Water heaters for country houses: prices and features

The problem of lack of hot water in the country house, each dacha owner solves in his own way. For some people it is not inconvenient to wash dishes and wash in cold water, someone boils water in small portions using a kettle or boiling pot. There are those who approach this issue more thoroughly and buy a water heater.

It is difficult to overestimate the usefulness of this device, because it makes the stay at home more comfortable, pleasant and safe for health. A wide range of water heaters allows you to choose a device that will suit you in terms of price and characteristics. In this article, we want to tell you about the features and varieties of flow-through water heaters for the country.

Like any other type of water heaters, flow-through devices are designed to automatically heat cold water to a predetermined temperature. Such water heaters have virtually no restrictions on application: they can be used both in urban apartments, and in country houses. The main thing is to have a water supply to the building with normal pressure in the pipes. For the flow heater to work, you need to provide a connection to the electric network or to the gas pipeline - depending on the type of device by the method of heating water (electric or gas).

The use of flowing water heaters in the dacha has both positive and negative aspects. We have compiled for you a list of the most significant advantages and disadvantages that have been noticed in devices of this kind.

So, to the main advantages of flowing water heaters can be attributed:

• A high degree of environmental friendliness;
• unlimited volume of hot water;
• quick turn-on;
• no need to wait until the water is heated to the desired temperature;
• ergonomics;
• compact size and light weight.

The disadvantages of flow-through water heaters are not very numerous, but still they are present. To the disadvantages of these devices users usually include:

• high power - more than 3.5 kW;
• when connecting the shower, the power of the device increases to 7-11 kW;
• The necessity to equip a separate electric wiring of 380 volt with moisture-protected socket and grounding.

To understand how a flow-through water heater works, you should first understand its device. Since this device heats water not in advance, but directly in the process of use, it is deprived of a water tank. Water is heated by passing through a heat exchanger, which, in turn, receives heat from a gas burner or a heating element (depending on the type of water heater).

The gas burner or heating element turns on automatically as soon as the user opens the water tap. In just a few seconds heated water starts flowing into the faucet.

One of the most important criteria for subdivision of flowing water heaters - it is the method of water heating. According to this feature, such devices are divided into two large groups:

• gas;
• electric.

There are also water heaters that need to be heated with wood. You can read more about them in the article "Wood-burning water heater for the country".

Electric water heaters, in turn, come in two varieties - single-phase and three-phase. Single-phase devices have less power (up to 12 kW), which they are able to regulate with the help of special sensors that determine the water pressure.

Three-phase water heaters have a higher capacity (from 12 to 27 kW).

All flowing water heaters, depending on the method of water supply, are divided into pressure and non-pressure.

If the device belongs to the pressure type, it means that a certain pressure is constantly maintained inside it, which allows you to control the amount of water withdrawn. As soon as the water reaches a certain level, the device turns off.

Unpressurized water heaters work on a slightly different principle. There is no pressure in them, because when heated, the excess water comes out through a special tube. These devices are considered safer, but they are not capable of serving more than one water point.

To choose the right model of water heater, you need to know the most important characteristics by which devices of this kind are evaluated. For you will matter:

• method of water heating: gas/electric;
• method of water supply: pressurized/non-pressurized;
• connection method (for electric water heaters): single-phase/three-phase;
• the highest value of the temperature of water heating;
• power;
• productivity (measured in liters per minute);
• the required mains voltage.

Flow-through water heaters are manufactured by companies from all over the world, so the choice of models is very large. We advise you to buy only products from reliable, proven manufacturers. For example, flow-through water heaters produced by the following companies have proven themselves well:

• Electrolux (Sweden);
• Bosch (Germany);
• Thermex (Italy);
• Ariston (Italy);
• Vaillant (Germany).

Flow-through water heaters - not such an expensive pleasure. A huge range of these devices, presented in stores, allows you to find a suitable device for the buyer with any wallet. We have selected some of the best models of flow-through water heaters from different manufacturers, so you can compare prices and make the right choice.

If you have chosen a flow-through water heater running on electricity, you need to determine the required capacity of the device. Knowing this figure is very important, because the correct calculations will help you save energy consumption and properly distribute the load on the network.

To calculate the power, you should make a simple equation and determine the value of each unknown. This equation looks like this: P=G*?t/14.3?

• P - power;
• G - water flow rate in liters;
• ?t - the difference between the temperature of the water in the water supply and the desired heating temperature.

• When buying a flow-through water heater, you need to be sure that the dacha electrical wiring will withstand the load that a device with such a high capacity will put on it. For example, in older houses, the wiring of which is designed for no more than 3 kW, the installation of such water heaters is unacceptable.
• Large capacity - this is the main disadvantage of flow-through devices, which makes you think about the need to buy this type of water heater.

If you read on various Internet forums reviews of dacha owners about different types of water heaters, it is impossible to draw unambiguous conclusions about which device is more preferable. So, a flow-through water heater will cost cheaper than a storage water heater (except for the most "tricked-out" models), but it is believed that the first option is more convenient to use.

In terms of electricity consumption both types of water heaters will be equal, despite the fact that the owners of storage models consider them more economical. In fact, this is not true: to heat one cubic meter of water flow and storage heaters consume the same amount of energy.