Choosing a gas boiler for hot water

The cost of water heaters

Prices for water heating devices depend on the brand, functionality and quality of the device. For example, prices for water heaters of the Ariston brand range from 4,200 rubles. up to 13,500 rubles For a minimum amount, you can purchase a unit with a thermostat that changes the temperature of the water. This model is characterized by high thermal insulation, and the inside of the tank is coated with an anti-corrosion coating. In addition, this model quickly heats up water.

For the maximum amount, you can purchase a water heater with a sufficiently high power and capacity. Tank with anti-corrosion coating, provides rapid heating of water, has a beautiful design.

German gas water heaters are distinguished by a higher cost. The price of Bosh speakers ranges from 7,000 rubles. up to 80,000 rubles For 7,000 you can buy a device with a fairly high productivity and an improved security system. Rapid water heating and overheating protection system. Execution materials - stainless steel and copper.

For 80,000 rubles. you can purchase a fairly powerful and voluminous unit with many functions, made of quality materials.

Recently, Russian gas water heaters have begun to gain popularity. Reviews about the columns of the brand "Neva" there are different. However, more and more buyers note the high quality and attractive design of gas devices of this brand. Gas water heaters "Neva" can be purchased for 6,000 - 11,000 rubles.

The cost of Oasis water heaters ranges from 2,000 rubles. up to 7,000 rubles

A gas water heater is a guarantee of comfort in any home. The main thing is to choose the most suitable option. And there will be no problems with the range of gas appliances.

Form and installation of water heaters

Usually we are used to seeing cylindrical water heaters, but rectangular-shaped boilers are also on the market - especially convenient when installed in a cabinet or stand. Also on the market there are water heaters with one narrow edge - a "slim boiler". This design allows you to install such a boiler in a niche or cabinet.

When installing boilers, you need to take into account its weight, which is approximately (storage boiler with water):

• 30 liters - about 30 kg of load on the wall;
• 50 liters - about 70 kg;
• 80 liters - up to 100 kilograms;
• 100 liters and more - from 130 kg and more.

Therefore, a boiler with a volume of up to 80 liters (sometimes 100) is hung on the wall, while the installation must be carried out in a solid brickwork of the main (bearing) wall or a reinforced concrete panel using anchors. 100 liter boilers are installed directly on the floor, or hung on the wall making a special floor support from below (albeit self-made - 100 liters of boiling water is not a joke to you).

Recommendations for choosing water heaters

If you have planned to purchase a gas water heater, but your home does not have a chimney, then you should choose from installations equipped with a closed chamber or equipped with a turbo hood. In enclosed spaces, it is forbidden to install hybrid-coaxial chimneys. Their installation is usually carried out in boiler rooms or utility rooms with an efficient ventilation system.

When choosing gas equipment for heating water, attention should also be paid to its power. It is optimal to buy a device that has less than two units of power / performance ratio

The most important thing when choosing gas equipment is safety. Before buying the selected device, you should make sure that it has protection against overheating and dry running.

You also need to check that the boiler has draft and pressure sensors.

Tank types

Gas storage boilers for heating water can be equipped with three main types of tanks:

• With enamel coating;
• With glass-ceramic coating;
• From stainless steel.

Enamel coated tanks are characterized by low cost.Due to their low cost, boilers with such tanks are the most affordable. But the enamel is prone to damage - microcracks often appear on it, due to which the main material of the tank (steel) suffers. It is undesirable to use damaged boilers.

Cracked and crumbled glass-ceramic coating of a gas boiler tank.

Glass-ceramic tanks are more resistant to microcracks. Glass ceramic is safe for human health, but it is prone to damage due to overheating. Therefore, it is impossible to allow water to be heated to temperatures above +60 degrees. Since the glass-ceramic coating is more stable than enamel, the cost of boilers with such tanks is higher.

The most expensive are stainless steel tanks. They are not prone to rust and do not form toxic compounds with water. For more reliable protection against corrosion, individual tanks are covered with a special titanium coating. As for the disadvantages, there are only two of them:

• Tendency to corrosion of welds;
• High price.

Modern welding technologies and magnesium anodes are used to provide protection against corrosion of seams. As for the high cost, it is associated with the use of expensive stainless steel.

If you want to buy the most reliable and durable gas boiler for hot water, pay attention to models with stainless steel tanks.

Indirect heating boiler or geyser: what to choose?

Both types of this equipment have a number of features, including both advantages and disadvantages. If you do not know what is better to choose - an indirect heating boiler or a gas water heater, then we hope that our article will help you decide.So, the geyser is considered one of the most common ways of autonomous supply of hot water. It is a instantaneous water heater that heats cold water from the plumbing directly on the fly. Due to this, heating is carried out almost instantly, and the volume of hot water supplied depends on the power of the column.

