Water heater atau pemanas air biasa digunakan oleh masyarakat di luar negeri pada musim dingin, pada suhu dingin yang ektrim berendam bath tub dengan air panas dapat membantu melupakan sejenak masalah dan dingin udara musim dingin.

Namun, masyarakat di daerah tropis seperti di Indonesia juga cukup meminati water heater. Kebanyakan pembeli water heater merupakan penduduk kota besar yang sering pulang malam karena kesibukan di kantor. Misalnya pemanas air wika, dsb. Berendam di bath tub ataupun sekedar membersihkan diri dengan air hangat setelah seharian bekerja cukup dapat mengistirahatkan tubuh dan membuatnya lebih rileks.

Water heater yang terdapat di pasaran saat ini terbagi menjadi tiga tipe utama, yaitu water heater yang menggunakan listrik sebagai sumber energi, water heater menggunakan gas serta water heater yang menggunakan energi sinar matahari atau solar water heater. Pilihlah distributor water heater profesional, misalnya wika distributor.

Water heater yang menggunakan listrik biasanya berherga antara 2 juta sampai puluhan juta rupiah, tergantung dari kapasitas air yang dihasilkan dan teknologi yang digunakan. Teknologi yang biasa diterapkan pada water heater adalah irit pemakaian energi seperti listrik dan gas atau penggunaan CFC atau Freon, untuk water heater tanpa CFC tentu harganya akan lebih mahal. Besarnya listrik yang dibutuhkan oleh water heater listrik antara 1500 watt sampai 5000 watt. Saat ini pengguna water heater bertenaga listrik adalah yang terbesar, hal ini dikarenakan masalah harga yang dibawah dua tipe water heater lainnya.

Water heater bertenaga gas dapat menggunakan gas yang dipasang langsung melalui pipa ke rumah-rumah ataupun gas yang tersedia dalam tabung harga yang ditawarkan oleh water heater bertenaga gas tidak jauh berbeda dari water heater tenaga listrik. Namun, akses gas melalui pipa yang tidak umum di Indonesia cukup merepotkan pelanggan yang menggunakan water heater tenaga gas, hal ini karena pelanggan harus membeli dan memasang tabung gas untuk water heater mereka. Beberapa merek terkenal seperti wika instrument, dsb.

Water heater tenaga surya merupakan pemain baru di pasar water heater. Tipe tenaga surya sangat cocok untuk daerah tropis yang memiliki banyak sinar matahari sepanjang tahun. Selain itu tipe ini tidak memerlukan biaya operasional yang besar karena menggunakan tenaga surya yang gratis. Namun, harga untuk satu unit water heater tenaga surya tergolong mahal dibandingkan dengan dua tipe sebelumnya, kisaran harganya antara 12 juta sampai dengan 20 juta tergantung kapasitas air yang dihasilkan antara 180 liter sampai 300 liter.

Tiap Negara memiliki jenis water heater favorit mereka masing-masing, begitu juga dengan distributor water heaternya. contohnya water heater tenaga gas yang popular di China dan Amerika Serikat ataupun water heater tenaga listrik yang popular di Jepang. Begitu juga mereknya. Misalnya wika water heater, dsb. Semoga bermnafaat.

article source: http://kamissore.blogspot.com/2009/02/water-heater-pada-rumah-atau-apartemen.html

Dalam tulisan sebelumnya yang mencoba mencari informasi seputar water heater di pasaran untuk rumah saya mendapatkan beberapa hal penting yang harus diperhatikan sebelum membeli water heater untuk rumah anda.

Ukuran rumah anda, water heater dapat dipasang secara terpisah untuk setiap kamar mandi ataupun dipasang terpusat dan mengalirkan air panas ke seluruh kamar mandi.

Kapasitas air yang dihasilkan, water heater menampung air dan memanaskan air yang telah ditampung untuk kemudian disalurkan ke kamar mandi. Makin besar kapasitas water heater maka makin banyak air yang ditampung dan disalurkan.

Tenaga yang dibutuhkan, jika anda menggunakan listrik atau gas, sebaiknya sesuaikan dengan konsumsi listrik atau gas yang biasa digunakan. Berapa penambahan listrik atau pembelian tabung gas yang dibutuhkan dalam sebulan. Jangan sampai pengeluaran anda langsung membengkak setelah menggunakan water heater.

