Dec 19, 2012 03:23 PM
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(Updated Sep 22, 2016 08:29 PM)
Simple Steps you follow to buy a water heater are as follows:
What you would find in the market is branded and unbranded water heaters and almost similar features but how would you choose the right product for your house.
Here is a small quick guide for you to help pick up the right water heater.
Points to be noted:
Point No: 1 - Do not buy unbranded water heaters Its just like investing your money on a wrong stock or mutual fund. A branded water heater can offer you not only guarantee safety, but also good customer support and service. Unbranded water heaters may be lucrative in terms of the price, but many of the water heaters may not conform BIS standards, BEE energy star rating, and may not have an ISI mark and in some ways they might be unsafe . A Tank is the heart of a water heater, Beware of Brands which do not mention what their tank is made up of as they use Mild Steel, Stainless Steel or Copper and consume double the power due to longer heating time, your electricity bill also depends on the product you buy, if your looking for lower maintainence costs look for a product with an ISI Mark a product that doesnt have it is not according to indian standards this increases the cost of spares and service depending on availibilty.
Point No: 2 - Location of installation of the water heater is very important. People living near the coast have to take corrosion into account. Saline water can also corrode internal parts of the water heaters.
eg: borewater(apartments), hard water areas(city out areas), salt water areas(costal areas). So the best option here would be a water heater with a Fibre outer body(ABS) and a complete internal copper Assembly set up. Copper has special anti corrosive properties that prolongs the life of the water heater and saves energy and copper is a good conductor of heat.
Point No: 3 - The model of water heater which you buy is again based on what kind of a residence you have independent house / small apartment(less than 5 floors) / high rise building and how many people require hot water.
If you are living a bachelors life or with other fellow bachelors an instant water heater is the best option 1, 3, 6, 10 litres An instant geyser 1 litres is usually used for kitchens or in your washing area as it would deliver an output of 1 litres every minute which would be slow for a shower area. You don't have to keep reminding yourself to turn off the heater and you wont waste electricity.
If you are living with a family in an independent house a Solar Water Heater is an option, this is 100% electricity free and the most greenway to go. expensive in terms on initial investment. The basic recommended capacity is the 100 litre per day.
In Solar water heaters there are two technologies the conventional flat plate collector and the Vacuum Tube Model. Both of these cost the same but the vacuum tube model is preferred because its replacement cost is cheaper in case of damage to the solar tube and also because it can absorb infra red rays so heating takes place till late in the evening and on cloudy days as opposed to the other model which requires direct sunlight. Solar water heaters have not been that successful for the monsoon and winters in many places, these water heaters are weather dependent.
If you are living in an apartment an electric storage water heater is the best option. A 25 litre model is ideal for a family of four, 35 litre for a family of 6 so on and so on. If your bathroom ceiling is low or you have a false ceiling or a attic then a horizontal water heater would suite your need in terms of space but if you have enough space upto 2 feet a vertical is always suggested as an horizontal water heater you would loose 4-6 litres of hot water from the total capacity.
If you are living in a multi-storied high-rise building there are chances of high pressure pumps being installed to make sure water reaches all the flats. This can damage the water heater over a period which normal storage water heaters cannot withstand. Opt for a water heater that has a good tank guage depending on the floors of the building or capacity of the pressure pump. Stainless Steel or Glasslined Mildsteel inner containers are more preffered for withstanding High Pressure depending on the apartment Copper tanks are only used upto 10 Stories building.
A gas water heater is a good buy if you have your gas cylinder placed outside the bathroom. Ideal for the kitchen because thats where the gas cylinder is located or if you have extra ventilation.
(NOTE: GAS WATER HEATERS ARE NOT SAFE IF PLACED INSIDE THE BATHROOM DUE TO CARBON MONOOXIDE FUMES EMITTED BY THEM).
Accessories and Installation for Water Heaters
Required Material - angle valve- Rs 150 Bolts - Rs 50 Connection Nipple - Rs 20 15A Plug - Rs 50 2 Metal Connection Pipes - 150 Rs each.
Point No: 4
Safety and Quality Features that you should look out for
BIS / ISI mark: The basic requisite for accepted safety and quality standards
Warranty on tank and other critical components
5 star rating is preferred.
Thermostat for Auto Cutoff at 60degree so you can use a mixer to control the output of cold water
Thermal Cut out / Thermal Plug and Semi return device- a fail safe device to prevent dry heating
Copper Heating Element: Heats the water very fast compared to any other coil(EASILY AVAILABLE) and shock proof
PUF insulated tank: Heat Retention is longer
2-in-1 pressure cum release valve: Ensures positive and negative pressure is not created inside the tank -
BIS APPROVAL is most important factor so that in terms of energy consumption you don't land up paying more on electricity BILLS.
Check for BEE Label too.( Recently BEE has Rated brands which state the standing loss of a water heater). Look for 5 star rating.
Look for a product that can be serviced easily all products with isi have standard heating elements which are available everywhere.
Most of the leading brands will have the features mentioned above, the consumer voice survey, Power rating chart by ISI is a good guide to help you in choosing good buys namely Remson, Shivalik, Venus, Bajaj or Warmex and Racold.
