This article help you have more distinct concept of the water heater and better judgment in choosing suitable water heaters either for business goal or for person use.

A. Short introduction

i.              Definition

Water heater is a household appliance consisting of a gas or electric heating unit under a tank in which water is heated and stored.so its main components includes both water stored tank(or called inner tank) and heating device,which are normally quite different depending on its various heating source and water quality requirement.

ii.              Application

Water heater,as one of main electric appliance in daily routine,can be used in anywhere the hot water is needed.For example,the storage water heater can be used in household use like bathroom,kitchen room,swimming pool,restaurant,barbor shop.and even in camping car and caravan or trailor,you also need a hot water heating system to sustain.

iii.              Main function

The hot water heater is the machine responsible for converting energy into heat and subsequently creating hot water for use throughout your home.

For most conventional storage water heater with or without tank, it brings alternative features like  temperature adjusting, heating appointing, or power switch. In some storage models of well known brand, the sterilization function is available.For some higher cost water heater type like instantaneous water heaters and air pumps,there will be a touch screen panel or remote control board for many more control modes selection. The water inside the tank will be heated more than 80 degrees to kill most bacteria inside the tank.For most Chinese water heating products manufactures,They mainly focus on conventional water heaters with mechanical temp knob.Which is very cost efficient and quality stable for any market.

B.  Product category

No matter what you refer it as water heater, water geyser, water boiler or hot water tank, or something in between, Although it has a variety of different of different systems, this appliance can be divided into two main different types.

If with storage water tank:

i.              Tank-type water heater.

Which means it takes in a storage tank for the cold water source and heated hot water,normally, The storage tank can consists of single tank cylinders or double tank cylinders. It can be air pump water tanks or electric storage water heaters.The water tank can be made from galvanized, enameling coating or stainless steel material in 80s or 90s.Nowaday.The enamel glass lining tank material takes up main part as water tank of storage type water heater.There will be

If without storage water tank:

ii.              Tankless type water heater.

which means it excludes a storage water tank. It can be electric instant water heater used in bathroom or electric faucet used in kitchen room.

Comparatively, the electric power of instant water heater is much higher than the storage water heater because it has to convert electricity energy into heat for water in very short time.

Main heating tube material mostly is tubular type and can contact water directly or indirectly.Option in market can be listed as below:

Aluminium cast indirect heating way

Red copper direct heating way

Stainless steel direct heating way

From the heat source,there is another category way for water heaters naming:

i.              Electric water heater

Electric water heaters normally incorporate a electric heating resistance for heat convert since it main source from electric power.which can be initiated from alternating current or direct current based on  battery bank.

ii.              Solar water heater

Solar water heater is widely used in very sunny regions and solar panel can absorb solar heat into water inside tank.To overcome the outcome of lack solar energy in winter season.Most solar tanks will include a optional heating resistance inside the water tank as auxiliary heat source.Mostly the solar water tank is made of SUS 304 stainless steel plate or enamel glass lining stell plate with longer lifespan than the conventional storage water heater.

iii.              Gas water heater

Gas water heater can be divided as storage type and tankless type .Obviously, its main difference depends on if there is a storage tank for water. The gas burner fires and the heat exchanger wars the flowing inlet water winding outside the burner.Gas source can be both natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas.

Some instantaneous gas hot water systems work with a secondary heat exchanger to pre-heat the water and the electric thermostat regulates gas amount to the gas burner channel, to keep fix pre-set water temperature.Actually,there can be variations in features,function and operation for gas models. Gas water heat exchanger is mostly made of copper alloy that is anti-corrosive with water.

As manufacture of water heater supplier for over 30 years. Dingxin can supply diverse options of gas models for multiple use.

 

C.   Advantage&disvantage analysis

Every different region has its most suitable water heater options when taking cost factors and use convenience into consideration.Here you can see advantages and disadvantages for each water heater type mentions above.

i.              Advantage of electric storage water heater

Capacity alternatives available

 

You can freely choose capacity volume of the storage water heater to fit in for its installation. For most traditional water heater, its volume option could be ranging from 6 liters to 100 liters and ranging from 100 liters to 500 liters. The storage heater shape could be cylinder or square or flat. Even the pipe direction could alternate depending on the plumbing availability.

 

Cost efficiency on purchase and easy installation

 

Compare with other water models. The storage type water heater shows its easier installation procedure and also much cheaper cost than the instant water heater.If local electricity supply is not stable, the storage water heater seems more adaptive due to its easy inner structure and working method.