Pemasangan water heater, untuk pemasangan water heater bertipe solar water heater atau bertenaga surya, dibutuhkan atap yang kuat. Beberapa atap masih membutuhkan penyangga tambahan untuk bias dipasang water heater.

Harga, water heater yang ada di pasaran saat ini banyak yang berasal dari produk luar negeri maupun produksi dalam negeri, salah satunya adalah Wika. Sebaiknya jika biaya bulanan dan harga awal yang murah, gas dan tenaga surya bisa menjadi pilihan. Water heater gas paling murah seharga 2-3 juta, namun masih harus mengeluarkan biaya pembelian tabung gas tambahan tiap bulan. Untuk tenaga surya termurah dijual dengan harga 7 juta rupiah.

Hemat energi, untuk menghadapi harga listrik yang terus mahal. Sebaiknya perhatikan indicator Energy Factor (EG) yang terdapat di setiap produk. Makin tinggi EG, makin hemat energi water heater tersebut.

article source: http://panduanrumah.com/tips-memilih-water-heater/Membangun_Rumah

Berikut ini adalah tips bagi Anda untuk memilih pemanas air yang sesuai dengan kebutuhan dan kemampuan Anda :

Storage Water Heater (pemanas air yang menggunakan tabung penyimpan air)

Tipe ini (yang menggunakan tabung penyimpanan) adalah yang paling umum digunakan dan biasanya menggunakan listrik maupun gas sebagai sumber panasnya. Dan penggunaan gas biasanya lebih murah dibandingkan listrik.

Karena menggunakan tangki (storage), hal yang perlu Anda perhatikan adalah kebutuhan air yang akan digunakan dan semakin banyak berarti anda harus memilih tangki pemanas air yang lebih besar dan semakin besar tempat yang anda butuhkan untuk menaruh tangki pemanas air tersebut.

Kelebihan dari tipe ini adalah air panas akan tersedia setiap saat karena air di dalam tabung akan secara berkala dipanaskan tetapi di lain sisi, biaya listrik per bulan untuk tipe ini lebih besar di banding lainnya.

Tankless atau on-demand water heater

Tipe pemanas air ini tidak menggunakan penampung air tetapi langsung melakukan pemanasan melalui unit koil yang ada pada saat digunakan.

Kelebihan dari tipe ini adalah biaya listrik per bulan lebih kecil tetapi di lain sisi untuk mendapatkan panas yang cukup, daya listrik di rumah harus cukup besar.

Kekurangan dari tipe pemanas air ini adalah ketersediaan air panas tidak dapat selalu disediakan, terutama untuk pengguna yang ingin menggunakan air panas secara berkesinambungan dan dalam jumlah yang besar.

Solar Water Heater

Tipe yang satu ini memang paling hemat listrik karena menggunakan tenaga matahari sebagai sumber panas tetapi untuk harga alat ini jauh lebih mahal dibandingkan dengan tipe lainnya.

Kekurangannya adalah pemasangan yang lebih rumit (diletakkan di atas atap rumah) dan panas yang dihasilkan akan tergantung dari panas matahari yang ada sehingga bila memungkinkan, pilihkan solar water heater yang mempunyai tenaga cadangan bila matahari sedang tidak “bersahabat”.

Secara keseluruhan, Anda perlu memperhatikan beberapa hal sebelum memasang pemanas air (water heater) di rumah Anda:

• Daya listrik yang dibutuhkan untuk menjalankan pemanas air (water heater) secara optimal.
• Sejauh mana instalasi/ pemasangan dapat dilakukan, apakah harus membongkar bagian tertentu dari rumah anda.
• Tempat penyimpanan tangki (apabila menggunakan tangki).
• Tipe yang Anda pilih apakah dapat memenuhi kebutuhan air panas Anda.
• Tingkat panas maksimum yang dapat dihasilkan (biasanya untuk instant water heater tidak terlalu panas).

An average water heater heats gallons of water every time, regardless of whether you use it or not. When you’re asleep or out of your home, your water heater heats water and continues to do so until you use it. This is the reason why you get high utility bills. In order for you to cut back on these costs, you can get a 707 water heater.

What is a 707 water heater?

A 707 water heater with a timer device attached to your water heater that allows you to control when you want to turn on/off your water heater at different times of the day.

How is this considered a factor in saving energy?

