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Types of water heaters

Water heaters

Water heaters are the devices designed to heat water from its normal (initial) temperature to a higher temperature by the process of heat transmission, from high energy stores that may be gas, oil, and electricity. Water heaters are the basic need for everyone, especially during the winter season.

But for selection and buying new water heater needs to behave some knowledge about water boilers. So let’s gather some information.

Types of water heaters

If you want to purchase a new water heater, you should have a sound knowledge about types of water heaters. There are different types of water heaters available just as:

  1. Conventional storage water heaters
  2. Traditional storage tank water heaters
  3. Condensing water heaters
  4. Tankless or demand-type water heaters
  5. Heat pump water heaters
  6. Solar water heaters
  7. Tankless coil and indirect water heaters
  8. Combined space and water heating system
  9. Combined Space-Water Heating System with a Hydronic Boiler

Working of each type of water heater depends on its manufacturing, as tankless water heaters are made without any storage tanks, the basic idea behind this strategy is to save energy because when water is heated, it is delivered to the system instantly without any delay to store. So the energy that may be used to keep water hot during its storage is now saved. Similarly, solar water heaters are available to prevent wastage of energy resources as they use sunlight as a source of energy. So, every sort of water heater has its working type and also yield differently.

Basic parts of all type of heaters

There is some part of water heaters that are commonly found in all types of water heaters. These parts are listed below:

  • Flue pipe
  • Coldwater turn off valve
  • Draft diverter
  • Temperature and pressure relief valve
  • Overflow pipe
  • Hot water outlet
  • Sacrificial anode rod
  • Dip tube
  • Elements
  • Insulation
  • Drain valve
  • Thermostat
  • Thermocouple
  • Gas supply valve
water heaters that are commonly found in all types of water heaters. These parts are listed below:  Flue pipe  Coldwater turn off valve  Draft diverter  Temperature and pressure relief valve  Overflow pipe  Hot water outlet  Sacrificial anode rod  Dip tube  Elements  Insulation  Drain valve  Thermostat  Thermocouple  Gas supply valve

How different parts of the water heater work?

  • Flue pipe is a sort of exit pipe for deadly gases produced by the combustion of gas in the burner. Mainly carbon monoxide is produced as a result of burning and it has to be emitted from some exit point, so flu pipe is used for this purpose.
  • A coldwater turn-off valve is used to cut down cold water supply whenever an old water heater needs to be replaced.
  • The draft diverter is fitted at the end flue pipe and works to evacuate gases safely into the flue pipe and they emit these safely to outside.
  • Pressure and temperature relief valve work to release excess heat and pressure to prevent the explosion of the tank. If you find these valves to discharge constantly then these need to be replaced.
  • The overflow pipe is attached to the temperature and pressure valve, both work in collaboration, while the T&P valve is emitting excess steam and heat, this overflow pipe drains water away from the heater. Overflow is piped sometimes to the floor or directly into a floor drain.
  • There’s a hot water outlet that is the main supplier of hot water to exit from the heater and to merge with the main potable water supply of house or business.
  • There’s a Sacrificial or anticorrosion anode rod, made of magnesium or aluminum with steel core, attached to the top of the heater, and is part of worthy importance in the tank-type water heater. This is simply applied to prevent the tank from corrosion by electrolyzing before metal in the tank. If this anode rod is completely corroded, then the metal is exposed to water and will start to be attacked by corrosion. If there’s the smell of egg from heated water, then it’s a sign that your anode rod is corroded and needs to be replaced. So, note it carefully. There is some lifetime of anode rod mentioned on every water heater, so look for this before buying a water heater.
  • The dip tube extends from the cold water inlet to the bottom of the tank. As, it is the intrinsic ability that hot water stays at the top and cold water remains at the bottom, so the dip tube brings cold water to the bottom where it is heated. It also helps to circulate suspended solid that doesn’t settle down. Although many heaters have a cold water inlet at the bottom, they also have a dip tube.
  • Elements are the part of electrical heaters by which they transfer heat to water. This is just like a metallic rod present in over.
  • Insulation is an essential thing for all types of heaters, as it covers up all sides of the heating tank and protects it from any sort of thermal loss by conduction.
  • The drain valve allows to draining water and is mostly installed at the bottom of the type water heater.
  • A thermostat or control valve is a control system that checks and balances the temperature of the water. There is the lower and upper limit for the thermostat to which limit water gets heat up. The performance of the water heater also depends on at which level the thermostat is set. Just, for example, it is commonly seen that a higher temperature set point thermostat can work for longer life and performance is much better. The reason is that at higher temperatures many of the complications like scalds may be resisted hence allowing better performance of water heater.
  • Burners are a device for ignition of natural gas and are a source of an application of heat to the heater tank which in turn transmit heat to water making it hot.
  • Thermocouple monitors pilot flame, that is blown out by any fault results in turn off gas flow to burner and pilot flame.
  • The gas supply valve allows the flow and blockage of gas to the water heater.

What You Need To Know About Water Heaters

Water heaters are used to heat water. There are different types of heaters that work on different working principles. Every heater type is made of its unique quality. There are almost nine types of heaters available, each has its features.

The basic components of most of the heaters are the same, like thermocouple, thermostat, drain valve, insulation, dip tube, hot water outlet, cold water turn off valve, and hot water outlet. The other parts are specific for every specific type of water boiler. So getting knowledge about water heaters is important for selecting a new heater.

If you need more information, call The Belfast Plumber or if you would like to learn about why your hot water is not working then read on.

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