Electric flowing tap water heater: device, selection criteria, model overview

Tags:Bathroom and toilet, Kitchen, Plumbing

The domestic market of household appliances and equipment designed for heating water for hot water supply is quite saturated. In this segment, models of various companies from many countries of the world are presented, offering for sale instantaneous and storage water heaters, differing in design and technical characteristics, installation methods and types of energy used. One of the types of such equipment is an electric instantaneous water heater tap, and it is about it that will be discussed in this article in the editorial office of homemaster.techinfolux.com/en/.

Instant water heating tap is convenient to use and easy to maintain

The content of the article

1 Appointment, advantages and disadvantages of an electric crane for heating water
2 Design features and principle of operation
3 Types of electric flow-through water heaters
4 Criterias of choice
5 Review of popular models
6 Which tap water heater is better, according to the editors of homemaster.techinfolux.com/en/
7 The nuances of installing a nozzle-water heater on the tap
8 Features of operation of an instantaneous electric water heater
9 Consumer reviews about a flow-through electric water heater faucet
10 Video: overview and experience of using a water heater tap

Appointment, advantages and disadvantages of an electric crane for heating water

The main purpose of the instantaneous water heating tap is to provide the consumer hot water at any time when the need arises. The advantages of this design are:

compactness, allowing you to place the device directly at the point of draw-off;
the ability to instantly heat water, immediately after opening the tap;
ease of installation and maintenance;
the ability to maintain the water temperature in a given range;
high efficiency of use;
a variety of models - allows you to choose the device in accordance with the style of the room where it is installed;
relatively low cost compared to other types of water heaters.

A flow-through tap water heater can be placed in any room where there is a need for hot water

Among the disadvantages of devices of this type, it should be noted:

significant electrical power requires the laying of a separate group for connection to the electrical network;
the ability to use only one point of draw-off;
the volume of heated water is limited and is determined by the throughput of the tap;
the complexity of performing repair work at home on your own.

A flow-through water heater tap is convenient to use and is used in situations such as:

For seasonal use - when the centralized hot water supply (DHW) is turned off.
To create local hot water supply networks (country house, summer residence, etc.).
For ease of use, when the house (apartment) is equipped with gas heating devices, and it is impractical to turn them on for a short period of time.

Instantaneous water heater - electric on a tap with a shower

Design features and principle of operation

The principle of operation of a flow-through electric faucet-heater is similar to the operation of an ordinary boiler, when water, in contact with a heating element, which is an electric heating element, heats up, after which it flows out of an open tap under the influence of pressure in the water supply network. The design of such a device is shown in the following figure.

Electric crane-heater design: 1 - valve body; 2 - heating element (electric heating element); 3 - tap spout equipped with a strainer; 4 - flowing water temperature sensor; 5 - temperature regulator; 6 - cartridge 7 - pressure sensor; 8 - light indicator of the heating element operation.

Note! The body of such products can be made of metal or plastic, and the bulb in which the heating element is located can be made of copper or composite material.

The electrical power of different models can vary greatly and range from 3 to 27 kW, which should be paid special attention to when choosing a specific device, because the ability to connect to an existing electrical network depends on this indicator. The presence of significant electrical power allows water to be heated in a short period of time, amounting to several seconds, after which the water temperature is maintained at a given level and controlled by a temperature sensor, and is regulated by a special regulator and the amount of water passed per unit of time. When the valve is closed, the pressure sensor disconnects the power supply circuit of the heating element, its operation stops.

Water heater nozzle on tap

Related article:

Storage water heater: which company is better? A separate publication provides an overview of popular brands and models with prices and device characteristics.

Types of electric flow-through water heaters

Instantaneous water heaters made in the form of a tap are of several types:

attachment on the crane;
mixer;
a separate device for wall mounting.

Nozzle for heating water on the tap

A similar device is installed on a water tap or mixer, mounted in the cold water supply system of a house, apartment or other structure, where the presence of warm water is required during its operation (household, administrative and other facilities). Distinctive features of this type of equipment are: ease of installation and use. In addition, the advantages of nozzles for heating water on a tap include indicators such as:

low cost;
compactness.

Of the design shortcomings, it should be noted low productivity due to low electrical power and capacity of the device.

Instant water heater Delimano

Mixer - water tap with instant water heating function

A mixer tap equipped with a heating element can be used in two operating modes:

cold water supply - when the heating element does not turn on and cold water flows from the tap;
hot water supply - the heating element is switched on and heated water flows from the tap.

Note! The temperature regime on devices of this type is regulated by changing the water pressure, while the heating error is 0.5-1% of the set values.

Separate wall-mounted unit

This type of device, providing instantaneous heating of water, has in its design a capacity that serves to increase the volume of water heated per unit of time.

The presence of a storage tank is the main difference between this type of device and the designs discussed earlier.

Instantaneous water heater, made as a separate unit, mounted on the wall

In addition, such devices are distinguished by a high degree of protection and significant electrical power, which allows you to connect more than one point of water intake, as well as higher productivity than similar devices of this type (nozzle, mixer). According to the method of connecting to the water supply network, wall-mounted devices are of two types:

pressure - heated water is supplied under pressure to the DHW system, where it is disassembled;
free-flow - the heated water after the storage tank immediately goes to the tap.

An expert's point of view

Kirill Mikhailov

Head of the group "Water supply and sewerage" LLC "GRAST"

“Pressure models are distinguished by significant electrical power and can be connected to a one- or three-phase network, while the number of water sampling points can be several. Free-flow models can serve only one water intake point ”.

Installation options for a wall-mounted gravity-flow heater

Related article:

Flat storage water heater 50 liters. Advantages and disadvantages, device, connection, review of brands and models, expert recommendations - in our publication.

Criterias of choice

When the question arises of creating a local hot water supply system for a country house or apartment and for its solution the choice fell on a water heater tap, the selection criteria in this case will be such indicators as:

Electric power. The possibility of placement in a particular place of installation depends on the amount of power. This is due to the permissible load currents of the electrical network both in relation to the group line through which the heating element is connected, and to the general line, regulated by the power supply contract.
Performance. This indicator characterizes the ability of the device to heat and pass a certain amount of water through its structure per unit of time.
The indicator light informs that the heating element is working
Heating element type. Heating elements can be made in the form of a coil or a spiral, as well as a straight or curved tube through which water circulates, washing the built-in heating element. In their manufacture, ceramic elements and spiral blocks are used, protected by glass, as well as copper and other metals that are resistant to corrosion.
Degree of protection. This indicator characterizes the device in terms of the degree of protection against external influences and corresponds to the standard scale for all electrical devices (IP). In addition, this indicator reflects the class of protection of the device against the possibility of electric shock when using it (electrical safety - grounding, insulation class).
Extra options. These indicators include: the material used in the manufacture of the case and the method of controlling the device, as well as the presence of additional functions.

Premium segment models are equipped with an LCD display that informs about the temperature of the supplied water

Note! Water heater taps are equipped with a mechanical or electronic type of control, while mechanical models are of lower cost and are not able to independently maintain the temperature regime, and electronic ones belong to the premium segment and provide automatic operation.

Of the additional options available, as a rule, on more expensive models, the following should be noted: jet illumination and light indication, LCD display and the possibility of programming, as well as work with different electrical power and limitation of temperature modes of operation.

Budget models are distinguished by simplicity of design, mechanical control and the absence of electronics in the control circuit

Related article:

Boiler for water heating. Application, device and principle of operation, selection criteria, an overview of manufacturers and models, average prices, subtleties of installation on their own - read our publication.

Review of popular models

Flow-type water heater taps, which have an electric heating element in their design, are produced by many enterprises working in this segment of plumbing devices, but the following brands are the most popular in our country:

"Aquatherm" (Russia) and "Delimano" (Italy − Ukraine), «Supretto» and "Rapid" (China). The following table shows the models that are most in demand among users, their prices are indicated, as of the beginning of the III quarter of 2018.

