Comparison Atlantic VM 80 D325-2-BC vs Atlantic OPro Turbo VM 080 D400-2-B

The regular way to install a water heater.

The choice for this parameter depends primarily on how much free space is available for installing the device and what shape this space has. Therefore, when there is a lot of space (for example, the user has an entire wall in the boiler room of a private house at his disposal), this parameter can be ignored. But in cramped conditions, each installation method will have its nuances.

— Vertical. Vertical arrangement devices, elongated in height. This option is well suited for narrow cramped spaces — for example, a bathroom in a small city apartment.

— Horizontal. The horizontal layout is less suitable for tight spaces than the vertical one but in some conditions, it may be optimal — for example, if the place under the device looks like a low horizontal niche. Also, note that many instant water heaters are produced in this design (see "Type") — they do not take up much space, and horizontal orientation is considered optimal for such devices for several reasons.

— Floor. Floorstanding models (as opposed to all of the wall mount options described above). The main advantage of such an installation is simplicity: there is no need to drill walls and prepare other special fasteners; it is enough to have free space on the floor. In addition, weight restrictions are not so critical for floo...r water heaters, and this method can be used even for the most powerful, capacious and, accordingly, large models. On the other hand, free space on the floor is not always available, and this installation method is not suitable for cramped conditions.

— Universal (wall mounted). Devices that can be placed in any position — both horizontal and vertical (see above for details). The advantage of this option is obvious: the user can choose the installation method of his choice, depending on the situation.

The shape of the water heater.

The traditional options are cylindrical and rectangular, but nowadays there are more specific options — flat cases, slim cylindrical devices. Here are the features of each of these options:

— Cylindrical. This form is traditional for storage water heaters. It is because with the same total volume, less material is needed for a cylindrical tank than for a rectangular one; and in production, such tanks are simple and cheap, which allows them to be used in water heaters of any price category. The disadvantages of this form include, first of all, some bulkiness in comparison with other options.

— Rectangular. The case is rectangular in shape, with pronounced front and side faces; the corners can be both sharply defined and rounded. It is the traditional form for instant water heaters, primarily gas, but it can be found in a fairly large number of storage models. Accordingly, the features of a rectangular case will be different — depending on the type of heater. So, in instant water heaters, the “rectangle” is simply one of the most convenient options in terms of the overall layout. But in storage water heaters, this shape differs from the flat one (see below) only with a slightly greater thickness and, in some cases, pronounced angles.

— Flat. A variant found...mainly in storage electric heaters. Such devices look as if the classic cylindrical body was flattened at the back and front, reducing its thickness by increasing the width (and sometimes height). Thus, such a boiler does not protrude as much in front of the wall as a cylindrical one; in some cases, this point may be fundamental — for example, when installed in a bathroom, where a cylindrical device would hang over the toilet bowl, creating discomfort.

— Slim. A variety of cylindrical cases are characterized by a reduced diameter. In other words, boilers from this category are also round, but with the same volume, they have a noticeably smaller width and thickness than traditional cylindrical ones. In cramped conditions, this can be very useful. However, it must be borne in mind that the price for reducing the diameter is an increase in height.

Electrical power consumed by the heater during operation.

This parameter is of key importance for electric models (see "Energy source"). In them, the power consumption corresponds to the power of the heating element and, accordingly, the heat output of the entire device. The overall efficiency and flow rate of the water heater directly depend on the useful power. Accordingly, high-flow rate models inevitably have high consumption. At the same time, we note that the heating power is selected by the designers in such a way as to guarantee the necessary flow rate and water temperature. So when choosing a device according to flow rate, you need to look primarily at flow rate and temperature. Power must be taken into account when connecting: for example, if a 220 V model (see "Power source") consumes more than 3.5 kW, it, as a rule, cannot be plugged into a regular outlet — connection is required according to special rules. And the most productive and high-powered models — 10 kW or more — are connected only to three-phase mains.

The power consumption has a similar value for combined boilers — adjusted for the fact that in them the electric heater is an additional source of heat. For gas and indirect models, this parameter describes the power consumption of control circuits and other auxiliary structural elements; this power consumption is usually very small — on the order of several tens of watts, less often up to 1.5 kW.

The highest water temperature provided by the device. The standard temperature of hot water in the water supply is 60 °C, and this value is actually the minimum for modern water heaters: models with more modest rates (usually from 40 °C) are extremely rare. But higher values can be found much more often: for example, water heaters of 75 °C and 80 °C are very popular, and in the most powerful models in this regard, the temperature can reach 95 °C and even higher.

On the one hand, strong heating requires appropriate power (which is especially noticeable in the case of instant electric heaters). On the other hand, the higher the temperature of hot water, the less it is needed for a comfortable outlet temperature, after mixing with cold water; this reduces the consumption of heated water, which is especially important for storage boilers. In addition, many models have thermostats (see "Features").

Also, note that heating to operating values may involve different ΔT (degree of temperature change) — depending on the initial temperature of the cold water. The actual performance of the heater directly depends on ΔT; this moment is described in more detail below, in the paragraphs devoted to performance at different ΔT.

