With the advent of water heaters, hot water has ceased to be a luxury. If such is installed in the house or apartment, rolling blackouts in the summer are not a problem. When choosing a buyer’s equipment, not only its design and cost are of concern, but also how much the operation will cost. How much energy does the boiler consume? How to calculate expenses per month? Using our formula, you will calculate how much the unit is cheaper to use.
Varieties of water heaters
The amount of electricity consumed directly depends on the principle of operation of the boiler. Heating equipment is divided into two types:
- Cumulative. Includes a metal tank of any volume. Inside, water accumulates, which is heated by the heater. To save resources, the liquid is heated to a certain temperature, after which the device turns off. A sensor is provided to maintain values. It reports a decrease in temperature, and the heater turns on again.
- Flowing. It does not have a tank. Water circulates through the pipes and enters the heater. Passing through it, the liquid reaches the desired values. The energy consumption for heating water depends on the inlet temperature.
It is believed that flowing devices consume more electricity, because their heating elements have more power. But unlike storage boilers, flow drivers turn on only from time to time.
To choose the right equipment and not pay bills for the consumption of extra resources, find out how much the device pulls per day. It’s good if a meter is installed in the house. Then it is enough to divide the testimony per month by the number of days. This will be the amount of energy that your family needs.
Calculation of electricity consumption
What data is needed for calculations:
- Capacity of a water heater;
- Device power;
- How long does it take to heat the water;
- Energy consumption in kilowatts - indicated in the documentation.
If we take the average indicators of water consumption, then a family of three people a day takes 25 liters. This is enough to take a shower and household needs. Four people and a daily bath will need 250 liters. Calculations are simplified by having a counter.
Important! When buying, it is worth considering not only the volume of the tank. Do not forget that during operation, the hot stream mixes with the cold, so less heated fluid is consumed.
So, how much does the meter wind up when operating a boiler of 50 liters? To find out this formula will help:
T = 0.00116 * V (T2 –T1) / W
- V - tank capacity.
- T2 - heating temperature (approximately 70 degrees).
T1 is the inlet temperature. - W is the power of the heating element.
We will take approximate indicators - 2 hours, during which heating occurs.
Having looked in the documentation, we find that the power is 2 kW / h. Therefore - 4 kW / day. Now divide the result by the time at which the boiler rests: 4:12 = 0.3 kilowatts. This is exactly what is needed to maintain the temperature of the water in the tank.
It remains to find out the total amount of electricity consumed per day: 4 + 0.3 = 4.3 kW. Multiply this by the number of days in the month: 4.3 x 30 = 129 kilowatts. To understand how much money it takes to pay bills, multiply this value by the cost of electricity in your area.
Do you think a larger boiler draws a lot of resources? Carry out a similar calculation for heaters of 80 and 100 liters. The approximate heating time of volumetric equipment is 180 minutes. Multiply 2 kW by three cycles of operation and get 6 kW. We calculate: 6 x 30 days = 180 kilowatts. This is the energy that will be used to heat the water.
How appropriate is the installation of a storage tank? It depends on your needs. It will fit perfectly into a house where water or electricity is often cut off. Thanks to the thermal insulation layer, the unit retains heat well. Electricity consumption will depend on the frequency of use of the equipment.
Calculations for a flow heater
It is recommended to install a flow path in cottages or as an additional source of heating in the house. Most often, devices are connected directly to the mixer, so they are independent of the pressure in the line. But the water at the outlet does not always have a comfortable temperature.
The documents indicate the degree of heating, which is added to the inlet temperature. For example, +40 degrees. Thus, with an input of 15 ° C, you get 55 ° C at the exit.
So the flow type is more suitable for household needs. An exception are high power products, which require separate wiring.
For calculations, we take the average indicators: 50 liters per day and a power of 4 kW. Productivity - 2 liters per minute. Volume divided by productivity: 50/2. We get 0.42 hours or 25 minutes.
Now 0.42 x 4 = 1.68 kW. If you calculate for a month (30 days), then 50.4 kW will come out. As you can see, the myth that the heater draws a lot of light is dispelled. The only thing in which the flow path is inferior to the drive is the heating temperature. In the first case, it is not suitable for daily use.
Thanks to these formulas, you can choose a technique rationally. A video on the topic will help you: