Gas water heater or boiler: what is better?

Devices that provide an apartment or private home with hot water at any time, these days are very relevant. Their choice is quite extensive, and to determine which equipment is more profitable in one case or another, it can be difficult. To buy a suitable device, it is important to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of each type of water heaters.

According to the principle of their work, all heating devices are divided into storage and flow-through. The former draw water and heat it for some time period, while the latter performs heating during use. Both of these types of heaters are also divided depending on the energy used into electric and gas.

As a result, we can name these types of water heating equipment:

1. Gas flow heater (gas heater). Water in such a device is heated during the movement along the heat exchanger under the influence of the flame of the burner.
2. Electric storage heater (boiler). Water is first drawn into the unit and then begins to heat by the built-in heating element.
3. Gas storage heater.
4. Electric flow heater.

The first two types are the most common, which in most cases and need to be compared to choose the right water heater.

• A working water heater is able to provide the house with hot water for an unlimited period of time. As soon as the user opens the faucet, he immediately gets warm water until he closes the valve.
• Modern columns have an electronic control that allows you to control the intensity of combustion, as a result of which changes in water pressure in the pipes does not affect the final temperature of water coming from the faucet.
• Columns are small in size, so they are often purchased for a small bathroom or kitchen.
• Modern speakers are highly reliable devices. There are many sensors in the speakers to ensure their safety.

• Gas water heaters significantly lose out to boilers in terms of efficiency.
• The power of the device may not be enough to ensure an even supply of water to two points. For example, if the column is low-power, the hot water will come to only one tap. Medium-power devices allow you to supply water to two taps, but the pressure will be uneven.
• For its operation, the column requires a chimney and good ventilation of the room.
• Many speakers do not function well with a change in gas or water pressure.
• When the combustion chamber is open, the oxygen content in the room is reduced.
• If the water in the pipes is too cold in winter, the heater often fails to heat it.
• Due to poor water quality, gas water heaters have to be regularly cleaned of limescale.
• Installation of gas-fired equipment is quite troublesome and expensive. It requires a project and its approval, after which the installation and connection should be carried out by an organization that has a license for such activities.

• Installation of such a heater is quite simple and can be done independently.
• For the work of the device does not need the presence of the chimney, as well as ventilation is not important.
• Changes in temperature or water pressure in the pipes do not affect the functioning of the boiler.
• In modern boilers, the heating element is not in direct contact with water, so no scale is formed.

• Such equipment is not able to quickly provide a large volume of hot water. Obtained from a single boiler volume of warm water is limited, and when the water runs out, you have to wait for several hours until the next portion is heated.
• The boiler capacity may not be enough to provide hot water for the whole family.
• The size of electric storage heaters is quite large. Hanging a boiler over a bathtub or toilet, users often bump their heads into it.

To determine which of the heaters will cost less, you need to take into account several points:

• The price of the device itself. Depending on the parameters of the model, it will vary greatly.
• The cost of installation work. Installation of a gas heater is much more expensive than the installation of a boiler.
• The costs of the energy carrier. For our country, the use of natural gas is more affordable and cheaper than the consumption of electricity.
• Maintenance costs. Both types of devices need to be periodically cleaned.

Most often the price of the gas water heater including the cost of installation is more expensive than the boiler, but the energy costs are higher for the boiler, because gas in our country is quite cheap.

To determine the economy of the device should take into account not only the power source used, but also some of the parameters of the equipment. Electricity consumption of the boiler will depend on the power of the device, and the consumption of gas speaker affects not only its power, but also the type of ignition (with piezo ignition gas will be consumed continuously, and with an electric - only when turning on the tap with water).

About what is better to buy - a boiler or a column, see the video channel "magazinexpert".