There is no need for a water heater to continue doing its function when you are at work or asleep. Usually, hot water is needed only for showers, doing the dishes, and laundry. This runs for about 4 hours in a day. Instead of heating water over and over again for 24 hours a day, you have the power of setting when and how often your water heater operates. This can save you up to 12% of energy.

How does a 707 water heater with timer work?

707 water heaters with timer have manual buttons that lets you set specific times to turn on/off your heater during the day. For some 707 water heaters, you can choose up to 24 on/off settings for each day so you can modify and fine tune your schedule.

If your schedule varies with each day, you can opt for more highly developed 707 water heaters that come with a programmable function. A digital 707 water heater provides seven-day programming that allows you to set a different schedule for each day of the week. Basically, you are in charge of setting the schedules according to your time of use. This is especially suited for those with flexible schedules who have no routine time in needing hot water.

For those with schedules varying only in the weekend, there are less expensive 707 water heaters available that come with a weekday and weekend schedule.

Digital timers also have a built-in backup that saves your schedule even when there is a power outage. Through this, you do not have to reset your schedule every time a power outage occurs. 707 water heaters require minimal, if not zero maintenance.

How can I further cut back on electricity costs?

This means different rates are charged depending on the demand for electricity at that specific time. Lower rates are charged when there is low demand (off peak hours), and higher rates are charged when demand is high (on peak hours). If you are able to set your 707 water heater to function during off peak hours, then you can further cut back on electricity costs.

If you want to reduce your expenses on electricity bills, consider purchasing a 707 water heater. It is a very good investment since it is cost-efficient, cheap and easy to use. The best part of it is using the 707 water heater for just about two to three months would save you the amount of money you used to purchase your 707 water heater. It actually pays for itself! This shows how effective 707 water heaters are in saving you big bucks.

Storage type water heater has been the standard in the United States, but recently tankless instant electric water heater has begun to make an impact. Most people are familiar with storage (tank type) water heaters, where you have a big tank of hot water ready and waiting when you need it. The water can be heated with gas flames, electric heating elements, or any other method. Storage or tank type heaters have two potential problems, the first, is they use more standby energy than tankless water heaters, and the second, you can run out of hot water.

Tankless water heater has some drawbacks to them as well. For one thing, tankless water heater has a flow switch in the water line that turns them on when sufficient flow is detected. Usually a flow of about ½ gallon per minute or more is required to turn the unit on. This pretty much eliminates the idea of having access to a low-flow stream of hot water for anything.

Sometimes it can be difficult to fill a bathtub with a tankless unit. With tankless heaters, higher the flow rate of the water the lower the temperature rise since the water spends less time in the heater. With a bathtub you usually turn on the water full blast so it doesn’t take too long to fill the tub. Usually the faucet at the tub will have the highest flow rate of any fixture in your home, often 7 gallons per minute or more. With typical tankless heaters you end up with a tub full of tepid water. If you try to fill it more slowly to get it hotter, it takes so long to fill that it cools off before you get in anyway. So if you like to soak away in a hot tub, you better make sure you get a big enough heater to handle the job.

Tankless heaters are substantially more expensive than storage heaters, and more complex, so they are more expensive to repair should anything go wrong. They also need larger flues and if they are electric, they often need special extra heavy wiring.

Another problem with tankless units is that they take longer to get hot water to the fixtures. That means you waste more water, which is not very environmentally friendly. The reason is that when you turn the hot water on, the flow switch turns on the heater, and it begins to heat the water. But to reach full temperature the water must travel through the entire heater. Now you have to not only dump out the cooled off water in the hot water piping, but also the cooled off water in the water heater as well, before you get hot water at the fixture.

Hot water circulating systems do not work with tankless heaters because either the flow of hot water won’t be enough to turn on the heater, or it keeps the heater turned on all of the time. Neither scenario works. However, there is a way to solve the long wait and wasted water problems.

A demand hot water system will work with tankless and with storage type water heaters, providing the benefits of faster hot water delivery and eliminating the running of water down the drain.

The demand hot water pump installs at the furthest fixture from the heater, and connects to the hot and cold water lines. When you want hot water you press a button and the cooled off hot water in the hot water piping gets pumped back to the inlet of the heater, and when the actual hot water reaches the fixture the pump shuts off. That way you get your hot water faster than running the faucet, you don’t run any water down the drain while you wait, and you don’t fill the cold water line with hot water. You save time, water, and money. Typical savings can amount to over 15,000 gallons per year for a family of four. A hot water demand system used with a tankless water heater makes a great environmentally friendly package, saving both water and energy.

