Stores currently offer a wide range of instantaneous and storage water heaters (boilers), which can be installed both in an apartment and in a hotel room. For the first option, it is important to have high-quality electrical wiring (capable of handling a load of 5–20 kW). It is also worth considering that an instantaneous water heater consumes 10 times more electricity than a storage one. Among the advantages, it can be mentioned that an instantaneous water heater can be installed independently, and it also has very modest dimensions compared to a boiler.
Before deciding on a specific boiler model, it is advisable to first choose a place for it in the room. The fact is that a boiler filled with water weighs 100 kg or more, so it can only be hung on a load-bearing wall. After all, if it is not securely fastened and breaks off its mounts with a full volume of boiling water, the consequences can be very sad. If a suitable wall for installing the boiler is not found, it is worth looking at floor-standing models of water heaters. When choosing such a water heater, you also need to know that, regardless of volume, they differ in power (from 1.5 to 3 kW), which affects the speed of water heating, but also increases electricity consumption.
When buying a boiler, you need to choose its volume correctly. If the room is designed for one person, a 30–40 L boiler is suitable for taking a shower and household needs – such a volume heats up to a comfortable 50–55 degrees in 2–2.5 hours. Two adults in half a day (shower, hand washing, dishes) will use 80–100 L (heating will require 4.5–5 h). If you add children to 2–3 adults, then in the morning they will easily use 100–120 L for the same purposes (heating will take about 6–7 hours).
The service life of a boiler depends on the material of the internal coating of the tank. Inexpensive models are coated with enamel, sensitive to sudden temperature changes, which is why their lifespan with constant use is short – 1.5–2 years. But if you only use it in the summer, such a boiler will last much longer. Tanks made of stainless and high-alloy steel are more reliable and durable – they come with a 7–10 year warranty. But they are, of course, more expensive.
Water heating in any boiler is carried out using a tubular electric heater (TEN), which comes in two types: wet and dry. The former works like an immersion heater and has one drawback – it needs to be cleaned of scale at least once a year. The scale problem can also be solved by installing a filter for thermal engineering between the water supply and the boiler. A dry TEN is placed in a special bulb and is not covered with scale. Boilers with such heaters are slightly more expensive.
You can buy a good and high-quality water heater in a specialized online store of household appliances. The choice is for every taste and budget. For example, Sotmarket offers a popular model of Polaris water heater starting at 4000 rubles. In general, the price of a boiler is higher the more additional functions it has.
For example, expensive models have an eco-heating mode (i.e., the temperature is maintained rather than heated from zero, which saves electricity), as well as freeze protection and protection against operation without water, an indicator (shows how much time is left until heating) and express heating. Cheap water heaters lack an external thermostat, and therefore the ability to select the temperature (it is set during installation).
To avoid dependence on pressure surges in the water supply, it is recommended to install a pressure reducer or choose a boiler that can withstand at least 9 bar of pressure. It is also important to connect a tube for discharging excess water during pressure fluctuations (from the boiler to the sewer), otherwise the boiler will 'sweat' and flood the neighbors. Also, new wiring or a residual current device (RCD) would not hurt.
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