Water heaters for a shower: we select the device for

If you use a country site, not only in summer, but also in spring and autumn, the question of how to heat the water in the shower at the dacha will undoubtedly be relevant to you. And if in the summer the sun copes with this task perfectly, then in the period from March to October we will have to either wash ourselves with cold water, risking to get a cold, or use additional devices.

In our article we will tell what can be purchased to solve this problem and what are the pros and cons of different types of equipment.

Varieties of heaters

As a rule, autonomous heating of water for shower cabins is necessary where there is no centralized hot water supply - i.e. in country houses and country houses. However, even in apartments, hot water has recently been turned off more and more often, so the presence of a water heater will not be superfluous here either.

There are many models of devices from this category on the market, but all of them can be divided into several types.

According to the principle of operation, water-heating installations are divided into flow-through and storage:

Analyzing the heaters for the shower in the country, you need to take into account what is used as a heat source.

Here are the following options:

• Electric heaters - The most simple, cheap and affordable. They are used almost everywhere, because today it is quite difficult to find a cottage where there would be no electricity (either from the mains or from a generator).

• Gas installations can be both flowing and accumulative. Usually they are used only where the country house is connected to the main gas pipeline.

Note! In principle, bottled gas can be used to heat water, but the price of such an energy source will be unreasonably high.

• Solid fuel systems work on wood, coal, pellets, etc. Typically, such facilities are used for hot water in non-gasified areas. Their efficiency is relatively small, but the low cost of fuel can significantly save on heating the shower in comparison with the use of electrical appliances.
• Alternative energy sources. Recently, to increase the temperature of the water in the shower stalls are actively using solar panels and collectors. In general, they relate to heating devices rather arbitrarily, since they use the energy of the sun's rays to increase the temperature, i.e. only work on clear days.

If the general classification of devices does not cause problems, then using the settings of each type is worth understanding in more detail.

Device analysis

Flow systems

Electric flowing water heater for the shower - perhaps the simplest device used to solve such problems. Such water heaters are compact and easy to install, and therefore they are mounted not only in suburban areas, but also in high-rise apartment buildings. In the second case, the flow system plays the role of a backup device and is usually installed so that you can take a shower and wash your hands.

Choosing and installing a flow-through heater, you should pay attention to such nuances:

• First, the more powerful the device, the faster the water will heat up and the higher its temperature will be. So, having installed a compact nozzle on a shower head, we will get only a slightly warm shower, therefore, if you need really hot water, you should buy a device with a lot of power and corresponding dimensions.
• Secondly, the amount of electricity consumption from such systems is quite high. Accordingly, when using them, the load on the generator (if you use it) and on the wiring will increase.

Note! It is necessary to connect the flow heater to the switchboard only through an RCD or automatic device. Automatic shutdown will allow us to avoid trouble when the system is overloaded, as well as partially reduce the risk of electric shock.

• Thirdly, the flow heater can be installed directly in the shower cabin, or simply hung on the wall in an arbitrary place (suitable for models that come with a shower head). This is very convenient if you disassemble a booth for the winter and hide it in a shed.

Accumulation systems

The use of storage gas and electric boilers with a large tank is justified when the shower is located in the country house or installed in the immediate vicinity.

Wherein:

• Boiler mounted inside the house.
• From the boiler to the shower we lay the pipeline with hot water, and from the water supply tower - with cold water.
• Inside we install a mixer that allows you to adjust the degree of heating of the liquid used.

However, the industry also produces standard tanks for installation on the roof of booths, equipped with heaters:

• The tank can be filled using buckets or a garden hose.
• The internal heater is turned on and off with the help of a button placed on the side wall of the tank.
• If necessary, you can adjust the degree of heating, since all the water in the tank has the same temperature, and taking a shower of boiling water is a dubious pleasure.

Tip! Despite the fact that electric heaters in such tanks are equipped with fuses, the instruction recommends turning off the heat during water procedures in order to avoid electrical injury.

Wood heaters

If your cottage is located far enough from civilization and it is expensive to use gas or electric heating, you can consider the possibility of installing wood heating equipment. For this purpose, systems similar to those installed in trains are used - the so-called titans.

If necessary, "titanium" for the shower is pretty easy to do it yourself:

• The main element is a wood or coal stove-stove. The greater the volume of its furnace, the faster the heat exchange will occur and the greater the volume of water we will be able to heat per unit of time.
• From above on a fire chamber the tank for water through which the flue is passed is established. The water in the tank can either come from the water supply, or be poured with buckets through the hole in the lid.

Such a device has one drawback - water quickly heats up to a considerable temperature, and it becomes impossible to use it for washing.

That is why titan owners usually implement one of two solutions:

• First, inside the cabin itself, you can install a mixer for hot-water wood-burning columns - in this case the shower is powered from two separate pipes (cold - from the pump, hot - from the column). Fluid temperature is controlled by the mixer valves.
• Secondly, directly above the shower you can install an expansion tank, which will receive both hot and cold water. This mechanism is not so convenient, since it will be necessary to regulate the temperature "by eye", selecting the optimal ratio of heating for the liquid in the tank. On the other hand, in this case, any furnace with a heat exchanger can be used as a heating unit.

Unconventional technology

Finally, attention should be paid to environmentally friendly technologies for heating water in the shower:

• On the roof of the tank is set, painted in a dark color.
• A solar collector is connected to the tank - a system of thin-walled tubes inside which water circulates.
• A large area of ​​the solar collector allows you to effectively heat the fluid, which then enters the tank and can be used for showering.

Of course, the efficiency of such a system will be lower than that of an electric heater. However, if you increase the heating area by connecting several collectors, the water can be heated from early spring to late autumn.

Conclusion

Of course, any (well, almost any) described above accumulative or flow-through water heater for a shower uses additional energy, because their use is associated with certain costs.

At the same time, such devices are very convenient, as they provide us with comfort with minimal labor costs. It is up to you to use them or not, but if you still think about purchasing and installing a water heating system, you should study them in more detail by watching the video in this article.