The presence of hot water today is considered one of the indicators of comfort. For decades, instantaneous gas water heaters have made it possible to use this benefit of civilization around the clock. They can heat the required amount of water almost instantly.
The heating process is directly carried out by a gas burner. And the device itself, due to its small size, can be mounted on the wall. But which model should you prefer and how not to make a mistake when buying a water heater? We’ll talk about this in our article - we’ll look at the 12 best offers on the market, focusing on demand among buyers and reviews from owners.
We will also provide useful tips on choosing a water heater, taking into account which you can choose the right option for your home.
Restrictions and safety measures
Most often, geysers are found in old houses. As a rule, the original layout in Khrushchev and Stalin buildings does not suit the owners, and this is where the first difficulties begin.
6 photos
Living4media/Fotodom.ru
Design: Maya Baklan
Living4media/Fotodom.ru
Living4media/Fotodom.ru
rawpixel.com/stock.adobe.com
Living4media/Fotodom.ru
To make a redevelopment, you need to take into account the following restrictions.
- For fire safety reasons, a gasified kitchen cannot be connected to a living space. However, many people ignore this rule and decorate the kitchen-living room even if there is gas. It is illegal. It is necessary to have at least a sliding partition between rooms.
- Any movement of the speaker within the kitchen also requires approval. Even if it is moved a short distance and remains on the same wall, gas workers must be notified about this. If you plan to move the device more than 1.5 meters from its original position, you must first draw up a transfer report and wait for approval. It is also important to draw up technical documentation before moving the column to another wall, and obtain permission to do so. Be sure to consult with gas services.
- When choosing a new location for the heater, consider the following restrictions: it must be at eye level, it cannot be hung above the stove, refrigerator or sink (SP 282.1325800.2016).
- In a room with a gas boiler there must be good air circulation and a constant flow of oxygen. This is necessary both for the safety of residents and for the stable operation of the dispenser. Therefore, preference is given to either wooden windows or plastic ones with the possibility of micro-ventilation.
Moving the dispenser without agreement with utility services is strictly prohibited - this is necessary to prevent an explosion or fire. If an accident occurs, the initiator of unauthorized work faces civil or criminal liability, depending on the severity of the consequences.
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Checking the correct assembly
Place the faucet handle in the closed position. We open the gas supply. Press the automatic button. We bring the match to the igniter. The igniter must not light up!
Turn the tap handle to the igniter position. Press the automatic button. We bring a match. The igniter should light up (this may take up to a minute, since air may have entered the system during disassembly and reassembly). Release the automatic button. The pilot light should be lit; when the hot water tap is opened, the main burner should not flare up!
Turn the tap to full open mode. Open the hot water tap. The main burner should light up.
Place the faucet handle in the closed position. The igniter should go out completely.
After making sure that the gas tap is working correctly, we light the column and check the tightness of all gas connections with a soap solution. If the column is not ignited, the tightness can only be checked up to the automatic button.
How to place everything you need
In order to organize enough storage systems in such a kitchen, make the most of every centimeter of space: free space under the windowsill, wall area, etc. On the contrary, keep the decor to a minimum so as not to clutter the room. The design of a kitchen with a stove and a refrigerator, as well as a washing machine, which has to be taken out of a small bathroom in a typical house, requires special skill.
It is possible to place everything you need in a modest area - here special small-sized models of refrigerators and built-in appliances that can be neatly hidden behind kitchen facades will come to the rescue. You don’t have to hide it: for example, washing machines that match the color of the furniture also look nice. Below are examples of kitchen design with a heater and washing machine, as well as an option with a refrigerator.
Design: Line Design Studio
Design: Maya Baklan
If the room is very small, you should abandon the standard layout with a lower and upper line of cabinets - such a set turns out to be too heavy. A good alternative is open shelves or modular facades with transparent or glossy doors. A corner set will also look harmonious in the interior of a small kitchen.
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Specifics of the technique
Water heating equipment operates using the energy of methane combustion. Performance often depends on the type of device. The devices are divided into 2 types based on their operating principle and design.
Cumulative
In a boiler, water accumulates in a reservoir (tank). Gas burners heat the bottom, creating heat transfer. Air is needed for the normal process. The spent oxygen leaves through a special pipe located inside the container.
Storage devices heat the entire volume of water in the tank to the temperature specified in the settings. If the temperature drops, the equipment is de-energized. The user sets the parameters once, and the equipment independently modulates the flame and controls the flow.
