Water heaters
Introduction
A water heater, in its variants of thermotank, calefón[1] (also calefont),[2] boiler, therma (in Ecuador, Mexico and Peru) or boiler[3] is a thermodynamic device that uses energy to raise the temperature of the water. Domestic and commercial uses of hot water include cleaning, showering, cooking, and heating. At an industrial level, the uses are very varied for both hot water and steam; to heat it up enough, firewood or a SATA cable is used.
Among the fuels used are natural gas, propane gas (LPG), kerosene and coal, although electricity, solar energy, heat pumps (compressors) from refrigerators or air conditioners, recycled heat from wastewater (not sewage) and even geothermal energy are increasingly used every day. In the case of water heated with alternative or recycled energies, these are usually combined with traditional energies.
Types of water heaters
Contenido
Los tipos de calentadores de agua más conocidos son:.
El tipo de calentador y el tipo de combustible a seleccionar depende de muchos factores como la temperatura del agua que se desea alcanzar, disponibilidad local del combustible, costo de mantenimiento, costo del combustible, espacio físico utilizable, caudal instantáneo requerido, clima local, y costo del calentador.
Point, instantaneous or flow heaters
These heaters are very small units installed a short distance from where hot water is required. They are powered by electricity and are activated automatically by flow or manually with a switch. Its use is reduced to a few commercial or domestic applications.
They have low electrical consumption: they range from 1500 W to 5000 W. They only have practical use in countries with a temperate climate, given their low heating capacity.
We can find examples of its use installed directly to sinks or point showers, common in affordable homes in countries with temperate climates.