The gas water heater is compact, provides fast water heating. However, it requires that the house is connected to a centralized gas and, preferably, water supply. In many ways, the efficiency of such equipment depends on the pressure of the supplied cold water. Also, to install a geyser, a chimney is required, at least a coaxial one (for turbocharged models). In some cases, this may cause some inconvenience to the user.

As for the indirect heating boiler, it does not have a flow, but an accumulative principle of operation, accumulating in its container hot water heated by a separate heating boiler. Therefore, it is advisable to use this technique (boiler + boiler) only in combination with each other. Some models of such water heaters have a built-in electric heating element that maintains a high water temperature. The advantage and, at the same time, the disadvantage of this boiler is its bulkiness - it can store a large amount of liquid, but at the same time, it requires a lot of space for its placement.

So, an indirect heating boiler or a geyser - which equipment will be more profitable? The column is intended exclusively for flowing heating of domestic hot water in relatively small domestic volumes. At the same time, the house should have a stable, good pressure of gas and cold water. It does not have a tank, so if the cold water supply is turned off, you will be left without hot water too. A gas water heater is best suited for apartments or houses with central heating, as well as a stable water and gas supply.

In turn, an indirect heating boiler is much more economical than a gas water heater, since it receives water already heated by the boiler and spends a minimum of energy to maintain its temperature. It does not require a gas pipeline to heat water, the boiler can be powered by electricity or completely autonomously (on coal, wood, pellets). In addition, it stores hundreds of liters of liquid in reserve in its capacity, which is ideal for those cases when increased DHW flow is required. Its disadvantages include bulky dimensions, as well as the very high cost of a set of a heating boiler and an indirect heating boiler (which, however, soon pays off).

No. 7. Additional functions, equipment, installation

When choosing an electric water heater, it does not hurt to pay attention to its equipment and additional options:

• for a storage boiler, a layer of thermal insulation is important. It must be at least 35 mm so that the water in the tank remains warm for a long time, saving the family budget. Foamed polyurethane is an order of magnitude superior to foam rubber and will be the preferred material;
• The overheating protection function is an important part of your safety.If the boiler will be operated in the country, then it is worth looking at a model with a freezing prevention mode;
• the timer will allow heating at night, when electricity is cheaper. Such models are not much more expensive than usual ones and will be useful to those who have a two-tariff meter installed;
• each boiler has a certain degree of protection against moisture. If the device will be used in the bathroom, it is better to take a model with IP44, in other cases, the minimum level of protection IP23 will be sufficient;
• as a rule, normal manufacturers complete their boilers with a power cable and a blast valve. The latter is installed at the point where the water pipe enters the boiler and prevents overpressure. Also, the presence of factory brackets will not interfere, thanks to which the boiler will be mounted;
• it is worth taking care of the presence of a sleeve for isolating stray currents.

Most likely, you will have to buy water pipes, valves, connecting fittings, and sometimes fasteners. If the water in the region is supersaturated with salts, it does not hurt to install a filter.

The installation of the boiler must be carried out by a professional who is able to strictly follow the instructions and the requirements specified in it. Otherwise, there may be problems with the warranty repair of the equipment.

It is important to ensure proper grounding and check that the pressure in the water supply corresponds to the working pressure of the boiler: if cold water is supplied with more pressure than it should, a pressure reducer will have to be installed. Finally, we note that there must be enough free space in front of the boiler

Comparative analysis of gas and electrical equipment

To answer the question, which water heater is still better: electric or gas, we will conduct a comparative analysis of them according to a number of factors.

The financial side of the issue

As with any type of technology, for both options, the price will greatly depend on the characteristics and feature set of the model.

A geyser will require much more installation costs than installing an electric storage heater. Maintenance of both types is approximately the same in terms of costs. But when paying for consumed resources, a gas water heater will be cheaper, since the price of natural gas is less than the price of electricity.

What consumes resources more economically?

The amount of electricity consumed directly depends on the power and volume of the device. The required volume of gas, in addition to the power of the column, will also depend on the type of ignition. In the case of the electric type, gas is consumed only at the moment the tap is turned on, but if piezo ignition is used, gas will be consumed constantly, which will affect the amount in the receipt upwards.

Efficacy and safety

The boiler has higher efficiency, it is extremely easy to install and requires only an outlet and access to water supply for its operation.

