Want to provide yourself and yours with hot water? According to the residents of apartment buildings, who have long been using centralized hot water supply systems, they have long outlived their usefulness. After all, paying for the so-called "hot", but in practice, barely warm water has a truly astronomical amount.
For apartment owners, there is a simple, elegant solution to install a boiler or water heater. Such devices differ in their power, productivity (the number of liters of heated water over a period of time), maximum working volume and other parameters. Let's take a closer look at the popular types of devices.
Depending on the type of work and the consumed natural resources, water heaters are divided into two classes. Some are powered by electricity, others are powered by gas. By the type of action, devices are flowing and storage. In the first case, the volume of hot water is unlimited: the device is attached directly to the tap, and heating occurs almost instantly. In the second case, water is first drawn into a special tank, and then heated using a special element (heating element).
And now we will briefly consider the types of boilers and their features.
Compact, easy to use. Water is heated instantly, but its volume is small - it is enough for washing dishes or washing, but water is not enough for washing or bathing.
Convenient and practical. Requires free space due to a bulky tank. Heating water takes a certain time (on average 1-2 hours).
Their structure and principle of operation are similar to accumulative electric models. But instead of electricity, natural gas is used to heat the heating element.
Popularly called columns. Water is heated instantly, its volume is unlimited. They require free space, special distribution of gas pipes and the availability of permits.
How to choose a boiler and what to look for when choosing a water heater
What to consider when choosing a boiler?
Do you want to buy a boiler for an apartment? Don't choose a device based on price or brand alone. Try to conduct a comprehensive analysis by evaluating:
Overall dimensions and possible placement of household appliances (electric ones can be installed both in the bathroom and in the kitchen, gas ones are usually fixed in the kitchen, not far from the gas pipeline).
Number of connection points (number of hot water supply taps in the apartment).
Average resource consumption rates (the lower the better for you, as this affects the monthly utility bills). The optimal power of electric models is in the range of 1.5-2.0 kW how writen in service manual.
The need for additional installation work. To install an electric water heater, you do not need to issue a special permit, as for a gas appliance. There is also no need to lay additional pipes.
Heating rate and maximum water volume. The dimensions of the tank or the productivity of the flow model are determined individually. It depends on the number of people living in the apartment. For reference: a family of 1-2 people will need a tank of 50 to 80 liters.
The type of heating element ("wet" - open, or "dry", not in contact with water).
Availability of additional functions (thermostat, tank insulation to prevent energy losses, etc.). This also includes the possibility of operating electric models at a two-zone tariff: heating water at night will cost half the price.
Boiler for an apartment - features of installing a house.
Before buying and installing a boiler in an apartment, inspect the gas supply pipes and electrical wiring in your home. Remember that connecting a gas boiler requires a permit from the gas service. Please note that electrical models create a certain load on the electrical network. If you have a lot of household appliances in your house (computer, TV, washing machine, oven), and almost all of them work at the same time, then the old wiring may simply not withstand an overly powerful water heater.