Demand systems work just as well with storage type water heaters, and if you are considering such a system, you might check with your water company as some offer rebates for such systems. Be sure to check the pump is powerful enough to turn on the flow switch, as not all pumps are strong enough. 707 Water Heater manufactures several models of demand pumps, at least one of which will run a tankless heater.

If your primary concern is having unlimited amounts of hot water and you can live with the few drawbacks, then 707 Water Heater is for you, otherwise you might want to stick with a good old-fashioned storage type water heater.

Advantages of instant water heaters

An instant tankless heater has several advantages when compared to a conventional water heater:

It saves you energy

It heats water as you use it, as much as you use it and never runs out

It takes very little space

Common water heater usually has a tank that holds 40 to 80 gallons of water, keeping it hot at all times, day and night. As you use the hot water for showers, doing dishes and so on, it is replaced with cold water and heated. When you are not using hot water and even when you are not home all together, hot water just sits in the tank and as it waits to be used it loses the temperature. So the heater reheats water in your tank every now and then. This means loss of energy for you.

Instant water heaters don’t have a tank. For this reason they are also called tankless water heaters. As soon as you turn on hot water the unit turns on and heats the water, typically at 125 degrees Fahrenheit. So this type of heater doesn’t use energy until the faucet is turned on. It produces hot water instantly and if that temperature is too hot for you simply regulate it by turning on the cold water. When you are finished and turn hot water off, the instant water heater shuts down straight away, using no energy. This can cut your energy bill almost by 50% every month.

Energy is not the only thing you save, a tankless water heater will also save you water. You know how you always have to let the cold water run first, before the hot comes out? With an instant tankless water heater the water is hot from the start, so there is no need to run the water to before it turns hot.

When room is a consideration, a tankless heater also offers a solution. Comparable to a traditional 40-60 gallon water tank, an instant unit is very small. It can be easily installed in a small home or apartment.

Industrial instant water heaters

While tankless heaters are most used in residential homes, great energy savings lead to their commercial use as well. And more water you use more you save, for example a house using 120 gallons of water a day with a 40-gallon hot water tank typically spends $112.25 per month on heating water. For the same usage, an instant tankless water heater will cost you only about $26.95 per month.

Cost of instant tankless water heater

Initial cost is the main disadvantage of a tankless heater. It costs much more than the conventional one. But as you can see, the energy savings will compensate for this very soon, probably in the first 6-8 month of using your new heater. And if the cost is a concern, look for discounted instant water heaters online. With internet retailers you can always get your tankless heater cheaper.

Buying a tankless water heater

You can get instant heaters from same stores that sell other types of water heaters. As their popularity has grown recently, you will not have any problems finding a decent instant water heater. Another option is too look online. Sometimes you can save quite a lot by buying a water heater from internet retailers.

Turn off the power if its an electric water heater

Turn off the water to electric water heater by closing the valve on the cold water line. Its located on top of electric water heater. The cold line is always to the right. Open a hot water tap inside the house. Air pressure will come out of the tap. Open the drain valve located at the bottom of electric water heater. It looks like a hose bibb. Let a gallon or more out of electric water heater. Do not allow anyone to use hot water for the time you are working on electric water heater.

Maintenance Tip #2 Overhead clearance

Anode rods are almost as tall as electric water heater itself. More often than not the ceiling is too close to the top of electric water heater to be able to pull the entire anode rod out. No matter, lift the anode rod up as far as you can. Check to see if their is any flaking on the surface or any of its core wire is exposed. If not, then you can reinstall the anode as is. Most of the anode rods problems occur at its top because that’s where most of the hot water is.

If you need to remove an anode rod. Bend it in the middle against electric water heater’s opening and pull it out. To put a new one in, simply bend it in the middle again and straighten it out at the opening. If the anode top is wobbly when you try to screw it in, pull it half way again and attempt to straighten it as much as possible.

If the overhead clearance is less than 2 feet, buy a link-type anode rod. It has “sausage” links of metal attached together. Its very easy to install.

Maintenance Tip #3 Choosing anodes and replacing anodes

There are three types of metals used to make anode rods. They are magnesium, aluminum, and zinc. If you have naturally soft water, you should install a magnesium anode. Aluminum is used when you have very hard water or water that is softened heavily with salts. Installing an aluminum anode after you discover your previous anode has deteriorated heavily is recommended. If you install a magnesium anode after finding a heavily deteriorated anode could cause a negative reaction in the water and cause pressure to release out of the households faucets.