The geyser heats water faster, almost immediately after opening the tap valve and is more ergonomic, but its installation is much more complicated than installing a boiler, it must be carried out by qualified specialists, and use can only be carried out under conditions of centralized gas supply.

Gas represents an increased danger: if the unit fails, there is a risk of explosion, as well as the possibility of poisoning by combustion products.

No. 5. Removal of combustion products

Partially, we have already considered this issue above, but now we will stop in a little more detail. According to the type of carbon monoxide removal, columns are:

• classic, with a chimney. Great for homes that already have a chimney. Otherwise, it will have to be built separately. For residents of apartment buildings, this option is in most cases impossible to implement;
• chimneyless, or turbine. The products of combustion are discharged through a pipe, a hole for which is made in the wall. The products of combustion are drawn out due to the operation of the fan.

The room in which the speaker stands must be well ventilated. If plastic windows were installed, then you will have to equip them with a ventilation valve.

How to choose a gas water heater

According to the device, gas water heaters are divided into flow and storage.

A wall-mounted flowing gas water heater is often called a geyser, in fact it is, the only modern gas water heater has some improvements.

A feature of the instantaneous water heater is that it has a relatively small design.

A storage gas water heater (gas boiler) is characterized by a large tank, the dimensions of which depend on the amount of hot water needed for your family, and is mainly used to provide hot water not only to a pair of washbasins with a shower, but, for example, a country house, or a multi-room apartment, with a couple bathrooms.

In addition, gas boilers will do an excellent job in areas where there is a weak gas supply line.

Security questions

For the Group of Companies - preparation of project documentation for connection and use, annual control of smoke removal, the need for monthly service. If any deviations are detected, the mechanism is immediately deactivated.

The recommendations of the masters before installation must be followed, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe boiler room, the height of the upper fences are also taken into account

Attention is drawn to the norms associated with the location of the ventilation shaft. The reason for such a commotion and collection of documents, an increased risk of methane leakage, which will lead to an explosion

The gas service inspectors simply refuse to install the Civil Code, because the boiler room or apartment is not suitable for the start according to the technical standards.

It will be interesting: Which shower cabin is suitable for your bathroom

A system of electricity is not hazardous to health. It is not necessary to coordinate actions and obtain permissions. Care must be taken to prevent electric shock. A special machine, RCD and resistor are mounted.

To compare the two mechanisms again, pay attention to the data in the table:

System type
pros
Minuses
Gas flow plant
minimum dimensions;
constant supply of hot water;
ease of operation;
unpretentiousness in use;
affordable price.

installation is carried out exclusively by a certified master; the maximum list of permits;
obligatory installation of a smoke exhaust system;
the presence of installed ventilation;
the importance of a given pressure indicator in the gas pipeline;
the system depends on the pressure in the cold water supply system;
minimum efficiency.

Electrical installation
ease of installation;
safety of use;
no need to equip a system for removing smoke;
there is no possibility of release of hazardous gases maximum efficiency;
ready hot water is supplied in the required volumes (storage systems);
the DHW serviceability is not affected by the pressure criteria in the pipelines.

far from the most budgetary;
when using a storage system, after using heated water, it is necessary to wait until the new one warms up to the set temperature;
small dimensions.

Which is safer - a column or an electric water heater

The answer to this question is easy to understand by the number of permits required for each type of equipment. Safety requirements stipulate:

For gas-consuming equipment - preparation of a project for connection and placement, annual inspection of smoke channels, the need for regular maintenance. If any violations are detected, the column is turned off. The requirements of gas workers during installation affect the total area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe boiler room, the height of the ceilings. They affect the norms related to the placement, ventilation system, etc. The reason for this attitude is the high probability of a gas leak, an explosion. Often, the gas service simply refuses to install a geyser, as the boiler room or house does not meet the technical conditions for connection.

A water heater (boiler) is an indispensable device for rural residents (where there is no centralized heating and water supply) - by installing a boiler together with a home pumping station, you can receive hot and cold water around the clock. But there are also several reasons to install a water heater in an apartment with centralized heating and water supply:

• The quality of housing and communal services provided is not always at the right level - the water often comes not quite hot, and one should not forget about the long summer shutdowns of hot water (repair + modernization of systems);
• The cost of a cubic meter of hot water often exceeds the similar cost of water heated by your own water heater (you need to calculate based on specific prices in your area).

The market is currently widely three types of water heaters are presented - electric, gas and indirect heating.

Electric and gas are heated using electric energy and gas, respectively, and the indirect heating boiler heats the water when pumping through the built-in coil of another coolant.

But before proceeding to consider the advantages of each type of water heater, it is necessary to consider the general selection parameters for each type of boiler.