Sectional view of a gas storage device Source progasmarket.ru
What can you do with the column?
Let's consider several design options for a kitchen with a gas heater - the photo shows options for masking gas equipment.
Disguise as furniture
The most obvious solution is to place the device in the kitchen unit. For full air circulation, the cabinet must be without top and bottom and without a door. But then the meaning of disguise is lost. The output is perforated material. This is what we did, for example, in the project in the photo below. In the “before” photo you can see the location of the column. In the “after” photo, you can see a tall cabinet with a perforated front from the side.
Design: Natalia Shirokorad. Photo: Anton Likhtarovich
After
Photo courtesy of Natalia Shirokorad
Before
Another important requirement is that there must be a distance of at least 15 cm on each side between the cabinet walls and the device. This is a reason to design spacious closets. For example, in this project there is also space left for storage at the bottom of the cabinet. However, they used a storage system with a blank facade, which cannot be done.
Instagram @efremova_home
Instagram @efremova_home
Match the color of the walls
You can make the heater as invisible as possible by choosing a model to match the color of the walls. As they did in the photo of the design of these small kitchens with a column.
Design: Anna Kiseleva
Design: Anna Kiseleva
Design: Anna Kiseleva
Design: Ekaterina Meschanova
Design: Ekaterina Meschanova
Match the tone of other equipment
You can take a different route - a column matched in color to match other kitchen appliances: hood, stove, refrigerator. Thanks to this technique, the eye will perceive the device as part of the kitchen set, and if you get contrast, it can benefit the interior. After all, there is such a technique: if you can’t hide it, highlight it and turn this object into an accent one.
Instagram @jenechka_kostenko
Instagram @jenechka_kostenko
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Failure Prevention Measures
To reduce the likelihood of geyser malfunctions and safely enjoy hot water, it is necessary to carry out periodic maintenance. You can do the work yourself or use professional services.
Prevention involves disassembling and thoroughly cleaning the gas water heater. We have provided a detailed description of the manual service process in this material.
Periodic maintenance and cleaning of the chimney will extend the life of the gas water heater.
When carrying out maintenance work, do not forget about the chimney. When the channel for discharging combustion products becomes clogged with soot and foreign objects, the protection is triggered and the water heater is turned off.
Neva
The products of the Russian manufacturer of the Neva model line are in high demand due to their decent quality, maximum adaptation to operating conditions and affordable price. Three models are the most popular.
Neva-4510M
Neva-4510M
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| Net power | 17.9 kW |
| Thermal output | 15.5 kW |
| Productivity | 10 liters per minute, when heated to +25 C |
| DHW temperature values | From 25 to 65 degrees C |
| Liquid p parameters | 1 bar |
| Maximum gas pressure | 2.9 mbar |
Low efficiency - up to 85% and limited capabilities determine the user rating of 3 points.
Neva-4513 M
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| Net power | 26 kW |
| Thermal output | 22 kW |
| Productivity | 13 liters per minute, when heated to +25 C |
| DHW temperature values | From 25 to 65 degrees C |
| Liquid p parameters | 1 thousand kPa |
| Maximum gas pressure | 2.9 mbar |
This device is more productive and can prepare hot water more efficiently, user rating is 4 points.
Ignition system
What are they?
- Electric. A spark is supplied to the igniter automatically, simultaneously with the opening of the water tap. Power supply – from the mains or from batteries (cylindrical, for a hand-held flashlight) installed under the column casing.
- Piezo. When water flows through the column, a spark occurs when you press a button (manual control). Sometimes this is extremely inconvenient, so you need to consider where exactly (place in the house) the device will be installed.
- "Hydro Power" Ignition is carried out automatically, with a micro-hydroturbine providing the spark. But such a system has a drawback. Compared to the first two, more water pressure is required to trigger the ignition (at least about 2.5 times). This is what limits the ability to operate these models.
Minimum water pressure
One of the device’s protection schemes ensures that the gas line is automatically shut off (by a shut-off valve) and the dispenser is stopped when the pressure in the pipe drops below what is permissible for this model. This problem is usually faced by owners of apartments on the top floors and owners of country houses that do not have an autonomous water supply system. The indicator in question is extremely important, otherwise the column will either not “start” at all, or will stop periodically.
If in all other respects the product fits perfectly, we can give the following recommendation - additionally install a pump on the pipe (in front of the device) that increases the pressure of the liquid. Some models are capable of “raising” it by 25 - 30%.
