TOP-5 smart storage water heaters

The Thermex IF 50 Smart flat storage water heater with dimensions of 880x452x263 mm is one of the most compact in its class, and its own empty weight of 19 kg gives a moderate load when mounted on a wall. This is an inexpensive model, which is made in a plastic case with 2 internal tanks with a total volume of 50 liters, coated with bioglass porcelain. The device must be connected to a cold water supply with a pressure range of 0.5 - 7 bar. If the water pressure values do not correspond to those indicated, then a pressure reducing valve should be installed at the inlet. Two “wet” heating elements with a total power of 2 kW, operating in a 3-stage mode, are responsible for heating the water in the device. The average tank heating time at full power at Δt=45 °C is 66 minutes, which, to paraphrase in ordinary language, will provide comfortable conditions for hot water use in a little more than an hour when the boiler is turned on.

The standard equipment of the device with a magnesium anode protects the heating elements and the surface of the tanks from limescale, and the built-in thermostat maintains the selected water heating temperature: 55 °C, 65 °C or 75 °C. The instrument has built-in overpressure protection, overheat protection above 95 °C and frost protection below 5 °C. On the electronic display of the control panel, where the symbols of the indicators are placed diagonally for ease of operation in vertical or horizontal installation, you can set one of 3 degrees of heating or activate the automatic Smart mode of the water heater. When switched to intelligent control mode, the electronics monitors the user's habits for a week and sets the appropriate parameters for preparing hot water at the right time. The manufacturer establishes a 5-year factory warranty for internal tanks and a 2-year warranty for other structural elements, declaring a minimum operational life of the device of 9 years.

The smart storage water heater of the Slovenian manufacturer Gorenje FTG 50 SMV9 belongs to the category of functional devices that do not require an overpayment for a promoted brand. The internal usable storage volume of 48.7 liters is made up of two flat steel tanks with an enamel coating, in which a magnesium anode is installed for corrosion protection and 2 submersible copper heating elements with a power of 1 kW each, operating in a 2-stage mode. The high-quality thermal insulation of the tank allows you to keep the temperature of the heated water for a long time with minimal heat loss, but its thickness ultimately affected the decent case depth of 30 cm and the considerable total weight of the device 31 kg. At full power of heating elements, the device heats up water at ∆t=55 °C in 122 minutes, requiring a lot of patience from the user, who is not configured for such a long wait.

The control panel of the device is made in a minimalist style with an indicator scale and two buttons: manual parameter settings and automatic operation. Manual setting allows you to set 4 temperature modes: anti-freeze (10 °C), minimum heating (35 °C), ECO mode (57 °C) and maximum heating (75 °C). When the intelligent EcoSmart function is activated, the device monitors the user's actions for a week, after which, based on his habits, it starts the automatic boiler control system. This allows you to achieve significant savings in energy consumption, amounting to more than 7 kWh per week with daily use of the unit. The model is equipped with an electronic thermostat and has built-in protection against overheating, freezing, overpressure and blocking the inclusion when the tank is empty. And provided that within 2 weeks the boiler will not warm up the water to a temperature of 65 ° C, the anti- legionella mode is automatically activated, which performs active heat treatment of the tank. Its job is to heat the water for 2 hours at a temperature of 70 ° C, which guarantees the complete destruction of pathogenic bacteria.

Accumulative wall-mounted electric water heater Hotpoint-Ariston ABS VLS EVO WIFI PW 50 is an advanced solution for organizing hot water supply in a small house or apartment. The model belongs to the average price range and fully meets the expectations of consumers. The device weighing 15 kg is made in a flat silver case that can be mounted on the wall horizontally or vertically. Paired inlet and outlet tanks with a volume of 25 liters each, give a total storage capacity of 50 liters, which is enough for comfortable water use at several draw-off points. The heavy-duty tanks, which withstand a test pressure of 16 bar, have an AG+ enamel coating on the inside, which, together with an oversized magnesium anode, protects it from corrosion. The high quality of the inner tank is backed by a 5-year manufacturer's factory warranty.