If you have to install an aluminum anode rod, avoid using the hot water to cook with. Modern science
believes that aluminum in the water can cause Alzheimer’s disease. Don’t consume any hot water.
Zinc anodes are rare to find already installed in a water heater. Zinc anodes are used to counteract the effects of sulfur smells in the water. Zinc anodes are only 10% actual zinc. The rest is aluminum. Do not consume or cook with a zinc anode any more than an aluminum one. If the rod bends easily in your hands, it is aluminum, if not it is magnesium.

Anodes have a protective current of about two feet. Buy anode rods that are too tall for your water heater. Cut them down if you have to. Try to buy anodes that are more than 3 feet and 8 inches.

Maintenance Tip #4 Add a second anode rod

If your water heater has an exposed hexagonal-shaped head on top of it, you can install another anode rod for more protection for electric water heater. Provided the hex-head exists, unscrew the hot water outlet. It’s the pipe on top of electric water heater on the left. This is where you can install a combination anode rod. Make sure the anode rod has a brass nipple that is 2 to 6 inches long. Hire a plumber to do this or look for the information in my article on anode rods. Warning: Adding a second anode can be quite a task.

Maintenance Tip #5 Removing sediment

There are three signs you have sediment buildup in your tank: A lower element burnout if you have an electric water heater, A lot of noise if you have a gas water heater, or a foul odor coming from both types of water heaters.

If the sediment piles up high enough, the lower heating element in an electric water heater will be covered and unable to heat water. If your hot water suddenly starts to run out long before it used to and you have an electric water heater, then its probably sediment build-up.

Gas water heaters get covered up by sediment down at the bottom where the flame heats the burner plate. Water gets covered by sediment and becomes superheated steam. This expansive steam releases pressure that sounds like a loud row happening inside.

If you smell a sulfur odor coming from electric water heater, that’s due to sediment build-up which breeds foul smell bacteria inside of it.

To rid yourself of these problems, install a curved dip tube. You can also have a plumber use a special expensive Muck-vac tool. Dissolving the sediment is another option. Also, if you have an electric water heater, you can use a shopvac to suck the sediment out through the lower heating element. The how-to of these approaches is just below this sentence.

Maintenance Tip #6 Install a curved dip tube and flush electric water heater

When you buy a water heater, it usually comes with a straight dip tube. The dip tube is the piece of plastic pipe inside your water heater that extends from the top of electric water heater’s cold water inlet to the bottom of electric water heater. It’s job is to get the coldest water near the bottom where it can be readily heated. Sediment forms at the bottom of electric water heater and does not move at all except at the small portion of electric water heater where the dip tube extends to at the bottom. The water coming out of the tube pushes the sediment away. Trying to wash the sediment out of the drain valve on the outside of electric water heater is also impossible.

Installing a curved dip tube where the bottom of the tube curves to a ninety degree angle, causes the bottom of electric water heater to be swept by the incoming cold water. Sediment is picked up and kept in suspension in the water. Opening the drain valve and letting cold water enter electric water heater for 5 minutes can clear up a lot of sediment.

Installing a curved dip tube starts by unscrewing the cold water nipple. It’s the pipe on top of electric water heater on the right hand side. Stick a curved handled set of pliers in the hole of the cold water inlet and twist the dip tube up and out of electric water heater. Get the dip tube high enough and you can pull it out by hand. If this doesn’t work and the hole is rusty, scrape the rust away first. Take the new curved dip tube and mark it at the top on the side that the curve points. Wrap the top of the curved dip tube where you will be screwing it in at the top with teflon tape about eight times. Insert the curved dip tube and point it so that water will swirl along the side of electric water heater. Also point it the direction going away from the drain valve.

The drain valve is located on the outside of electric water heater at the bottom. Make sure it is fully open when draining electric water heater.

If you use another method to clean the sediment out of your water heater, you should still install a curved dip tube. Optimum flushing should be done every six months or even more often.

Maintenance Tip # 7 Removing sediment with a muck vac

Hire a plumber to use this tool to remove the sediment from your water heater. The tool is expensive and takes some knowledge on how to use. This is the most hands off method to remove sediment there is.