Contents:
- Intro
- Who Invented the Water Heater
- Inside a Water Heater
- The Innovation of Electric Water Heaters
- The New Age of Modern Water Heaters
- What is the principle of electric geyser?
- What is the working principle of a water heater?
- Heating the Water
- What’s the difference between a geyser and immersion water heater?
- Advantages & Disadvantages of various water heaters
- Things to Know
Intro
The water coming into your home makes a journey through a system of pipes, and it's usually cold or cool, depending on the time of year. To have water warm enough to take a hot shower or bath, or use your dishwasher or washing machine, you need a water heater.
Water heaters are familiar fixtures in most homes. They typically look like big metal cylinders, tall drums that are often consigned to a laundry room or basement. Newer styles have some interesting features, like losing the tank completely in favor of water-on-demand, but the old, reliable water heater design that's most widely used is really a pretty simple appliance; it's basically a drum filled with water and equipped with a heating mechanism on the bottom or inside.
Even though they lack drama and complexity, water heaters are still pretty amazing. What makes them interesting is that they exploit the heat rising principle to deliver hot water right to your faucet with a minimum of fuss. Don't let the simple shape shrouded in its wooly insulating blanket fool you. Water heaters have an ingenious design on the inside for something that looks so ordinary on the outside.
Who Invented the Water Heater
It is hard to say who actually invented the hot water heater, but a few names come into mind, including Benjamin Waddy Maughan and Edwin Rudd.
Benjamin Waddy Maughan patented a device in 1868 that was used to heat water. He called it the “gas geyser,” as it used natural gas to heat the water as it flowed into the tub. He had a great idea for a residential water heater system, but the idea fell short when his heater relied on natural gas, and this made it a little too dangerous to use as intended. It did not have a system set up to vent the gas vapors, therefore it did not last very long as a method for heating water.
Edwin Ruud was another innovator that created an updated model 21 years later after Maughan that had many safety features added. This device is generally considered the first true home water heater, for both of it’s usability and safety features. He created a gas-heated, cast iron appliance with a valve turned by a person that activated on the heater’s burners.
Edwin Rudd bought the rights to his invention and formed his own company in 1897. Today, Ruud remains one of the most well respected names in water heating history and is a subsidiary of Rheem, one of the water heater brands we use today!
Inside a Water Heater
The components that work together in your water heater to give you a relaxing bath:
Tank -The inner shell of a water heater is a heavy metal tank containing a water protective liner that holds 40 to 60 gallons (151 to 227 liters) of hot water at around 50 to 100 pounds per square inch (PSI), within the pressure range of a typical residential water system. The exterior of the tank is covered in an insulating material like polyurethane foam. Over that, there's a decorative outer shell and possibly an additional insulating blanket [source: APEC].
Dip tube - Water enters the water heater through the dip tube at the top of the tank and travels to the tank bottom where it's then heated.
Shut-off valve -The shut-off valve stops water flow into the water heater. It's a separate component from the heater located outside and above the unit.
Heat-out pipe -Suspended toward the top of the tank's interior, the heat-out pipe allows the hot water to exit the water heater.
Thermostat - This is a thermometer- and temperature-control device. Some electric water heaters have a separate thermostat for each element.
Heating mechanism - Electric water heaters have heating elements inside the tank to heat the water. Gas water heaters use a burner and chimney system instead.
Drain valve - Located near the bottom of the exterior housing, the drain valve makes it easy to empty the tank to replace the elements, remove sediment or move the tank to another location.
Pressure relief valve - This safety device keeps the pressure inside the water heater within safe limits.
Sacrificial anode rod - Made of magnesium or aluminum with a steel core, the sacrificial anode rod is suspended in the water heater tank to help retard corrosion.
The Innovation of Electric Water Heaters
During the Industrial Revolution, water heater companies began to rise and and thrive. However, the rising industry of water heaters came to a halt after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
At this point during the war, water heater factories began to aid in the war effort. They also began producing boilers for use in naval vessels in order to heat the steam needed to run the vessels.
After the war ended, most of the water heating factories were back in business. However, a few new companies sprang up to create even more competition in the Postwar era. Electric water heaters became widely available during the Industrial Revolution.
State Water Heaters opened its doors in 1946 as a stove company but joined a new area of electric water heaters in 1948.
The demand for the alternative to electric water heater to gas quickly increased. State and other companies took advantage of this demand, leading them to become some of the largest companies in the world to this day.
The New Age of Modern Water Heaters
After the emergence of electric water heaters, more innovations came into the world of hot water heaters. This included the invention of solar water heaters, storage water heaters, and tankless water heaters.
**Solar Water Heaters
For more energy efficiency, solar water heaters became widely used by companies. Solar technology began gaining more momentum in the ‘90s and today and gives a wide range of advances in efficiency and reliability.
**Storage Tank Water Heaters
The storage tank heater, still the most common type of water heater still in use in the united states, heats a supply of water and stores it for later use.
**Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless water heaters use a series of tubes running through electric elements to heat only the amount of water needed for a particular purpose. Tankless water heaters can save massive amounts of heating bills and ensure that homeowners have endless hot water.
Between solar, tankless, and new hybrid models, it seems more and more likely that traditional gas and electric models will slowly fade into history.
What is the principle of electric geyser?
Geyser works on the principle that electrical energy is converted into heat energy. Heating element is used to generate the heat to heat the water. The heater and immersion rods have same principle but only difference is of controlling and protections in geysers. These Types of geysers are usually storage type geysers.