The model received a pair of submersible heating elements (1 kW + 1.5 kW), which heat water in 2-stage mode (1.5 / 2.5 kW). The electronic control panel allows you to set one water heating temperature from 40 to 80 ° C, which can be monitored by the LED indicator. The Fast heating function, which can be activated by pressing the corresponding button on the control panel, heats up the output tank water at ∆t=45 °C in 46 minutes without requiring a long wait. The built-in anti-legionella function with a full cycle of sanitary heat treatment of the tank is activated manually when the heating temperature reaches 70 °C. In addition to the basic functions of protection against overheating, freezing and high pressure in the system, there is protection against switching on with an empty tank.

Unlike the Hotpoint-Ariston ABS VLS EVO PW 50 , which has a separate button for turning on the smart self-learning and Smart saving system, in this device the Eco Evo function is called up by pressing and holding the "+" and "-" buttons for 5 seconds. The function of remote control of the water heater from a smartphone is implemented by the built-in Wi-Fi module and a proprietary application for it, which is available for free download in the AppStore and GooglePlay. Control from a smartphone also opens up the additional possibility of weekly programming of the boiler operation with the installation of two temperature settings for each day for different periods of time.

The closed-type storage water heater Tesy GCR 502722 E31 EC from the Bulgarian manufacturer of heating equipment is distinguished by a low body of only 700 mm, which is due to the double tank capacity of 40 liters. The device can be mounted vertically or horizontally, and a special switch has been thought out for a certain orientation of the symbols on the control panel. The inner surface of 2 drives has a glass-ceramic coating that is resistant to cracking due to temperature changes. The total power of 2 "wet" copper heating elements is 2.2 kW, but at the same time, the time of 80 minutes during which they heat the water in the tank at a temperature difference of Δt 45 °C at the inlet-outlet is surprising. Such an indicator should definitely be attributed to the disadvantage of the model, because it is too long for such a small volume. The device received protection against overheating, freezing and overpressure, which constitute an integral security system.

A wide and convenient electronic control panel with a display stretches across the entire width of the lower part of the facade. In addition to the manual heating setting, there is a weekly programming function that allows you to save 3 programme settings. In each of them, you can set the desired time, number and day of the week for the selected boiler operation mode. The water heater is not bad “sharpened” for quick preparation of water for taking a shower: from the moment you start heating in Boost mode, you need to wait only 13 minutes and voila – you can go to bask in warm jets. The EcoSmart function has 3 modes that activate the smart device management system. It allows you to choose the comfort mode for receiving 2 portions of the shower, the priority mode for heating water at night, as well as setting your own operation algorithm based on user preferences. Additional features of the model are the "Vacation" function, which puts the boiler "on pause" until you return, and the ability to lock the control panel from changing settings (protection from children).

Wall-mounted electric boiler Atlantic Vertigo Steatite 50 is compact in size and stylish in appearance. The flat double internal tank with a volume of 40 liters, made using Double Tank technology, received a coating of heat-resistant Diamond-Quality zirconium enamel and a 7-year manufacturer's warranty. The remaining components, including the ultra-precise electronic thermostat and electrical part, are covered by a 2-year warranty period. Dense CFC-free polyurethane foam insulation minimizes heat loss and keeps hot water hot for a long time. And, of course, here it was not without Atlantic's signature feature: the model is equipped with a pair of "dry" steatite heating elements with a total power of 2.25 kW, maximally protected from scale and corrosion by an external flask.

The easy-to-use, intuitive backlit control panel allows you to manually adjust the heating temperature from 50°C to 70°C. The additional touch button Boost starts heating at full power, which allows you to get hot water in a short time. And the intelligent Smart function with a self-learning programme based on an analysis of the habits and needs of the user takes full automatic control over the process of controlling the water heater. The built-in security system, including protection against overpressure, overheating and freezing, protects the boiler from operation in force majeure circumstances and extends its service life. The device is designed for universal mounting type (vertically or horizontally).