How To Choose The Right Inexpensive Electric Boiler Water Heater

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

• Storage water heaters
• How to choose the material and volume of the tank?
• How to choose the power of TEN
• Mechanical or electronic control?
• Is a magnesium anode required?
• Advantages of storage water heaters

Quite a lot of people use water heaters, but not all have bought a device suitable for their needs. A properly selected heater will delight you with hot water for a long time. Buying an unsuitable device can be very “fraying” in the future with a constant lack of water, slow heating or too large a boiler. Therefore, it is very difficult to determine which electric water heater is better standing in the Leroy Merlin store.

Storage water heaters

It is thanks to the presence of a water heater in an apartment or house that you can use hot water all year round, regardless of housing and communal services. It is also good to always have a backup water heater when hot water is turned off seasonally, and for this purpose, you can choose a quite inexpensive option. In the Leroy Merlin store, you can find two types of heaters - flow, storage and combined, differing in the principle of operation, size and requirements for electrical wiring.

The main manufacturers of storage heaters: Ariston, Gorenje, Thermex, Heateq, Polaris, Zanussi, Electrolux.

Ariston produces fairly high-quality devices with high-quality body materials, stylish appearance and other advantages. A distinctive feature of Ariston is the presence of the ECO function, cracking down on pathogenic microbes, as well as the presence of protective enamel on the tanks. The Ariston Ti-Share series of water heaters are equipped with advanced protection against rust, which consists in the installation of an additional magnesium anode. The minimum and maximum tank sizes are 30 and 100 liters, respectively. The maximum heating power is 2 kW. The average price of Ariston is 7,000 rubles. Water heaters of this company have mixed reviews among users.

Gorenje water heaters have also proven themselves well among users. The manufacturer provides a huge selection of models that differ in size, installation method and additional options. GBFU models are equipped with dry tar and a magnesium anode for rust protection. The Smart series has the function of memorizing the user's actions, so that the water will be heated exactly at the moment when it is needed. A number of devices are available in 30, 50, 80 and 100 liter models. The maximum power of the ten is 2 kW. The average cost is 7000-8000 rubles. Gorenje boilers have good reviews among users.

Thermex makes their tanks out of stainless steel, which is definitely a good solution. Thermex presents the widest range, the younger model will be equipped with a 10 liter tank, the older one - a record 300 liters. The power of the largest boilers is 4.5 kW. Thermex was disappointed with the design, the devices look rather plain, especially on the most voluminous models. Thermex produces quality equipment, as evidenced by laudatory reviews on the Internet. The cost of such a boiler strongly depends on its power and capacity (from three to a couple of tens of thousands of rubles).

Heateq are distinguished by their low price. Quite cheap models can have a good tank volume and impressive power, but they will be deprived of additional rust protection, ECO and other similar functions. Overall, Heateq provides a good quality selection for its price. The volume and capacity of the boilers are fairly standard. This company has one serious drawback - the devices do not always correspond to their technical characteristics.

Polaris water heaters are equipped with ceramic heating elements, which provide excellent safety, as there is no metal contact with water. But this solution somewhat reduces the service life of the heating element, as a result of which the heater may fail a little earlier than its analogue with a metal heating element.

Zanussi produce fairly standard water heaters, the most common TEN is installed in them, the walls of the tank are treated with enamel, which will provide protection against rust. In general, they are ordinary, unremarkable devices that can last a long time. The average price of a boiler is about 5,000 rubles.

Electrolux make their water heaters from stainless steel, which is somewhat more reliable than using protective enamel. In addition, they do not differ in anything remarkable, the devices have a fairly standard design, the material of the tende depends on the chosen model. The size of the tanks also does not stand out.

Surprisingly, even a simple and cheap storage water heater Aquaverso 50 liters, which is sold for a promotion and has a cost of 2563 rubles. quite reliable and perfect in the summer in the apartment and in the country. And with proper operation and connection, it will last 5 years for sure. Although sometimes there are conflicting reviews, the heater is in great demand.

Having entered the store for a heater, the buyer will be discouraged by the huge selection of devices. The choice must be approached with the utmost responsibility, while you will need to pay attention to many things.

An electric water heater can be connected almost anywhere there is electricity. But here you should pay attention to the quality of the wiring in the house. If the wiring is in a terrible state, then it is worth laying a straight, powerful wire from the switchboard. If you cannot decide on the choice of a water heater, then we will further study the device in detail.

It is very important to use a non-return safety valve otherwise the tank will burst!

How to choose the material and volume of the tank?

The volume of the water tank should be chosen based on your own needs, but there are some recommendations on this topic. It is not necessary to install the largest water heater for installation in the kitchen, since it takes up a lot of space, which is often not enough in the kitchen. For washing dishes, a heater with a tank of 30-50 liters is enough (less is possible, but in this case there may not be enough water). It is worth taking a larger tank volume (80-100 liters) to the bathroom, especially for large families. It will be very unpleasant if there is not enough warm water to wash yourself completely.

As a material for tanks in storage boilers, stainless metal, ordinary metal using protective enamel, or stainless steel coated with enamel are used. The last option would be the best choice, but such a boiler may cost a little more than its simpler counterparts.

How to choose the power of TEN

If you live in a modern house with high-quality and powerful electrical wiring, you can choose a device of any power. Of course, a more powerful boiler will cost a little more than counterparts with a lower power. When selecting a device for an old apartment or house, it is worth abandoning the most powerful water heaters (above 2 kW), since the old electrical wiring may not withstand high voltage, which can lead to a sudden power outage or even fire the wiring.

There are no exact recommendations on the choice of TEN material. The ceramic heating element will eliminate the risk of short circuits in case of accidental contact with water. But ceramics are less reliable, which can reduce the life of the boiler.

Mechanical or electronic control?

Mechanical control (using conventional buttons and switches) is more reliable and cheaper than electronic control. But electronically controlled boilers have a nicer appearance, and they also lack protruding controls. Good old mechanics are more reliable and, when repaired, are cheaper and easier to repair.

Is a magnesium anode required?

At least it is desirable. If the water does not have too high hardness, one such rod in the boiler is enough to protect the tank walls and other important parts of the water heater from rust. In regions with too hard water, it is worth looking at options with two or more rods.

Advantages of storage water heaters

• A huge range of models, thanks to which it will be possible to choose the device that best suits your needs.
• Low electrical wiring requirements.
• Low power consumption.
• Water keeps temperature for a long time.
• Higher water heating temperature.
• Low cost.

Disadvantages of storage boilers

• The most powerful and voluminous boilers occupy an impressive place, in some apartments it will not be possible to place the most voluminous water heater.
• Despite the pleasant appearance, it is difficult to hide the pipes when installing in an open space.
• It takes a long time to warm up the water.

Conclusion. Even despite the shortcomings of the models, it is possible to choose an electric water heater, even the most inexpensive, with proper operation and maintenance, will last for many years. In most cases, all the bells and whistles are an advertising margin because the warranty period is the same.