In conditions of all-consuming self-isolation, even inveterate citizens have become summer residents. Several generations gather in country houses at once to wait out a dangerous virus not in apartment confinement, but in the fresh air. There is a reasonable desire to surround yourself with the usual comfort, first of all with hot water. Today, this is easily solved by buying a water heater. All you have to do is choose the right one.
In all the variety of models of water heaters, electric storage heaters remain the most popular. The fact is that flowing models are less economical, and the pressure of really warm water may not satisfy those who like to enjoy a hot shower. Therefore, many users are inclined to buy a storage water heater. But in order to use the storage heater was really convenient, you need to choose it wisely.
What volume of water heater to choose
The first thing you need to decide is the required volume of the water heater. If everything is calculated correctly, you will not have to decide every day who will go to wash first, and who will have to wait for the water to heat up again.
It is necessary to rely not only on the number of people, but also on the points of water intake. Approximate volumes will be as follows:
- for 1-2 people, 10-15 liters are needed for a kitchen sink, 30-50 liters for a shower;
- for 3-4 people — 20-30 liters for the kitchen sink, 80-100 liters for the shower;
- for 5-6 people — 40 liters for the kitchen sink, 120 liters for the shower.
These indicators are conditional, since much depends on your habits, and it is better to take a container with some margin. But here it is important to evaluate the possibilities of your electrical wiring! If it is old, it is better to purchase a water heater with a power selection function and an adjustable degree of heating. This way you can optimally distribute the load on the wiring without compromising your own comfort.
The power adjustment function is also available in Centurio IQ 2.0 and Major LZR 2 series water heaters from Electrolux and Splendore Dry from Zanussi.
If you rarely or briefly visit the country, but you want to wash your hands and dishes with hot water, buy a small water heater for 10-15 liters, for example models from the Electrolux Q-bic series. Due to the small volumes, the water in them heats up very quickly: a powerful 2000 W heating element is installed in the Q-bic 10, which will heat the water to +75 °C in just 19 minutes!
Which tank to choose — enameled or stainless steel?
The tank material is an important parameter when choosing a water heater. Now there are two types of containers in use — enameled and stainless steel.
Water heaters with enameled tanks have been known for a long time. Once there were no others at all. This coating is valuable for its inertia — resistance to aggressive action. Enamel does not react with water, but low-quality enamels have a weak point. When heated, the tank expands, and when cooled, it narrows. Because of this, microcracks may gradually form on the coating, and the tank will begin to rust. To prevent this from happening, responsible manufacturers use special additives that increase the elasticity of the coating. And as an additional protection, magnesium anodes are installed, which, during electrochemical processes, take the blow on themselves and are oxidized instead of metal. It is important to keep in mind that the anode must be changed periodically. Its service life depends on the quality of the water, and it is extremely difficult to determine what condition it is in.
But technology does not stand still, and the quality of enamel improves over time. For example, Electrolux has developed the Protect Tank system — to protect the inner tank from corrosion, they came up with a finely dispersed elastic enamel coating Elastic Cobalt Defense and installed magnesium anodes of increased mass for a longer duration.
Stainless steel water heaters have a number of advantages. For example, such a container is not afraid of sudden temperature changes. If they are mechanically affected (in other words, dropped or hit), you can not be afraid of peeling off the inner coating, which sometimes happens in the case of low—quality enameled water heaters.
But stainless steel tanks need to be bought only from trusted manufacturers! This is due to the high requirements for the quality of the material. If a cheap alloy is used in production, water can react with metal and change its qualities in the direction of deterioration. If the welding seams on the tank are made with a violation of technology, it will definitely flow.
The heaters of the Splendore Dry series from Zanussi and the Centurio IQ 2.0, Major LZR 2 series from Electrolux have a stainless steel tank, which is approved for use in medicine and food production. It is characterized by a high content of anticorrosive alloying elements — chromium and nickel, which guarantees flawless operation and significantly increases the service life of the device. Automated argon welding makes the seams of internal tanks resistant to corrosion.
If there are complaints about the water quality
The water outside the city can be very different from that supplied by a centralized water supply system, especially if you use your own well. Because of this, people refuse to put a water heater in the country, fearing that bad water will quickly “kill” it. But modern storage water heaters are stronger than their predecessors!
Protection against stiffness
To understand that the water is hard, you don’t even need to take it for analysis — just look into the kettle. Most will find scum there — an obvious confirmation that the water has a high hardness. And if the kettle can be brought back to life with the help of citric acid, then the situation with a water heater is much more complicated.
If there is hard water in your country house, pay attention to heaters with a “dry” heating element system. In such devices, the heating element does not come into contact with water, but is located in a sealed container and warms the water indirectly. This allows you to protect it from calcium formations, extend the service life of heating elements and, as a result, the service life of the water heater itself.
Storage water heaters of the Formax and Formax DL series from Electrolux are also equipped with this system.
Antibacterial protection
Do you know about one of the most dangerous bacteria — Legionella (Legionella pneumophila and Legionella longbeachae)? It causes a number of dangerous diseases that can even lead to death. This bacterium feels great in a humid environment and especially loves stagnant water.
If you come to the country, as they say, by raids, then by opening the tap, you can substitute your hands to a whole horde of bacteria and micro-organisms. Legionella dies from formalin, phenol, ethanol, chloramine (are you sure you want to disinfect the water in the country with these compounds?) or at a temperature of +60°C.
Many models of water heaters heat water up to +70…+75°C, which already guarantees your safety. But some also have a special function of antibacterial water treatment — the Bacteria Stop System (BSS). It includes a cycle of thermal treatments of water inside the water heater, during which vegetative forms of microorganisms die. You will no longer need to worry about the cleanliness and freshness of the water inside the water heater — it is enough to activate the antibacterial cleaning mode.
Remote control
While parks and playgrounds are closed, a country house is the only place where you can feel free. You can get out there after work or on weekends. If this story is about you, then you will need a smart water heater that will prepare the water exactly for arrival. Are you going to the country? You gave the device a command, arrived and enjoy the comfort. This is also a very useful feature for those who left their children with their grandmother in a country house. To simplify and protect their lives as much as possible, monitor the operation of the tank from your smartphone.
Smart water heaters are equipped with a USB connector into which a Wi-Fi module is inserted. Remote control is based on Internet of Things technology. You can turn the heater on and off, as well as set the desired temperature from anywhere in the world. Models of the Electrolux Centurio IQ 2.0 series are equipped with this function.
Modern storage water heaters are convenient and reliable devices with a multi—level security system. Having made a competent choice once, you will provide your country house with hot water for many years to come. The ease of installation allows you to mount them yourself, but we will tell you more about this!
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