system

The main advantage of an electric storage tank with a power of 1.5-2.0 kW is that it can be installed anywhere, in any house or apartment where there is a 220 V power supply. Its volume is usually 25 - 150 liters (running volume 50 - 100 liters) . The water in it is heated gradually to a predetermined temperature, and when withdrawn, a large flow rate is possible; the temperature decreases gradually.

It is cheaper to heat water with a gas storage heater with a low-power burner (up to 3 kW). The fact is that such a heater does not require a special chimney. But it can only be installed in agreement with Gorgaz, probably on a separate project. Provided with air from the room (with an exhaust system).

Disadvantages of savings

• Limited amount of water, which can create difficulties. For example, if one portion of the tank volume is consumed for bathing, then it takes a lot of time to prepare the next volume.
• The heater must be installed next to the water supply; if the bathroom and kitchen are separated, then a separate storage tank must be installed on each tap.
• Energy is wasted due to cooling of unused hot water in the heater.
• Excessive consumption of water when draining water from the tap, which has cooled in the pipeline.

Indirect heating boiler - stable hot water system

The advantage of an indirect heating boiler is that it uses energy from the heating system for heating, which is abundant and usually not expensive. Therefore, there can be a lot of hot water, its temperature is stable, and water is cheaper.

An indirect heating boiler is a storage tank with a capacity of 100 - 300 liters. Heating is carried out by a spiral pipeline through which the coolant heated to 80 - 90 degrees moves.

Heating systems are created in such a way that when the hot water supply cools below a threshold value, for example +50 degrees, the boiler switches to heating the boiler. At the same time, it produces an increased temperature and operates at full power, heating the DHW to the upper threshold value, for example, +60 degrees. After which it switches back to heating.

With buffer capacity – the largest energy reserve

In a buffer tank, the opposite is true - a large-volume container is used, about 1 ton or more filled with coolant, and the heated water moves in a spiral, i.e. direct-flow heating occurs. But when additional taps are opened, its temperature changes slightly, since the design has a large reserve in terms of the amount of transmitted energy.

The temperature of the hot water will be the same as that of the heating fluid. Sometimes this is not suitable, so a mixing unit is also included in the water supply scheme to reduce the temperature...

Heating systems with solid fuel boilers are mainly supplied with a buffer tank.

Other features of heating water by heating

Single-circuit gas or liquid boilers are often equipped with a boiler.

Another feature of the system is the ability to create constant circulation of water through a ring water supply pipeline. Then, when you open the tap, you immediately get hot water. Cooling of water is not considered a loss of energy, because it is spent on heating the house.

There is still an opportunity to save - an additional heating coil is placed in the boiler and connected to the solar collector. The sun's energy is called free energy; in this case, the cost of solar collectors pays off. This makes it possible to heat water in the summer; if there is not enough energy, the boiler is connected.

Layered heating boiler

The main disadvantages of a conventional direct-flow heating system with a gas heater (second circuit of the boiler) or electric are solved by installing a layer-by-layer heating boiler. One or more per tap. It is a heat-insulated container into which hot water is supplied from above. Its fence is also carried out from the same level.

Such a boiler makes it possible to simultaneously obtain a lot of hot water at a stable temperature. With it you can pick up “a little water” and also ensure the least amount of cold drainage. A conventional heating boiler can also be used as such an intermediate storage tank.

Error - incorrect connection of the DHW boiler

One of the common mistakes when creating a hot water supply system in a house is connecting an indirect heating boiler to the second circuit of a double-circuit boiler. This circuit itself is designed for preparing hot water, so it has a maximum temperature limit of +60 degrees to prevent thermal burns.

Now the most comfortable and economical solution for creating a hot water supply system is to install an indirect heating boiler, where this can be done. The rest of the hot water supply schemes can be considered forced decisions, which are dictated by circumstances, for example, savings when creating...

Unfortunately, we don’t always find ourselves fully armed in nature. In some cases, you may not have basic equipment with you. It is not recommended to drink water from streams without disinfecting it.

There can be many reasons why you could find yourself without a bowler hat. But don’t despair; with some ingenuity, you can do without this useful device. The main thing is that there is fire. Below we will look at the most common methods of heating water in the field.

How to boil water over a fire using a plastic bottle

Do not throw away this utensil immediately after use. She can serve you at least once. No matter how strange it may seem, it is quite possible to boil water over a fire without a kettle in the field using an ordinary mineral water bottle. In the same way, you can get it on a hike.

To do this, you will need to pour it entirely. Please note that the bottle must be filled entirely, up to the edge of the neck. Next, it is carefully placed on the coals. The fire should not have an open flame at this point. It is advisable to place the bottle in the middle of the coals. This will speed up the heating. Monitor the process; once the water is hot enough, quickly remove it from the heat. Oddly enough, the bottle practically does not melt. This allows it to be used several times in this way.

You don’t have to wait for coals to form in the fire; you can heat water in a plastic bottle over an open fire. You just have to tinker a little with preparing the process. In this case, one third of the water is poured into the bottle. They tie her by the neck to the end of a stick. The other end of this stick is stuck into the ground. You need to make sure that the fire almost reaches the bottle. As soon as the water boils, remove the bottle from the fire.

Both of these methods are based on the difference in the melting temperature of plastic and the boiling point of water:
Water boils at 100°C;
Plastic melts at 200°C.

This way the water cools the bottle, preventing it from melting. This method is good if you find yourself without a pot by accident. For example, they lost it. But you had some liquid with you.

Boiling water with stones

It is likely that this is the oldest and easiest way to get hot water without a boiler. To do this you will need several stones and any container. You can use anything to heat water. First, let's look at the options for preparing the container.

To heat water in this way, you can use anything, even a thick plastic bag. You can also make some kind of analogue of a cauldron. A small hole is dug in the ground. It should be lined from the inside with waterproof material. A polyethylene raincoat, a piece of tarpaulin, and so on will do. Water is poured into the resulting container.

Then suitable stones are selected. Various round stones like river pebbles are ideal. The size is selected depending on the volume of the resulting “dishes”. The stones should be washed and heated over a fire. Using two sticks they are placed in water. This is done one by one. One stone heats the water, the other is in the fire.

Usually a couple of stones are enough to bring a small volume of liquid to a boil. This way you can even cook dinner. If polyethylene was used for the base of a homemade cauldron, then do not allow the hot stone to come into contact with it.

Wooden dishes

When most people mention wooden utensils, they think of spoons. Well, as a last resort, dugout bowls. It is hardly possible to do this in the field. But anyone can easily organize a birch bark pot. With the right approach, it is quite possible to boil water in it and even.

To make it you will need birch bark. Young is best, but this is not important. And four short sticks. Birch bark is cut in the shape of a rectangle or square. Next, the corners are bent and secured using slightly split sticks. The result is a rectangular vessel.

It is not recommended to place such a pot on an open fire. This may damage it. Therefore, wait until coals form in the fire and only then place the dishes there. You can also dig a hole next to the burning fire and pour coals into it. A pot is placed on top.