 

Easy maintenance and after service

 

Storage water heater belongs to most wide-spread heaters items all over the world, which means the plumbing service can be employed anywhere near your city, as well as the general water heater accessories can be purchased very conveniently.If you are wholesaler or distributor of electric storage water heater.You need to pay more attention to those manufacture who can supply spare parts for easy maintenance and after service.

ii.              Disadvantage of electric storage water heater

Space consuming for installation

As long as water tank it has, the storage water heater have to take up certain space to load in.But it seems a problem in some narrow space locations like container room with none bearing wall or small water sinks.So mounting space and weight tolerance should be mainly considered before buying water heaters for daily use.

Regular maintenance for sediment clearance

With time going by, there must be some water sediment or limescale on bottom of the tank or surface of the heating element.Which can bring about skin allergy in some very bad water quality districts.For professional pumbing team,they will provide inner tank clearance service every year on charge.Of course,you can do this by yourself if you are expert at operational ability

Electricity supply is an issue too.Many storage water heaters required power supply at least 1.5kw and main power line size no less than 2.5mm²,but for some regions lack of fundamental electricity supply.It is difficult to widespread electric water heater.So some people will prefer solar PV to transfer electricity to the water heaters.

iii.              Advantage&disvantage of Electric instant water heater

a)     Advantage of electric instant water heater

Endless hot water supply or point of use hot water is direct reason why most people choose the instant electric water heater, besides, its much smaller size than storage water heater helps easier installation too.Last but not in the least,the contact between heating body and water only is less frequent than that in the storage water heater,so it is more anti-corrosive and longer life span for heating body of instant water heater.

 

b)     Disadvantage of electric instant water heater

Yet,in some other cases,instant water heater is not that friendly as estimated.For example in some poor electricity regions,tha instant water heater can not be considered at all,because it requires both high  and stable power input.Also,it weather is too cold in the winder season.The instant is incapable to supply enough  hot water in short time due to its max consumption power limit.

 

iv.              Advantage&disvantage of  Solar water heater

c)     Advantage of solar water heater

Zero Cost –Actually,because the solar water heater absorbs the energy from the sun,you do not need to worry about the electricity bill.What you need to concern is to make the best use of its PV in cloudy weather.

You’ll Save Space –Normally both the solar panel and water tank are mounted on top roof of the house,without any extra space requirement for the indoor room.But it takes much more space  .

Cheap Installation – You will spend a lot less to install a solar panel in comparison to a PV panel for instance. Also, the fact that you need fewer solar panels to heat water translates to having more money in your wallet.

Safe for the Environment – The world need less carbon dioxide emission and pollution to protect the evironment , and solar panels are the good option. It has zero emission and lower carbon emisstion.

 

d)     Disadvantage of solar water heater

 

Maintenance Costs – Sure, solar panels will help save you some money, but you have to clean the big water tank with regular maintenance costs. You should check your panels regularly to ensure there is no freezing not to mention replacing of parts. To forget to carry out maintenance procedures on your solar panels may lead to a shorter lifespan of it.

Other than that, you will have to install a new water cylinder in your home to help you maximize your solar panel heating ability.

Weather Dependent the efficiency of the solar system hit a low in the cloudy or rainy days. Some solar panels are only dependent on sunlight to gather solar energy. Therefore, a few cloudy, rainy days can have a noticeable effect on the energy system. You should also take into account that solar energy cannot be collected during the night.Even some solar water heaters include its auxiliary heating element,it takes much electricity energy to heat up the full water filled in solar tank .which surely add much on your monthly electricity bill.

 

v.              Advantage&disvantage of Induction water heater

e)     Advantage of electric instant water heater

 

Clean-up:

Induction water heater is out of pollution in its usage compared with other gas water heaters.And also easy to clean,as  it is less limescale on service of the heating element.

Safety:

The testing undergoing ensures that the induction water heater is the safest heating method available. Because it uses the power of induction technology, it won’t burn you! The surface of the heating element only releases eddy current,allowing the heating water to remain  safe current.

Energy Efficient:

Induction heating is eco-friendly and energy-efficient. It heat the water faster than traditional electric and gas heater. This revolutionary, breakthrough, heating technology is more efficient. It uses more of the heat it produces than gas and electric stovetops. Minimizing heat loss saves you money and time.

 

f)      Disadvantage of electric induction water heater

 

High cost,cost of induction water heater is more costy than the normal electric water heater because it needs to unite a built-in IGBT module inside to transfer AC current into eddy current.

