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Geysers/Water Heaters: Appliances That Provide A Continual Supply of Hot Water Are Called Water

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GEYSERS/WATER HEATERS

Appliances that provide a continual supply of hot water are called water


heaters, , hot water tanks, boilers, heat exchangers or  geysers.
Water heating  is a heat transfer process that uses an energy source to heat water
above its initial temperature.
COMPONENTS OF WATER HEATER:
Tank - The inner shell of a water heater is a heavy metal tank containing a water protective
liner that holds 40 to 60 gallons (151 to 227 liters) of hot water at around 50 to 100 pounds
per square inch (PSI), within the pressure range of a typical residential water system. The
exterior of the tank is covered in an insulating material like polyurethane foam. Over that,
there's a decorative outer shell and possibly an additional insulating blanket .

Dip tube - Water enters the water heater through the dip tube at the top of the tank and
travels to the tank bottom where it's then heated.

Shut-off valve -The shut-off valve stops water flow into the water heater. It's a separate
component from the heater located outside and above the unit.

Heat-out pipe -Suspended toward the top of the tank's interior, the heat-out pipe allows the
hot water to exit the water heater.

https://youtu.be/yBiIWhQ5-dQ
Thermostat - This is a thermometer- and temperature-control device. Some electric water
heaters have a separate thermostat for each element.

Heating mechanism - Electric water heaters have heating elements inside the tank to heat the
water. Gas water heaters use a burner and chimney system instead.

Drain valve - Located near the bottom of the exterior housing, the drain valve makes it easy to
empty the tank to replace the elements, remove sediment or move the tank to another location.

Pressure relief valve - This safety device keeps the pressure inside the water heater within
safe limits.

Sacrificial anode rod - Made of magnesium or aluminum with a steel core, the sacrificial
anode rod is suspended in the water heater tank to help retard corrosion.
TYPES OF WATER HEATERS

There are five main styles of water heater available


and each one has its benefits and potential
drawbacks.
CONVENTIONAL STORAGE TANK WATER HEATERS

This style of water heater features a tank that holds water to be


heated.

he tank is insulated so that when the water heats up, it remains


warm until it is needed. This tank features two valves, the
temperature control valve, and the pressure control valve.

The temperature control valve opens to release heat and moderate


temperature when the water reaches over 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
The pressure release valve opens to lower the pressure when it
reaches about 150 psi.

This is the most common type of water heater among family homes,
but you are limited to how much hot water you can hold.
Advantages of Storage Water Heaters:
They’re available in a wide range of sizes, with tank options usually ranging from 20 to 80 gallons.

They’re typically inexpensive to purchase and install.

They have an average energy factor (EF) rating of 0.67.

Disadvantages of Storage Water Heaters:

They offer a limited supply of hot water when used for extended periods.

They can waste up to 15% of energy through radiant heat loss.

They typically have a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years.


TANKLESS WATER HEATER (On-Demand Water Heater)
The “tankless” water heater features modern technology and can offer nearly endless
hot water for your home.

A tankless water heater, as you can probably guess, has no tank. Instead, there are
super-heated coils that fill with water and heat water in a flash as you need it, which is
why it is alternatively known as an on-demand water heater.

This is great for heating water quickly, even for large families who need a large amount
of hot water at once.

This style of water heater comes in different sizes, and you do need to ensure that you
have the right size for your household, as a smaller tankless water heater will not be
able to keep up with your water usage otherwise and it will result in lukewarm or cold
water. 

These models work well in homes that use natural gas to power their water heater, but
larger models require a larger gas line and more gas to run correctly.

Larger tankless hot water heaters that run on electricity may require you to increase the
electricity capacity of your home, which could be costly.
Advantages of Tankless Water Heaters:

They consume 20% to 30% less energy than storage tank models.


They can be mounted on a wall.
They produce minimal standby energy waste.
They provide a virtually endless supply of hot water.
They have an average life expectancy of 20 or more years.
They have an average EF rating of 0.75.

Disadvantages of Tankless Water Heaters:

The hot water flow rate is limited by the size of the unit.

Typically, tankless systems can be more complicated and expensive to install.


 HEAT PUMP WATER HEATER (Hybrid Water Heater)

This water heater hybrid can help save money on electricity because
it doesn’t directly generate heat.

This style of water heater is unique in that is uses heat in the air and
in the ground to heat water.

This means that electricity is only used to move heat from the
ground or air to the water, instead of the alternative where electricity
is used to generate heat. 

Heat pump water heaters can use up to 60 percent less electricity


than traditional styles of water heaters.

Because the pump is on the top, you may need quite a bit of room
for this water heater, sometimes up to eight feet of vertical clearance
Advantages of Hybrid water heaters :
The hybrid heat pump water heater consumes 60% less electricity than conventional
water heaters.
Less Maintenance.
Heat pumps are safer than combustion-based heating systems.
The life-span of heat pumps is relatively long, up to 50 years, however
the average life-span is somewhere between 14 to 15 years.
Disadvantages of Hybrid water heaters :
Heat pumps have a large upfront cost, but on the other hand, their operating costs
translate to long-term savings on energy bills and lead to a path of reduced carbon
emissions.
Difficult to Install.
Some of the used fluids for heat transfer are of questionable sustainability and thus
raise environmental concerns, therefore it is recommended to use biodegradable
fluids.
SOLAR POWERED WATER HEATERS

This style of water heater may be the most energy-efficient of them all and relies
on roof-mounted solar panels as its energy source.

The energy is transferred to a closed loop system containing a heat-conductive


material, which then heats the water in the tank.

This can save lots of money on sunny days and works particularly well for those
who live in warm, sunny climates. However, this system often requires a backup
plan, such as natural gas or electricity, so that the water heater can continue to
run on cloudy days.

The energy is transferred to a closed loop system containing a heat-conductive


material, which then heats the water in the tank.

This can save lots of money on sunny days and works particularly well for those
who live in warm, sunny climates. However, this system often requires a backup
plan, such as natural gas or electricity, so that the water heater can continue to
run on cloudy days.
Advantages of solar water heaters:
It is possible to reduce energy use and the associated costs, by switching to a home
solar water heating system.
Such a system does not depend on fossil fuels and takes energy from the sun to heat
stored water. It, therefore, saves money, which is a major advantage of solar heating
systems.

Disadvantages of Solar Water Heaters:


Compared to photovoltaic panels, solar thermal panels only heat water.
Solar heaters require sufficient roof space to accommodate them.
Solar water heaters require direct sunlight to function.
The system does not function on cloudy, rainy, or foggy day.
CONDENSING WATER HEATERS

This water heater uses your home’s unused gas fumes to heat your
water.

The condensing water heater may be the absolute best option if


your family’s home uses primarily natural gas as its energy source.

This type of water heater funnel heated exhaust from the natural
gas system and uses it to heat the water, which is held in a tank
much like the conventional version of the water heater.

The gas fumes funnel through a coil placed at the bottom of the
tank to heat the water.

Therefore, very little energy is used (aside from gas already burned
elsewhere, like by your oven or heater) to heat the water for your
home.
Disadvantages of condensing water heaters :
Condensing boilers are more expensive to maintain due to the complexity of the
systems, which can affect gas boiler prices.
Non-condensing  boilers are cheaper to fix and they might save you some money in
the short-run.

Advantages of condensing water heaters :


The main advantage is the boiler's efficiency.
Through recycling waste gases back into the system, a condensing boiler can have
approximately 90% energy efficiency.
This is vastly superior to the efficiency of a traditional boiler which is typically
between 70-80%.

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