How we bought a boiler and did not fly into a drop-drop-a pretty penny

photo 1. We have chosen one of the simplest boiler. No ergonomic design, no space saving, no beauty was required from him.

From the thought of finally moving to live at the dacha, only one thing stopped me - the lack of warm water in the bathroom. In the kitchen, I was quite satisfied with the usual electric washstand, for the future it was already installed in the basement double-circuit boiler for underfloor heating and hot water supply, but... But you want to take a warm shower every night. And so it was decided to buy a boiler.

photo 2. The simplest kitchen sink with electric water heating.

Since we have interruptions with water: during the dry season, little water is collected in the well, then they chose not flow-through water heaters, but storage type.

As my husband jokes, I am the only one suffering from cleanliness in the family. It is enough for him and his daughter to wash in the morning and in the evening, wash their hands before each meal and feet before going to bed. And here, if you please, give me a shower at least once a day. But still, keeping in mind that the boiler is not the final option now, we decided to stop at a tank with a capacity of 30 liters.

• About the tank

The maximum volume of the tank that we were offered to bring under the order was 10 (!!!) times more.

In general, do not be lazy to count and analyze the volumes of water used for several days. You might be surprised how much you spend. Consider also force majeure in the form of the arrival of relatives, the acquisition of pets. Both those and others are still consumers of lukewarm water.

photo 3. After weekly calculations of the consumption of water, I came to such statistics

The amount of electricity consumed also depends on the size of the tank. The larger the tank, the longer the water retains the given temperature in it - the less Baku needs to heat it up. But we had practically no power outages, the sellers could not convince us to choose a more capacious water heater.

The issue of fixing the boiler was also visible to us, since our house is a log cabin, and the bathroom is ennobled with panels. There were fears that we would not be able to secure the tank firmly through the thickness of the guides, insulation and voids between the bulges of the logs.

photo 4. When choosing a boiler, be sure to take into account the material of the walls in order to choose the right way to mount the tank. In our case, as can be seen in the photo, a larger tank could create significant inconveniences.

• About control system

In our case, the main principle was: the simpler, the better and cheaper. For this reason, the options with touch controls were immediately dismissed. Toggle Only - Hardcore Only!!! The minimum set of boiler control is two thermostats. One of which is responsible for turning on / off the water heating element, and the second for the correct operation of the first.

Photo 5. The temperature setting system is extremely simple. There is practically nothing to break.

• Heating elements

There are two options - the so-called "wet" or "dry" shades. The difference is that in the first case, the water is in direct contact with the heating element (according to the principle of a boiler), and in the second case - the heating element is enclosed in a ceramic jacket and the water comes into contact with the sealed protective jacket without having contact with the heating element. The second option seemed preferable to us, since it is a more modern design, and in case of a breakdown, a faster repair.

When buying a boiler, be sure to plan its location. At the moment, I regret a little that I didn't think to hang it in the corner. But again, the thought that this is all temporary, and that the gas boiler will be launched in the near future, calms down.

Consider if you need a flatter model, or if the correct cylindrical shape will suit you. Please note that there are models not only with vertical, but also horizontal arrangement. True, the latter do not have such a smooth process of mixing hot and cold water, as noted by users whose opinions I have read.

Also - probably something where you could start! Think how important is the rate of water heating to you? If this is a critical factor and you need hot water right now, buy the most powerful boiler in kW, but be prepared to have powerful wiring.

photo 6. And this is a very important technological hole through which the water formed from the steam inside the tank can drip.

I share such unprepossessing thoughts with you, wanting to help you make an intelligent choice. What do you think I missed? What do you disagree with?