The debate between instantaneous and traditional storage water heaters has never ceased when choosing a home water supply solution. If you prioritize an unlimited supply of hot water, space saving, and long-term energy efficiency, an Instant Electric water heater is the better choice. However, if your home's original electrical system has limited capacity, or your budget prioritizes low initial investment, a storage water heater is a more reliable option.
With the increasing prevalence of smart homes, Instant Electric water heater (also known as tankless water heaters) have gained widespread attention due to their high efficiency and portability. Here are their core advantages:
The biggest drawback of storage water heaters is their limited water volume. Once the hot water in the tank is used up, the next family member must wait for a long heating process. Instant Electric water heater, on the other hand, use high-power heating elements that heat up cold water instantly as it flows through the unit, providing hot water immediately without any volume limit.
For small apartments or fully furnished units, bulky water tanks take up a lot of space. Instantaneous electric water heaters are compact, typically only the size of a suitcase, and can be easily installed inside cabinets, in bathroom corners, or even under sinks, greatly freeing up building space.
Traditional water heaters need to circulate heat 24 hours a day to maintain water temperature, resulting in significant "standby heat loss." Instantaneous electric water heaters only consume electricity when water flows through them, truly heating only what is needed, saving approximately 20%-30% on electricity bills in the long run.
While instantaneous electric water heaters offer many advantages, you need to evaluate the following technical indicators before installation:
Electrical Load: Due to the need to generate high heat instantly, this type of water heater typically requires dedicated wiring (such as 4 or 6 square millimeter copper core wire) and an independent circuit breaker.
Inlet Water Temperature: In cold regions, the base water temperature is low in winter. When purchasing, pay attention to the machine's heating capacity (Delta T) to ensure it maintains a constant water temperature even in extreme weather conditions.
Scale prevention: It is recommended to choose a high-quality model with magnetization anti-scale or water-electricity separation technology, which can effectively extend the life of the heating element.
Instantaneous electric water heaters are suitable for: large families, high demands for bathing quality, a desire to save on electricity bills, and limited bathroom space.
Storage water heaters are suitable for: older residential areas where electrical circuit modifications are inconvenient, very low budgets, and no strong need for instant hot water.
When installing an instantaneous electric water heater, be sure to contact a professional electrician to confirm the capacity of your home's electricity meter to ensure the safety and stability of the equipment during high-power operation.