— Enamel. Like plastic, enamel is chemically neutral and does not affect the taste and smell of water, while it is considered more durable. Theoretically, this material is prone to the appearance of microcracks, including due to temperature differences (which eventually lead to water contact with metal and corrosion). However, high-quality heat-resistant enamels are most often used in boilers, which have the same coefficient of thermal expansion as the material of the tank and are damaged only in case of violation of operating conditions (or with strong impacts). So the mentioned drawback is typical mainly for the most inexpensive models with appropriate quality materials.

— Stainless steel. Due to its high strength, stainless steel is considered the most reliable and durable material today. Unlike enamelled ones, such tanks are absolutely not afraid of temperature changes, and they also normally withstand hits including pretty strong ones. On the other hand, steel is noticeably more expensive than enamel. At the same time, for such containers, the possibility of corrosion is not ruled out — especially when it comes to cheap devices that use outdated welding technologies, and the material of the seams may differ from the material of the tank. To eliminate this phenomenon, cathodic protection is required, which further affects the cost.

— Glass ceramics.... Material, in many respects similar to the enamel described above. On the one hand, glass ceramic does not react with water, does not affect its taste and properties, and is also considered quite reliable. On the other hand, this material is more brittle and prone to the appearance of microcracks and the loss of its properties — both as it wears out and due to strong heating. Because of this, such water heaters usually have a recommended temperature limit of 60 °C.

— Plastic. Plastic is chemically resistant, not subject to corrosion and practically does not affect the composition of water, besides it is inexpensive. The main disadvantage of plastic coating is considered to be fragility.

— Copper. Copper coating is used exclusively in instant water heaters (see "Type"); more precisely, in such devices, the entire tank is usually made of copper. This material is not suitable for a storage tank: copper is too heavy, and it has a corrosive effect on some materials (aluminium, cast iron) due to its electrochemical properties, even if these materials are used outside the heater, in other parts of the water supply system. However, in a small tank in an instant water heater, these moments are invisible, while copper perfectly tolerates compression and tension during temperature changes.

— Titanium-cobalt alloy. A special alloy, characterized by the highest strength and resistance to corrosion, but also very expensive. It is extremely rare, only in top-level heaters.

Time to heat the storage tank (see "Type"), filled with cold water, to operating temperature.

It is worth remembering that this characteristic is not 100% accurate. Manufacturers usually indicate the heating time for certain conditions: a filled tank, maximum heating intensity, and temperature rise (∆T) by a certain number of degrees. In practice, the heating time may differ, both one way and the other. For example, if the heating time for the device is 20 minutes at ∆T = 50 °C, then when the water is heated from 15 °C to 60 °C, the time will be shorter (∆T = 45 °C). Nevertheless, this indicator allows us to evaluate the overall flow rate of the boiler, and with equal ∆T and volumes, different models can be compared in terms of heating time.

— Open coil. The open coil is made from a high-resistance electrical wire enclosed in a thin insulating sheath. The main advantages of such an element are the heating rate, high efficiency and precise temperature control; in addition, scale is almost not formed on the spiral. And of the shortcomings — a low service life.

— Wet heating element. Wet heater is a metal tube with a heating thread laid in the centre; the space between the tube and the thread is filled with an insulating material with good thermal conductivity. Heating elements heat up more slowly than open coils, have lower efficiency and are prone to the formation of scale on them; on the other hand, their service life is much longer, and in instant heaters, heating elements are not so sensitive to air pockets.

— Dry heating element. A kind of heating element with an improved design: the heater tube is enclosed in an additional shell (most often made of metal with an enamel coating on the outside) and does not come into contact with water, hence the name. Thanks to this, the likelihood of scale formation is reduced, which is especially important when working with hard water. Also, the replacement of such elements is significantly easier than conventional ones. Among their shortcomings can be called a rather high cost.

— Infrared heating element.... Tubular electric heater of a special design: in the form of a transparent glass tube, in which the incandescent spiral is enclosed. The principle of operation of such an element is somewhat different from a conventional heating element: a significant part of the heating is provided by infrared radiation, which heats not so much the water as the walls of the tank — and heat is already transferred from them to the water. Thus, the water is heated not only at the point of contact with the heating element but also at the point of contact with the walls — which means that the heating is faster and more uniform. Also, note that the IR heater itself is usually "dry"; see above for the advantages of this design. The main disadvantages of such heaters are high cost and relatively short service life.

— Heat exchanger. It is used in gas and indirect heaters (see Water heater type). It is a metal structure heated by burning gas (in gas heaters) or passing inside a heated coolant (in indirect heaters). Usually has a ribbed shape. It is done to ensure the maximum area of contact with the heated water with relatively small dimensions — the larger this area, the more heat is transferred to the water per unit of time and the more efficient the heater is.

The direction from which pipes are connected to the heater. The choice for this parameter depends primarily on the characteristics of the place where the device is planned to be placed. Note that in universal models (see "Installation"), the place of connection of pipes depends on the method of installation, while specific options in different models may be different, this should be specified separately.

The warranty period declared by the manufacturer for the storage water heater tank (see “Type”).

This parameter is important for the reasons of maintenance terms. The tank is the most complex element: other parts of the water heater are relatively easy to repair and change, and if there is a problem with the tank, it is often easier to replace the entire boiler. In the most advanced models, the warranty on the tank can be 10 years or more.