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Hot water boiler

Characteristics and selection criteria

All domestic water heaters differ in four main parameters:

  1. The weight. It depends on the thickness of the metal walls of the inner tank. When the walls are thick, they will last longer before rusting, and they will also protect the tank from significant expansion under high water pressure. And this protects the enamel coating from cracks and lagging behind the walls. The range of cheap water heaters is usually 15-20% lighter, so keep in mind that a good and high-quality boiler should weigh more than budget models.
  2. Heating element power. It depends on how quickly the water will heat up. The optimal value is 2 kW, if less, then the water in the tank will heat up more slowly than possible. An indicator above 2 kW is likely to lead to an overload of the wiring. Also, it is worth considering that the length of the heating element tube also matters. When its size is small, the temperature on the surface of the heater increases, which will lead to increased scale formation. As you know, covered with scale, reduces the amount of heat for water, and therefore works almost constantly, and these are unplanned expenses. That is why, it is necessary to choose a heater with a large cooling area and carry out regular maintenance to remove scale.
  3. Heat loss and insulation thickness. For a high-quality boiler, the thickness of polyurethane foam should not be less than 35 mm. This is the optimal size that will ensure minimal heat loss.

All these characteristics must be described in the technical data sheet of the product. So when buying, we advise you to double-check them, because consultants can inadvertently “embellish” something.

First of all, it is necessary to determine the volume. It is believed that for comfortable use, one person needs 50 liters. But if there are four people in the family, a tank that can hold 200 liters is not the best way out.

It will not be easy to place it in an ordinary apartment, especially in the bathroom of Khrushchev. Two-hundred-liter boilers are more often purchased by residents of private houses, where it can even be placed in a separate room. For apartments, it is better to choose 80 or 100 liters. And in fact, this will not be enough.

For example, let's calculate how much water a family needs in the evening. It will take about 15 liters to prepare dinner and wash dishes after it, and an average of 60 liters to take a shower for everyone in turn. Of course, situations are different, and people's needs are different, but a boiler with a volume of 80 liters will not bring much discomfort.

So, do not take up half the bathroom: the room is a large tank.

What to look for before buying:

  1. Tanks of the same volume can have different shapes. Basically, they are presented in the form of a cylinder, but there are also rectangular ones that take up less space, but are also 15 percent more expensive in price.
  2. The heating element inside can be "dry" or "wet" type. Of course, the first option is more practical. It is not immersed in water, so it can last longer. But its cost is correspondingly higher.
  3. The material of the interior trim of the tank also differs. It can be enameled or stainless steel, which is more practical, but again more expensive.

Overview of the best models and cost

We offer you to get acquainted with the best models that are optimal for home use.

Electrolux EWH 50 Centurio Digital (DL)

Characteristics:

  1. Volume- 50 liters.
  2. heating type- electric.
  3. Power- 2 kW.
  4. Heating time- 1 hour 43 minutes.
  5. Internal coating- titanium enamel
  6. Size (HxWxD)- 433x860x255 mm.

Thermex Flat Plus IF 100V

Characteristics:

  1. Volume- 100 liters.
  2. heating type- electric.
  3. Power- 2 kW.
  4. Heating time– 2 hours 40 minutes.
  5. Internal coating- stainless steel.
  6. Size (HxWxD)- 1245x493x270 mm.

The cost of the boiler will depend on its size, power and material from which it is made.

To give you a little guidance, here is an example of the two best models that are listed above:

  1. Electrolux EWH 50 Centurio Digital (DL)- 15000 rubles.
  2. Thermex Flat Plus IF 100V- 16000 rubles.

Accordingly, you can choose a boiler in the pricing policy up to 15-16 thousand rubles.

DIY manufacturing

Wiring diagram for an indirect heating boiler

Let's give an example of self-production.

For this we need:

  1. Select and prepare a container to be used as a tank.
  2. Make thermal insulation.
  3. Make a coil.
  4. Connect all elements into the overall design.
  5. To plug to domestic heating.
  6. Supply cold tap water.
  7. Make a faucet for hot water outlet.

The first step is preparing the tank

As a container, you can use almost any stable tank of the required shape and size. It can be made of plastic, enameled metal or glass-ceramic. Naturally, for greater practicality, it is better to use stainless steel to avoid corrosion.

Very comfortably. It is cut in half to complete the construction. It is best to take a new one, since in a used cylinder, after a while, the water will smell unpleasant if you do not initially treat its walls with a primer.

In the selected container, it is necessary to prepare three holes:

  1. To connect the serpentine a and .
  2. For supplying cold water.
  3. For hot water outlet.

Please note that heating does not work in summer, so to heat the tank you will need to connect to an electric heating element or, for example, to solar panels.

The second step is the creation of thermal insulation

Mounting foam perfectly retains heat

To reduce heat loss, our homemade tank must be insulated. This can be done in any way: both with the help of mounting foam, insulation, and a larger tank. High-quality thermal insulation is necessary for maximum efficiency of the device.

The third step is the manufacture of the coil

We need a metal or plastic tube of small diameter. It is wound on an auxiliary cylindrical surface (pipe of a larger diameter, log, etc.).

Keep in mind that the tight winding will then be difficult to remove, so do not make much effort. The diameter of the coil and the number of turns in it depends on the size of the tank and your needs. In other words, the larger the coil, the faster the water will heat up.

Fourth step - assembly, installation and connection

So, all the elements are ready, it remains to connect them together into a common design. If the insulation is damaged during the assembly process, it must be restored.

The coil is connected directly to the heating pipes, and pipes with a faucet or wiring (for the kitchen sink, in the bath, etc.) are mounted to output hot water.

The boiler can stand on the floor, or you can hang it on the wall using brackets and special metal ears that are welded to the tank body.

When all the steps are completed, you can check. Just do not forget that a homemade boiler also requires regular prevention - cleaning the coil from scale.