Which is better - gas column or boiler?

In recent years, private houses and apartments have become more and more active and have been equipped with individual sources of hot water supply. Therefore, such a concept as a centralized supply of hot water, began to gradually shift to the background. Many agree with the opinion that it is much more convenient and more profitable to have your own water heater. Due to this device you can independently monitor the financial costs of utilities and at your discretion to dispose of free funds. In this article, we will consider a rather popular question today, which excites many who can not decide what is best - a gas column or a boiler. The main thing is to understand the advantages and disadvantages of these two options for heating water.

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What are the different types of technology for heating water?

To date, there are two types of quality water heaters, which differ from each other in the principle of operation: storage and flow.

Important! Both options assume the simultaneous use of two energy carriers, that is, electricity and natural gas.

If you compile them into one list, then it will look like this.

1. Gas columns. They are constantly competing with electric water heaters, so consumers are trying to figure out what is best - a column or a boiler. So, gas columns are devices that directly heat the running water in the heat exchanger by means of a burner flame. Due to this, we get hot water almost immediately, as soon as we open the tap.
2. Cumulative electric water heaters - in the people they are called boilers. They work as follows: the tank is filled with cold water, and then gradually it is heated by built-in heating elements. Therefore, it makes no sense to open the tap with hot water until it warms up to at least 40 degrees, and this requires at least 2 hours. If the water does not recruit, but has reached the desired heating temperature, the device simply maintains it at the desired level, so the heating elements are periodically switched on and off.
3. Gas storage heaters. Appeared these devices on the market most recently, probably, therefore, and not too popular among consumers. They represent something between the electric boiler and the gas column. That is, water is heated with gas, and they work on the principle of boilers.
4. Flow-through electrical installations. According to the principle of operation, they are similar to gas columns, but only instead of gas they use electricity. It is almost impossible to meet such a device in a private house. The fact is that such heaters are too powerful, and not every house is capable of withstanding such electrical stress.

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Advantages and disadvantages of gas columns

To fully answer the question what is better - a gas or electric water heater, both options should be considered in detail and familiarized with their positive and negative sides.

Advantages of modern gas columns:

• The ability to provide unlimited time even the largest house with hot water supply.
• Heating of the water starts instantly after the valve is opened, and the burner will work until the valve closes.
• Modern units are equipped with an electronic control system, so that the water pressure does not affect the temperature of its heating.
• Compact size, allowing you to install the device even in the smallest kitchen.
• High level of reliability and no complications in case of repair.

Disadvantages of gas devices:

• Too troublesome installation process of the column, requiring financial investments. It is necessary not only to make a project, but also to coordinate it, and only after that to install and connect the device. In addition, the device itself must be necessarily licensed.
• Obligatory presence of supply and exhaust ventilation and chimney.
• Need to determine the level of gas and water pressure.
• In terms of economy, they significantly lose to boilers, because their efficiency is not more than 92%, and for electric heaters as much as 98-99%.

Important! Still need to take into account the fact that in most cities in winter the water temperature at the inlet is low enough, so even the most powerful gas column can not heat it to the desired temperature.

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Pros and cons of electric water heaters

We continue to seek an answer to the question as to what is better - a water heater or gas column, and now the turn of boilers has come. We learn why most consumers prefer them.

Advantages of electric water heaters:

• Ease of installation, which does not require coordination and attraction of representatives of special energy supply organizations.
• Do not require the presence of ventilation and chimney.
• No dependence on temperature and water pressure in the common network.
• Efficiency up to 99%.
• The ability to provide a large flow of hot water.
• In modern boilers, heating elements do not come into contact with water, due to which they are not covered with scum.

Disadvantages of electric boilers:

• Limited water volume at the outlet.
• The need to wait several hours before heating the next portion of water.
• If you incorrectly select the capacity of the tank, then it will often run cold water.

Important! The boiler takes up a lot of space, and even the most flat models are considered large. Even for a family consisting of three people, it will take at least 80 liters of water.

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How to choose between a boiler and a gas column?

Before you finally decide for yourself and determine what is best - a gas column or boiler, you need to take into account a lot of nuances:

• Accumulating gas heaters are considered very promising, because the heating of the entire volume of water inside the tank is carried out twice as fast as in electrical devices. In addition, they are not at all dependent on water pressure, they are able to produce a huge amount of hot water.

Important! Naturally, if there is no gas supply in the house or there is a low limit on electricity consumption, then there can be no question of any choice.

• In terms of convenience, uniquely winning gas columns, but their installation flies in a considerable penny.
• In terms of cost and ease of installation, of course, the boiler wins.

The correctness of the final choice directly depends on a huge number of factors. It is unambiguous to say that a device can not be 100% better. And if a boiler with a high power reserve is installed in your house, it is better to give preference to a boiler with indirect heating of water. Such heaters combine a huge number of advantages and practically do not have drawbacks.