How is this equipment connected?

Let's try to consider step by step how the water heater is installed.

Photo example	Action to take
	This is where we will place our boiler.
	If a tile is laid on the wall, it is necessary to drill it with the help of such a diamond drill.
	After the boiler is installed in place, we wind adapters for polypropylene pipes onto its inlet and outlet. Although, if desired, everything can be done with flexible hoses. It will turn out easier, but not so aesthetically pleasing.
	We measure the distance to the input from the wall ...
	…and between I/O for design accuracy.
	We start assembling highways.
	Bends are useful to beautifully bring lines under the connection points.
	Everything should fit perfectly here.
	Installing an emergency faucet...
	... and on it is a valve that comes with the boiler.
	Now it remains only to finish the assembly of the introductory highway.
	In the end, it should look something like this.

And one more important note! Before turning on the water heating boiler, it must be filled. To do this, open the supply and the hot water tap

When water flows out of it, this will mean that the boiler is full.

The boiler can also be connected with flexible hoses ...

Which company's storage water heater is better to choose

Before deciding which storage water heater is the best in terms of operational and functional parameters, experts suggest getting acquainted with reliable, time-tested manufacturers. This will significantly narrow the search circle, filtering out unnecessary brands and firms.

In 2019, numerous tests, ratings and reviews confirmed that the best boiler brands are:

• Timberk is a well-known Swedish company specializing in climate technology, including water heaters. The prices are much lower than competitive brands because the factories are located in China, which reduces the cost. There are many patented projects, and the main sales take place on the market of the CIS countries.
• Thermex is a large international corporation that produces a huge number of different modifications of electric water heaters. They differ in capacity, type of heating, power, purpose. Innovations are constantly introduced, there is also its own scientific laboratory.
• Edisson is an English brand, which is produced in Russia. Boilers are presented mainly in the middle price category. Simple structure, easy control system, different volumes, long service life, these are not all the characteristics of our products.
• Zanussi is the leader of many competitions and ratings, an Italian brand with a big name. The range of production of household appliances has been significantly expanded in cooperation with the Electrolux concern. Today, flow-through, storage boilers are in demand all over the world due to good performance, interesting design, economy and the introduction of new technologies.
• Ariston is a well-known Italian company that annually supplies products to 150 countries around the world. Russia also receives boiler models with different volumes and degrees of efficiency on the market. Good thermal insulation of each unit ensures its efficiency and long service life.
• Haier is a Chinese company that offers a variety of products at affordable prices. For more than 10 years, its devices have been supplied to the Russian market, ranging from compact budget models to large multifunctional devices.
• Atlantic is a French company producing towel warmers, heaters, water heaters. Its history began with the formation of a family business in 1968. Today, it owns a 50% share of the market and a place in the TOP-4 in terms of sales in the Russian Federation. The company has 23 factories around the world. The key advantages of the brand's devices are the minimum need for maintenance, energy efficiency, comfortable use, and a long warranty period.
• Ballu is an international industrial concern developing innovative household appliances. The company has more than 40 patents of its own, thanks to which it is possible to regularly release new high-tech equipment.
• Hyundai is an automotive company from South Korea that simultaneously produces household and industrial appliances for different purposes.The range includes gas and flow types of boilers, models from different metals, a wide range of capacity parameters.
• Gorenje is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household appliances with many years of service life. The European brand serves the markets of more than 90 countries of the world, the boilers are distinguished by their round shape, stylish design, moderate size, and a wide range of models.
• Stiebel Eltron - The German company offers premium series boilers. Today the corporation is scattered all over the world. When developing new models, the emphasis is on economy, safety, efficiency and convenience of technology.

Minimum characteristics of double-circuit boilers

When choosing a boiler for your home, you need to consider the following parameters:

• Power. Shows how much heat is produced.
• efficiency. The efficiency of using heat from the flame. It characterizes how economical the boiler is.
• The temperature of the released gases.
• What conducts heat. Water or antifreeze.
• Maximum pressure for work.
• Outlet temperature maximum
• Hot water performance. How much water is heated in one minute. Depends on the desired water temperature.
• The maximum amount of gas required.
• Gas supply. It characterizes the stability of work at sharp jumps.
• Features of electricity consumption: voltage and frequency of current.
• The power that is wasted.
• Dimensions, including weight, mounting features and flue dimensions. These features do not indicate whether a boiler is good or bad. They must be consistent with the intended use.For example, boilers with different capacities are suitable for heating rooms of different sizes.

But in fact, you get tired of paying attention to all these characteristics. Just remember that wall-mounted boilers are basically all the same in these characteristics.

