If you decide to purchase a water heater for the bathroom, you should take its choice responsibly. Understand which types of boilers are best for installation, how much power they spend. Will it be beneficial for you to operate the heater? You will find answers to questions in our publication.
Varieties of Boilers
Let's start with the features of the devices. If you have not yet made a choice, think about where you will install the device.
- Wall mounted models are more compact and are limited to 100 liters. They can be placed horizontally and vertically.
- Floor. They differ in large dimensions and capacity - from 120 to 1000 liters. Installation will require a lot of space.
By the type of connection can be:
- Electric. The most popular and practical. They can be mounted independently. Power ranges from 1.5-3 kW to 5-25 kW per hour.
- Gas. Operation is cheaper, water heats up quickly. However, the installation is only in places with gas and the possibility of organizing a chimney. Permission will be required for installation, it should only be carried out by a specialist.
- Solid fuel and diesel. These devices operate from a combustion boiler and are mounted in separate rooms.
Water heaters are instantaneous, storage, indirect. The latter are not suitable for installation in the bathroom, as they take up a lot of space and require a connection to the boiler. Let's take a closer look at the first two options.
Instantaneous heaters
Devices work according to this scheme: a flowing heater is installed in the housing, water passes through it. It quickly heats up to the set temperatures, so you do not have to wait until a hot stream flows from the tap. A big plus is compactness.
Varieties:
- Stationary type. It requires a separate place for installation and is able to provide several points of intake. Can be mounted in a niche or cabinet under the sink.
- Attachment on the crane. The compact device is mounted directly on the crane in front of the gander. It can provide hot water in the washbasin, but is not suitable for showering.
Electric heating tap. The heater has its own mixer. A single design allows you to heat more water than the nozzle. It’s enough for a shower.
To assess which device is best to buy, consider the advantages and disadvantages of the flow path.
Pros:
- Compactness. If the bathroom is small, a stationary device or a nozzle for a faucet is suitable.
- Fast heating. Within 30 seconds, the hot stream enters the mixer in the amount for which the device is designed.
- Convenient installation. The product is light and compact, you can hang it on any wall.
- Low cost - in comparison with accumulative boilers.
Minuses:
- High power and power consumption. The option to connect to a conventional outlet is no longer necessary, since the device is designed for 5-25 kW per hour. You need thick wiring and an earthed socket with grounding.
- Temperature and head pressure depend on the pressure in the line.
- Inability to heat when a power outage occurs. Since the flowmeter does not have a storage tank, you cannot get hot water.
If you want to fully take a shower, install a stationary electric boiler. More powerful models can provide multiple points of sampling.
Storage electric heater
By the name it is clear that the boiler consists of a tank in which water accumulates. Inside is a heater for heating and a thermostat, which constantly maintains the temperature. Thermal insulation of the tank reduces heat loss.
Benefits:
- Less power and power consumption. Drives consume 1.5-3 kW per hour. First, the heater heats the water to a predetermined temperature, and then the boiler maintains it.
- The choice of water volume. Choose a tank according to the cost of resources. For a family of three, 80-90 liters will be enough.
- Constant availability of hot water. The plus of the drive is that even with a power outage, the reserve is enough for you to take a shower, or maybe a bath.
- Ability to set convenient parameters for energy conservation. In this case, you can dilute hot water with cold.
- The drive is sufficient not only for the bathroom, but also for serving the kitchen.
Disadvantages:
- The larger the volume, the larger the dimensions. In a small room, it may not be appropriate.
- Features of installation. A large tank full of water weighs a lot. So, installation is possible only on a reliable brick wall.
- Long heating. Every 10 liters are heated for 30 minutes.
Which boiler to choose
The choices are based on a few more points. Be sure to consider them when buying.
Moisture protection class. Since the enclosure is installed in a humid room, it must be reliably protected. The icons look like this: IP31. The last digits may differ for each model, for example, the first digit indicates protection against foreign objects:
- 1 - from large objects, no more than a hand.
- 2 - from objects with a finger.
- 3 - no more than 1 square mm.
- 4 - from dust.
The second digit provides protection against moisture:
- 0 - no protection.
- 1 - from the upper leak.
- 2 - from spray at an angle of 60 degrees.
- 3 - from spray in any direction.
- 4 - protects even from a jet.
Tank material. The most reliable stainless steel products last up to 10 years. Less durable enameled containers - up to 7 years of service.
The form. It can be round, flat, square. It all depends on the type of accommodation.
Installation. Do not forget that a heavy storage boiler needs a solid wall. And for flowing - reliable wiring.
Type of heating element. A lot of scale forms in the storage device, so give preference to dry heating elements. They are enclosed in a flask that protects them from plaque.
Operational Features. Before buying, calculate how much water is required for your family, what should be the power of the device.
Control method, additional modes and functions.
Price also plays a role., and the choice of the manufacturer depends on personal preferences.
How to heat water in the bathroom? Conclusion: purchase an electric flow or storage boiler. Pay attention to the protection of the device against water, volume and power. Check documents and specify features of warranty service.