D. Buying guide

i.              Maintenance comparison

g)     Tank-type water heater

Most storage tank systems face the limescale problem in hard water because as water passes through the tank, its acidity causes buildup that in the tank bottom or around the heating element. This eventually affects the efficiency of the heat transfer, which can lead to heating element failure or tank leakage. The same thing can occur with tankless units, but more slowly.

h)     Tankless type water heater

Tankless type water heater easily lock up when buildup occurs.which means the water heater can not function well. In this case, a sediment clearance work inside the water track road will remove buildup. For storage tank,it takes much more cost to remove the sediment or limescale.

Tankless water heaters are the correct choice for some applications. But flow rate might not be satisfactory if the electricity input is instable or low. While tankless water heaters offer point of use hot water, normally, some families are offering one tankless unit for the shower and bath, and a second for the kitchen and laundry.

i)       Solar water heater

Here are some suggested inspections procedure of solar system components.

Collector shading
Visually check for shading of the collectors during the day based on an annual basis. Shading can greatly affect the performance of solar collectors. Vegetation growth over time or new construction on your house or your neighbor's property may produce shading that wasn't there when the collectors were installed.

Collector soiling
Dusty or soiled collectors will perform poorly. Periodic cleaning may be necessary in dry, dusty climates.

Collector glazing and seals
Look for cracks in the collector glazing, and check to see if seals are in good condition. Plastic glazing, if excessively yellowed, may need to be replaced.

Plumbing, ductwork, and wiring connections
Look for fluid leaks at pipe connections. Check duct connections and seals. Ducts should be sealed with a mastic compound. All wiring connections should be tight.

Piping, duct, and wiring insulation
Look for damage or degradation of insulation covering pipes, ducts, and wiring.

Roof penetrations
Flashing and sealant around roof penetrations should be in good condition.

Support structures
Check all nuts and bolts attaching the collectors to any support structures for tightness.

Pressure relief valve (on liquid solar heating collectors)
Make sure the valve is not stuck open or closed.

Dampers (in solar air heating systems)
If possible, make sure the dampers open and close properly.

Pumps or blowers
Verify that distribution pumps or blowers (fans) are operating. Listen to see if they come on when the sun is shining on the collectors after mid-morning. If you can't hear a pump or blower operating, then either the controller has malfunctioned or the pump or blower has.

• Heat transfer fluids
  Antifreeze solutions in liquid (hydronic) solar heating collectors need to be replaced periodically. It's a task best left to a qualified technician. If water with a high mineral content (i.e., hard water) is circulated in the collectors, mineral buildup in the piping may need to be removed by adding a de-scaling or mild acidic solution to the water every few years.

• Storage systems
  Check storage tanks, etc., for cracks, leaks, rust, or other signs of corrosion.

 

j)          Gas water heater

Regular water heater maintenance will save energy and extend the life of your water heater.

Sediment build up in your water heater may cause clogged water lines, and faucets resulting in low water flow.

Other problems associated with excessive sediment are slower recovery rates (increase energy bills), glass liner in tank cracking (especially gas water heaters), shorter water heater life and bacteria growth.

Test pressure/temperature relief valve once a year.
Flush water heater every 4 months.
Clean water heater once a year.
Replace anode rod every 2-5 years.
Gas water heater - check/clean burner every year.

ii.              Cost efficiency

k)     Electric water heater

The purchase of electric water heater is much cost-efficient than both solar water heater and gas water heater,especially for the traditional cylinders.Anyhow monthly electricity bill is taking extra more cost in its daily use.Also its maintenance cost becomes cheaper because its relatively simple inner structure and less costy components inside.

 

l)       Solar water heater

It takes a big sum to firstly buy a solar water heater,because of its large capacity and strengthened installation required.But its mainly heat energy comes from the sun via solar PV,which means it consumes little electricity or gas to save a lot of  maintenance cost during its usage.

m)    Gas water heater

Gas water heater is bit more costy than electric water heater,because it owns more complex  inner components inside.To produce same hot water,gas bill is often lower than electricity bill,which means it is more cost-efficient in the daily use.

iii.              District preference

There are some inevitable factors to decide which type of water heater in the daily usage:

Firstly,the cheaper the heat resource comes from,the more related water heater is preferred.For example,in some districts with full sun throughout the year,many contractors will choose to install solar water heater to conduct end hot water heater without pay extra electricity bill.Similarly ,in middle east and south America,the natural gas is very cheap.which lead to a spread use of gas type water heater.But actually electric water heater is mostly wide spread because nearly in every city,the electricity supply is fundamental facility,except for some very remote rural places.