They differ just in the details. With outdoor, of course, more attention is required.

Pros and cons of electric boilers

The principle of operation of these devices is as follows: the entire volume of water in the tank is heated by an electric heating element to the temperature set by the user. Its optimal value is 55 °С, the maximum is 75 °С. It takes from 1 to 3 hours to heat up from scratch, depending on the initial temperature in the water supply.

When the maximum temperature threshold is reached, the electric boiler is able to immediately provide a large flow of hot water with a simultaneous request from several consumers. The duration of operation before cooling depends on the capacity of the tank and the flow rate. Given these features, we list the strengths of storage heaters that operate on electricity:

1. The ability to satisfy the request for high water consumption from several consumers at the same time.
2. The operation of the device does not depend on the pressure in the water supply and the initial temperature of the water.
3. Installing and connecting a boiler is much easier than any other water heater. Installation does not require any permits, chimney ducts and ventilation with triple air exchange are also not needed.
4. Long service life. In most models from different manufacturers, the heating element is protected by a ceramic shell and will not burn out from scale formation.

The weaknesses of the storage type water heater are the limitation of the total volume of hot water supplied and the long time for heating the next portion, when the stock in the tank has been completely used up. The disadvantage can be aggravated by the wrong choice of a boiler by volume, then 2 options are possible:

• a device with a tank that is too large takes longer to heat up, and in standby mode it wastes more electricity;
• a small container is an insufficient supply of hot water, which is not enough for all needs and you will have to constantly wait until a new portion is heated.

The last significant drawback is the significant size of the storage tank, which plays a big role in the apartment. It is not easy to allocate space in the kitchen or in the bathroom for an apparatus with a capacity of 80 liters, because approximately the same volume is needed for a family of 4 people.

Electric instantaneous water heater

Instantaneous water heaters work according to the following principle: passing through the heating element, water immediately flows from the hot tap (up to 60ºС). Such devices are compact, easy to install and reinstall, if necessary, to a new location. Their big minus is high power - from 3 to 24 kW. For this reason, they can only be used in places where the electrical network is provided for such a high power. In houses with conventional electrical wiring, where there are gas stoves, the maximum allowable load on the electrical network is 3 kW.

Therefore, choosing such a device, you will have to change not only the wiring, but also the meter, the introductory machine, and install another additional machine directly for the water heater. All these costs can exceed the cost of the water heater itself. In houses equipped with electric stoves, the maximum load on the network is 8 kW.In this case, an instantaneous water heater can be connected to the wiring for the stove, but these devices can only be used in turn. The main advantage of instantaneous water heaters is that they are able to produce hot water in unlimited quantities, but the disadvantage is the impossibility of simultaneously providing several points with hot water.

Indirect heating units: what is it?

Indirect heating units are distinguished into a separate group, the design of which does not provide for the presence of built-in heat sources. In this case, the water in the tank is heated using external sources, which is most often used as a liquid from the heating system. Usually it passes through a heat exchanger, thus giving off heat.

Such a primitive boiler is the most economical of all existing options. Due to the fact that the energy of an external coolant is used, there is no consumption of electricity or gas, and this is a significant savings. True, it is not necessary to talk about the affordable cost of such devices.

An indirect heating boiler is a floor storage tank without a heat exchanger, designed to heat and store hot water

Important! It makes sense to install an indirect heating boiler only in very large houses in which at least six people live, since the volume of such containers can reach 1000 liters. Interestingly, if necessary, a heating element can be installed in such a tank without any problems, turning it into a conventional electric storage boiler

Interestingly, if necessary, a heating element can be installed in such a tank without any problems, turning it into a conventional electric storage boiler.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

We offer a selection of useful video instructions, thanks to which you can better understand the features of choosing electric boilers.

Video #1 Useful tips for choosing the right boiler model:

Video #2 The main guidelines that determine the choice of model of heating equipment:

Video #3 A detailed explanation of the principles of operation of dry and wet heating elements:

Video #4 Video review of Atlantic models:

Video #5 Recommendations for economical operation of the Ariston boiler:

Ideally, an electric boiler should be selected and installed during the bathroom renovation process. If this is done later, extra pipes and cables will appear that will be difficult to disguise.

If there are no options and the water heater was purchased after the repair work was completed, then it is better to mount it closer to the water points. This will help save on materials and have less impact on the interior of the bathroom.

Tell us about how you selected a storage water heater for your own apartment / cottage / country house. Share the criteria that influenced your choice. Please write comments in the block below, ask questions, post photos on the topic of the article.