What is the working principle of a water heater?
Heating the Water
A water heater's thermostat controls the temperature of the water inside the tank. Normally, you can set the temperature anywhere between 120 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit (49 to 82 degrees Celsius).
The water temperature setting recommended by most manufacturers is between 120 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (49 to 60 degrees Celsius).
This is hot enough to be efficient for household use, but not so hot that it can pose a scalding risk. If there are children living in your home, it's wise to stay closer to the lower end of the range.
Setting your water heater to a lower temperature saves energy, too, and if you remember to dial back the heat when you go on vacation, you'll experience even more energy savings. Usually, the thermostat is located underneath a protective cover plate and has a knob or dial you can turn to set the temperature.
The dip tube feeds cold water from your home's water lines to the bottom of the tank's interior, where the water starts to warm up. The heating mechanism, either a burner or an element, stays on until the water reaches temperature.
As the water heats, it rises to the top of the tank. The heat-out pipe is located near the top of the tank. Water exiting the water heater at the top is always the hottest in the tank at any given moment because it's the nature of hot water to rise above denser, cold water.
The secret to a water heater's design for separating cold, incoming water from hot, outgoing water is that it relies on the principle that heat rises to do the hard part. The position of the heat-out pipe at the top of the tank does the rest.
What’s the difference between a geyser and immersion water heater?
The only difference from normal immersion type water heater, that it can automatically control the temperature the water by controlling the operating period of the heating elements associated with the geyser which cannot be possible in normal immersion type water heater. Geyser heater is used for large quantity of water.
Advantages and Disadvantages of various water heaters
- They’re available in a wide range of sizes, with tank options usually ranging from 20 to 80 gallons
- They’re typically inexpensive to purchase and install
- They have an average energy factor (EF) rating of 0.67.
- Tank sizes have increased with the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA) standards; so, these systems tend to require more space.
- They offer a limited supply of hot water when used for extended periods.
- They can waste up to 15% of energy through radiant heat loss.
- They typically have a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years.
- Tankless Hot Water Heaters
- Also known as instantaneous or demand-type water heaters.
- Tankless water heaters do not have storage tanks.
- They use electric elements or gas burners to heat water whenever a hot water tap is turned on.
- They consume 20% to 30% less energy than storage tank models.
- They meet NAECA standards while taking up minimal space and without increasing installation costs.
- They can be mounted on a wall.
- They produce minimal standby energy waste.
- They provide a virtually endless supply of hot water.
- They have an average life expectancy of 20 or more years.
- They have an average EF rating of 0.75.
- The hot water flow rate is limited by the size of the unit.
- Typically, tankless systems can be more complicated and expensive to install.
***Advantages of Solar Heaters
- Solar Heaters help utilizing free natural resource such as sun light and thus helps in saving electricity costs.
- It requires basic fittings and a one time investment and after that its free for up-to 20 years.
- Day by day cost of solar equipment's is decreasing and new and more efficient equipment are available in the market.
- It is a renewable and clean energy source.
- These systems are easy to install and require very little maintenance.
- These systems have long life hence gives value for your investment. A solar water heater can wok trouble free for up-to 20 years.
***Disadvantages of Solar Heaters
- Additional roof top space is required to install the solar heater.
- Working of solar heaters depends up on abundance and availability of direct sun light.
- It heats only in day time, however if the storage tank is well insulated, heated water can be stored and used even at night.
- It will not be very helpful in rainy season or foggy days.
Things to Know
*Are electric water heaters healthy?
Both electric and gas water heaters are safe solutions for heating your water. That said, as with any appliance run on gasoline, water heaters are susceptible to gas leaks if they run on propane or natural gas. You can alleviate these risks by conducting proper maintenance and inspections of your gas water heater.
*Is electric heater harmful for health?
However, most people forget about an important thing electric heaters are actually harmful to your health. The biggest flaw of the electric heater is that it sucks up the moisture present in the air. As a result, the air turns dry which has a bad impact on your skin. It leads to the problem of dry and rough skin.
*Is water heater harmful?
If you have a gas water heater and the burner doesn’t shut off, excess gas can build up in your home. A single spark can damage or destroy your home. A faulty gas water heater also has the potential to release carbon monoxide into the home. This odorless gas is virtually undetectable to humans.
*What is the side effect of electric heater?
The air that is sent out through the heater or the blower, dries up natural moisture in the air, inside the room. This dry air, devoid of any moisture, leads to dryness and roughness in your skin. If you have sensitive skin, this could also lead to itching and redness or give rise to infection.
*Is it safe to drink electric geyser water?
No, most are not. Geyser water comes from deep within the earth where there are a lot of minerals that are not healthy for you. The water from geysers can contain all sorts of arsenic, radioactive heavy metals, chromium and mercury (among many others things), none of which you want to ingest.
*What are the side effects of water heater?
Apart from the obvious side-effects such as drying out your skin, these heaters also burn up oxygen from the air. Even people who don’t have an asthmatic problem, often experience sleepiness, nausea and headaches in rooms with conventional heaters.
*Which type of water heater is safer?
Each of these water heater tanks may run on one or more types of fuel sources: Electricity: Water heaters powered by electricity are considered safer and generally more efficient than most other fuel sources. Fuel Oil: Oil-fired heaters have high recovery rates and low operating costs.
Hope You Learn Something....