Horizontal boiler or the sellers are silent

02-06-2018
Water supply

The boiler is an excellent solution for apartments and houses where there are problems with the supply of hot water. The only thing that should be borne in mind is that there is a huge variety of these devices on the market nowadays, therefore it is necessary to approach their choice correctly. In this article I will tell you about such varieties as horizontal boilers, as well as their features, which are often silent sellers, in addition, we consider how the horizontal indirect heating boiler differs from a similar direct heating device.

Horizontal boiler type Thermex

Features of horizontal boilers

Merits

The main advantage of horizontal boilers is their compactness. Because of this, they are great for rooms with low ceilings, for example, for apartments, Khrushchovka. Such a container can be placed directly above the doorway under the ceiling, as a result of which it will be inconspicuous.

In addition, most of these models have a flat shape, with the result that the device in terms of design looks more advantageous compared to the vertical counterpart. In some interiors, this plays a very important role than is usually dictated by such a choice.

Another advantage of most flat models is that they have a special drain hole. Moreover, the block with the anode heating element is located on the side.

An example of installing a horizontal heater

This allows you to clean the device without disconnecting from the water supply network. It is enough to disconnect the device from electricity and turn off the water. Thus, in most cases, maintenance of a flat boiler with your own hands is simpler and more convenient than similar vertical models.

On this, perhaps, the advantages of horizontal devices before the vertical ends.

disadvantages

As a rule, dealers of household equipment and manufacturers of horizontal models are silent about their shortcomings, however, they are available.

Below are the main disadvantages:

  • the incoming cold water is strongly mixed with the hot water present in the tank, since the inlet and outlet nozzles are located close to each other. Therefore, in the process of using hot water, its temperature gradually decreases. Accordingly, it is necessary to maintain it by adjusting the mixer, which is not very convenient. It should be noted that in some modern models of devices, this problem has been solved by the special arrangement of heating elements. Therefore, when buying this moment should be clarified with the seller;
Scheme of the device of a horizontal boiler
  • power consumption is much more. For example, to maintain the temperature in a vertical boiler with a volume of 80 liters during the day requires about 1 kW of energy. In a flat horizontal boiler, this figure rises to 1.8 kW. The increase in electricity consumption due to the increased area of ​​contact of water with the walls of the tank, which increases the heat loss. This disadvantage concerns, of course, only flat models;
  • the cost. As a rule, higher than similar vertical models.

Note! Before installing any boiler, you need to take care of the reliability of electrical wiring, since the heating element is very stressful to the network.

Dry heater water heater

Which boiler to choose

Species

Horizontal electric boilers for water, as well as vertical, are of various kinds. First of all, they differ in the type of heating elements on the following types:

Type of heating element Special features
Dry In this case, the heating element is not in contact with water.

This provides the following benefits:

  • higher service life, since scale does not accumulate on the heating element. However, the tank from time to time still need to be washed. In one of our articles I told in detail how this is done;
  • the probability of electric current in water is excluded.

The disadvantage of dry heaters is that they heat the water longer.

Wet This design is traditional, in which the heating element is in direct contact with water. The main advantage of such models is that they quickly heat water.

At the same time, they must be quite often cleaned of scale, otherwise the heating element fails.

In addition, another important difference between boilers is the type of connection. According to this parameter, they are also divided into two types:

Type of boiler Special features
Open Easy to install, as they do not require connection to the riser. Such water heaters are designed for one or two points of water intake. As a rule, they are used in cottages.
Closed They are connected to the riser, as a result of which they are able to provide the entire house or apartment with hot water.

Note! When choosing it is necessary to calculate the capacity of the tank, which is from 30 to 200 liters. For example, for a family of three or four people need a boiler with a capacity of at least 80 liters.

Indirect heating boiler device

Indirect heating boilers

Separately, it should be said about the horizontal indirect heating boilers. These devices are connected to the heating system and have a special heat exchanger inside. Thus, the coolant, passing through the heat exchanger, heats the water.

As a result, the following advantages of such a device can be identified:

  • water heating in winter is practically free, what provides significant energy savings;
  • coolant is not in contact with heated water, accordingly, it is not polluted. In addition, antifreeze can be used as a coolant;
  • in most models it is possible to switch the operation mode to water heating with electric heating elements, as a result, the indirect mode is an additional feature that can only be used during the cold season.

Of course, the price of a boiler with the function of indirect heating is higher, however, over time, the device pays for itself. Below we take a closer look at the prices of various models of boilers that are currently offered on the domestic market.

In the photo - a boiler of indirect heating of OKSV 200 NTR

Cost of boilers

So, with the cost of some models you can see from the table below:

Model Cost in rubles
OKSV 200 NTR 200 l (indirect heating) 33,800
Sunsystem 200l (indirect heating) 57,200
DRAZICE OXV 125l (with dry thermoelement) 22,800
REALTERMO 80L (with wet thermoelement) 8 300
L THERMEX ER 80 (with a wet thermoelement) 10,400
Thermex IF 80 H (flat with wet thermoelement and display) 23,810
Elsotherm CH50T (flat with wet thermoelement and display) 12,600
Elsotherm CH50T boiler

Here, perhaps, is all the basic information on horizontal boilers. As for the choice, there is no instruction, as you should be guided by your own needs and financial capabilities.

Conclusion

The main advantage of horizontal boilers lies in their compactness and the possibility of installation under the ceiling. If you do not have an urgent need to use a horizontal water heater, then it makes sense to install a traditional vertical model. But in any case, pay attention to the characteristics and capacity of the device that you want to purchase.

The video in this article contains additional information on the voiced topic. If you have difficulties with the choice of a horizontal boiler, ask questions in the comments, and I will be happy to help you.