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Electric hot water system
Around 50% of Australian households currently use electric hot water systems to heat their water, and these are often the most convenient to install, replacing like-with-like. There is however a push from the Government to replace electric hot water heaters with more efficient and low emission alternatives.
The main type of electric water heaters are storage and instantaneous.
Electric Storage Water Heaters
An Electric Storage Water Heater operates similar to a kettle, with the main difference being that the water is kept hot. They usually consist of an insulated storage tank where hot water is stored at a pre-set temperature (usually between 60°C and 80°C). The water is heated in the storage tank by one or more electric resistance elements. These are the most common hot water systems used in Australia.
Many storage heaters are designed to work at off peak times when electricity tariffs are cheaper, which leads to lower running costs. However, as they only heat water at night, the water tanks need to be quite large to make sure you don’t run out of water during the day.
Instantaneous Electric Water Heaters
Less common than storage heaters are instantaneous heaters, where water is heated on demand and not stored. They are designed to deliver a steady stream of heated water each time a hot water tap is turned on. The water is heated instantly by electricity and then flows to the outlet.
They are much smaller in size than storage tanks and can therefore be installed indoors.
Solar and Heat Pump Water heaters
Electric elements also play an important part within solar water heaters and heat pumps, where they provide “boosting” when the water temperature is low.
All of the major brands provide both storage and instantaneous electric water heaters for Sydney homes, and AJ’s Plumbing (owners of Australian Hydronic Heating and Cooling) have experience in repairing and installing all systems and brands.
