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Gas Geyser installations provide a money-saving and energy-efficient solution in the face of rising electricity prices and electricity outages.
Unlike electric geysers, gas water heaters do not store large amounts of water requiring energy-intensive heating and reheating. Instead, the water is heated on demand when we turn on the hot water tap. Water flowing through the sensor triggers the geyser to ignite the gas burner, and the water is heated within seconds.
It is important to understand a home’s requirements, and the three main kinds of gas geysers to choose from. This will help to make the right decision about which gas geyser to buy.
Gas Geyser Installations - Choosing the right size.
Typically, standard gas geyser installations are supposed to heat water up to an additional 25 degrees above ambient temperature. For example, if the temperature of the incoming water is 20 degrees, the geyser will heat a given volume of water per minute to 45 degrees. Depending on size and functionality, gas geysers generally cost between a couple of thousand rand to about R15,000. Gas Geysers come in a variety of sizes, mostly from 5 to 20 litres per minute. There are even fan forced models with a capacity as high as 28 litres.
In gas geyser installations, the size of the gas water heater is an indication of how much water the geyser is able to heat per minute. So the difference between a 5 litre and a 20 litre gas geyser is that the former is able to heat up to 5 litres of water by 25 degrees C every minute, while the latter can heat up to 20 litres per minute. A house or outlet with low water flow per minute will need a smaller gas geyser. Conversely, a house where the water flow is very high will need a larger gas geyser. Bigger is NOT necessarily better! Too big a gas geyser might not work at all in the water flow is too low for its capacity.
When more than one tap needs to be serviced by the same gas geyser installation, constant temperature or preferably a fan forced type geysers should be installed.
When planning gas geyser installations, your installer should always consider the water flow rate of the site.
Choosing the right size of gas water heater is crucial for optimal functioning of the system. Good gas geyser installers may advise fitting more than one gas geyser to supply different taps in the house. For instance, a sink might do with a 6 litre geyser, while a single shower would be optimally served by anything between an 8 litre and a 16 litre geyser, depending on the flow through the shower head.
Different types of gas geysers.
There are primarily three types of products found in South African gas geyser installations: standard / diaphragm /low pressure type, constant temperature, and forced fan gas geysers.
The standard option also called Low Pressure Gas Water Heaters, typically range from 6 litres to 20 litres capacity, and these are the most affordable gas geyser installations. However, these do not allow for setting exact hot water temperatures, and they can’t efficiently supply water to multiple taps. They also aren’t very good at supplying hot water to an upstairs bathroom and they are very sensitive to fluctuating water pressure. As a result, these geysers may keep switching off.
Therefore, they are typically recommended for small flats, cottages or single-story homes, where they are required for just one tap at a time. These would be suitable to supply a single bathroom with a shower, for example.
Constant temperature geysers are basically standard geysers that allow for setting slightly more exact temperatures. They are slightly more gas efficient than the entry level products. These can also run two hot-water taps more effectively. However, they are not suitable for multistorey homes. Constant temperature geysers are still relatively sensitive to changes in water flow and pressure.
Although they have a higher up-front cost, Fan Forced Gas Geysers are the top of the range gas geyser installations. These offer the best long-term value and ease of use overall. They are very gas-efficient and have greater functionality. They typically come with longer warranties of up to 10 years. Fan forced geysers are far superior to the other types of gas geysers. Multistorey homes as well as multiple taps can be easily serviced by these beasts. They require a connection to an electric power supply or generator or UPS back-up. I will always recommend fan forced gas geyser installations to clients who already have solar PV systems installed. These are really the best option if you can afford it.
Other factors to consider in your gas geyser installations.
We ideally place standard gas geyser installations within 5m of the tap it needs to supply water to. This delivers the maximum efficiency and minimum temperature loss. Depending on the make, fan forced geysers can generally supply hot water over a longer pipe run.
The best course of action is to get a Gas Water Heater specialist to look at the site, listen to your needs and budget and advise you based on the facts and his experience.
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