Comparing Water Heater Appliances for Efficiency
We look at Resistive Heating, Heat Transfer and Solar Heating options
Resistive Water Heating
This electric water heating appliance is a familiar sight in most homes. The conventional geyser heats a tank of water by passing an electrical current through a resistive heating element. These appliances are notorious energy guzzlers.
Average Power Consumption:
1 000 W - 4 000 W
Water Heating Capacity:
1 000 W - 4 000 W
Heat Pump Water Heating
Heat pump technology is commonly found in refrigeration applications such as air conditioners, freezers and refrigerators. It can however be used to heat the water of your pool or home. Heat pumps work by compressing a refrigerant gas to facilitate heat transfer between two thermal circuits.
Average Power Consumption:
1 000 W
Water Heating Capacity:
5 000 W
Solar Water Heating
Solar water heaters, more specifically evacuated-tube solar heaters, function quite similar to heat pump appliances. Evacuated tube heaters exchange heat from solar radiation to a water tank by means of a small quantity of a low-pressure alcohol/water liquid plus some additional additives to prevent corrosion or oxidation.
If the solar collector can also use a backup heating device such as a resistive heating element that does consume electricity.