How to choose a water heater that does not disappoint

1. Find out what are water heaters

Electric and gas. The latter is usually referred to as columns and put rare because of the heap requirements for the premises. Therefore, we focus on the first. They are divided into flow and storage.

Flowing water heaters

At their base - helical heater enclosed in a small heat exchanger. The device is activated when the crane and instantly heats the water passing therethrough. After closing the blender special sensor disables the heater.

The cost models heating temperature is controlled hydraulically, by decreasing or increasing the pressure. The larger stream, the faster the water flows through the heat exchanger and, accordingly, less time to heat up.

Indeed hot water can be obtained only by reducing the pressure to a trickle.

Dear protochniki boast electronic control gear and heating elements with variable power. Such devices allow you to adjust the temperature independently of the head. However, it will still be less than that of boilers.

What to buy

• Instantaneous water heater from Timberk, 3490 rubles →
• Instantaneous water heater from Proffi, 3990 rubles →
• Instantaneous water heater from Stiebel Eltron, 11 895 rubles →

water heaters

This container with a heating element and a thermostat, which water is heated to a predetermined temperature. Often they are called boilers.

A layer of insulation makes the reservoir like a thermos bottle, and once the heated water remains hot day or more. Unlike protochnikov boiler can not occur instantly: depending on the volume of the primary heating takes from 40 minutes to 2-3 hours. But then the water is heated, as expense, and delay no longer.

What to buy

• Haier water heater from 50 liters, 5 990 rubles →
• Ariston water heater from 30 liters → 7490 rubles
• Water heater from Hyundai by 80 liters and 17 990 rubles →

2. Please rate the amount of free space

This is probably the most important parameter that directly affects the choice.

Least of all places are occupied by instantaneous water heaters. The most compact version in the sizes do not differ from the usual mixer. Wall models are comparable to the dimensions of hand dryers.

If space is tight at all, your choice - instantaneous water heater.

Due to the reservoir are more impressive size boilers for water. Miniature models of 10-15 liters can be placed under the sink or in a cabinet, but the heater capacity of 50-80 liters resemble the average size of a barrel. These cover almost an entire wall and can not fit in a small bathroom.

What to buy

• Instantaneous heater crane from Proffi, 3 490 rubles →
• Small instantaneous water heater from Stiebel Eltron, 17,790 rubles →
• Compact boiler from Hyundai by 40 liters, 8990 rubles →
• Large boiler from Timberk 200 liters, 43 490 rubles →

3. Check the connectivity

To connect to a regular wall outlet - the subject of modern wiring grounding - power water heaters can be a maximum of 3.5 kW. In this border fits almost any boiler, but with flow more complicated.

Permissible power have only the simplest version of the mixer format. More efficient models are equipped with heaters and up to 5-8 kW. And for their food need a separate cable cross-section 4 mm² and more laid from the switchboard.

The boiler can be installed and connected in almost any home. With protochnikami in older homes can be a problem.

In addition, important dedicated power electricity to the apartment. In older houses like hruschovok it ranges from 1.5 to 3 kW, in socket posvezhee - 5 kW, and in the flats with electric - 7 kW. And only in new buildings can be up to 15 kW.

What to buy

• Horizontal instantaneous water heater from the Ariston for socket 2990 rubles →
• Horizontal boiler from Timberk for sockets 11 345 rubles →

4. Count the number of delivery points

Typically, instantaneous water heaters designed for use in a single point, such a washbasin. More powerful devices, which cut into the water supply, able to provide hot water sink and shower, but demanding to connecting lines and are much more expensive.

When properly selected storage volume can wash dishes at the same time to take a shower or bath to fill.

What to buy

• Flowing water heaters from Zanussi kitchen, 2 690 rubles →
• Average boiler from Electrolux 50 liters, 6890 rubles →
• Large boiler from Timberk 300 liters, 49 990 rubles →

5. Note heating rate

Powerful heating elements in heaters allow the flow to bring the water to the desired temperature almost instantaneously: after 20-25 seconds instead of cold tap goes toplenkaya.

The boilers everything exactly the opposite. Due to the low power heating elements primary heating takes a long time. For the 15-liter tank is about 40 minutes to 80 liters capacity models - about 3 hours. Then heating occurs automatically and silently.

If the hot water you need a little less frequently, choose a flow heater. In other cases, the boiler will be more profitable.

What to buy

• Instantaneous heater from Thermex, 2 590 rubles →
• By Ariston boiler with rapid heating function, 18 490 rubles →

6. Do not forget about the temperature

Manufacturers indicate the maximum temperature of 60 ° C, but in practice it turns out that somewhere around 40 ° C. Thus exhibited temperature can greatly depend on the pressure drop in the pipes.

Boilers calmly heated to 75 ° C. The desired temperature may drop at higher flow only when a part of the accumulated hot water used and new has not yet appeared.

Thus, both types of heaters depend on the cold water inlet temperature. In summer, it is about 15 ° C and winter lowered to 5 ° C.

And if the boiler simply take longer to heat, the power protochnika may not be enough to warm up to a comfortable temperature.

In general, if you need a good pressure of hot water, buy water heater. Protochnik will give a really hot only thin stream.

What to buy

• Flowing water heaters from Electrolux, 14,990 rubles →
• Storage water heater from Zanussi 100 liters, 21 490 rubles →

7. Think power consumption

Since protochnikah water is heated directly, they are fitted with a very powerful heating elements. Even the simplest model is a 3.5 kW heater on, not to mention more productive, where the figure is 5, and then all of 8 kW.

In the boiler water is heated slowly. Therefore, even in devices with a storage volume of 100-200 liters heaters rarely set more than 2 kW. In some versions of the heater and do 1,5 kW.

Due to the smaller capacity of the heating elements electric bills when using the boiler ceteris paribus be less.

What to buy

• Kitchen Atmor flow heater of 3.5 kW, 1949 rubles →
• Accumulation of heater Ariston 1.5 kW 16 390 rubles →

8. Decide on a budget

Prices for instantaneous water heaters start at 2000 rubles for the mobile version of mixers and reach 15,000 rubles for stationary models, which cut into the water supply system and work on two or three points indiscriminately.

Accumulating heaters are from 3 000 to 18 000 rubles. Miniature boiler 25-30 liters will cost in the amount of about 5000 rubles, version 80-100 liters would cost for 11 000-15 000.

If the budget is tight, compact instantaneous water heater will be the best buy.

What to buy

• Instantaneous water heater from Hyundai, 2399 rubles →
• Boiler from Electrolux 50 liters, 6890 rubles →
• Accumulation of Ariston heater 100 liters, 9990 rubles →

Briefly on how to choose a water heater

You instantaneous water heater is suitable if:

• bathroom very small space;
• The apartment has new wiring;
• hot water is needed only in one place - either in the kitchen or in the bathroom;
• I do not want to wait a long time;
• We need only heating water and mostly in the summer;
• Water is heated rare and power is not important;
• I do not want to spend extra money.

You water heater is suitable if:

• space enough or you are not against the installation of a boiler in the bathroom;
• Dedicated power for the apartment is not high, and the wiring is old;
• you need a full-fledged hot water for kitchen and bathroom;
• amount of hot water is more important than speed of its heating;
• vodichku you like it hot, and not barely warm;
• you use hot water often and want to save on electricity;
• the budget for the purchase of an average or limited.