Brand and Model	Picture	Specifications
Aquatherm KA 001		Single-lever; The cartridge is ceramic; Case - plastic; Power - 3 kW; Voltage - 220 V; Protection class - IPx4.
Aquatherm KA 25		Single-lever; The cartridge is ceramic; Case - plastic; Power - 3 kW; Voltage - 220 V; Protection class - IPх4; Temperature indication.
Aquatherm KA 001 / D		Single lever with shower; The cartridge is ceramic; Case - plastic; Power - 3 kW; Voltage - 220 V; Protection class - IPх4.

Brand and Model	Picture	Specifications
Delimano KDR-4E-3		Single-lever; Heating indicator; Body - plastic / metal; Power - 3 kW; Voltage - 220 V; Protection class - IPx4.

Brand and Model	Picture	Specifications
Supretto		Single-lever; Body - plastic / metal; Power - 3 kW; Voltage - 220 V; Protection class - IPx4.

The table shows not all models of the Aquatherm brand - in total, the company offers for sale more than 10 models of water heater taps, differing in design style, location and purpose (kitchen, bathroom, etc.).

Which tap water heater is better, according to the editors of homemaster.techinfolux.com/en/

Having studied the technical characteristics of the most popular brands, the specialists of the editors of the online magazine homemaster.techinfolux.com/en/ came to the conclusion that, in their opinion, when choosing an electric water heater faucet, it is better to pay attention to the products of Aquatherm, and there are several reasons for this, namely :

a variety of models allows you to choose the one you need, both in terms of style and purpose;
the color range of devices is also very wide. So, the KA 001 model has 9 different solutions from white to black, and KA 25 - four color options;
models of this brand “lie” in the middle price range from the line under consideration - they are more expensive than Chinese counterparts and cheaper than European ones;
the manufacturer gives a 5-year warranty for its products.

A variety of models of the Aquatherm brand allows you to choose the one you need according to the style of decoration and color scheme

The nuances of installing a nozzle-water heater on the tap

The use of a nozzle-water heater allows you to meet the user's needs for hot water in small volumes without making changes to the water supply system of an apartment or a country house, because in this case, there is no need to replace plumbing equipment and perform work on its installation. However, when installing such devices on site, remember that:

The body of the nozzle must be grounded, for which a 3-wire electrical network is used, in which the third wire is ground.
The design of the device, its bore, must correspond to the outlet of the water tap or shower on which it is supposed to be used.
The cross-section of the power supply line must correspond to the load current of the device used.

Option of execution of the head on the tap, used as a shower

Features of operation of an instantaneous electric water heater

When using such devices, the main features of their operation, which should be remembered, are:

using filtersinstalled in the water supply network will provide longer periods of use of the water heater;
with low water pressure in the supply pipeline, you should not use the device at full electrical power;
the water temperature at the outlet of the hot water tap depends on the pressure and the heating mode set by the user.

Models of German manufacturers are distinguished by the presence of a programming system, but they are much more expensive than the most popular counterparts discussed in this article.

Models of German manufacturers differ in the presence of a programming system, but they are much more expensive than the most popular counterparts discussed in this article.

Consumer reviews about a flow-through electric water heater faucet

Thanks to the presence of the Internet, completely unfamiliar people can communicate and leave their feedback on the use of this or that equipment and household appliances.

This fully applies to plumbing fixtures, which include water heater taps, considered in this article, and this is what real users write about them.

Feedback on the Aquatherm RSKJ-006C model:
More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_6533435.html

Feedback on the Aquatherm KA 001 model:
More details on Irecommend: http://irecommend.ru/content/problemy-s-goryachei-vodoi-bolshe-net

Feedback on the Delimano model:
More details on Otzovik: http://otzovik.com/review_1405694.html

Video: overview and experience of using a water heater tap

For those users who have not encountered such equipment, below we provide a video that will help you understand what a water heater tap is and how to use it.