Simple Steps you follow to buy a water heater are as follows:

What you would find in the market is branded and unbranded water heaters and almost similar features but how would you choose the right product for your house. Here is a small quick guide for you to help pick up the right water heater. Points to be noted : Point No: 1 - Do not buy unbranded water heaters Its just like investing your money on a wrong stock or mutual fund. A branded water heater can offer you not only guarantee safety, but also good customer support and service. Unbranded water heaters may be lucrative in terms of the price, but many of the water heaters may not conform BIS standards, BEE energy star rating, and may not have an ISI mark and in some ways they might be unsafe . A Tank is the heart of a water heater, Beware of Brands which do not mention what their tank is made up of as they use Mild Steel or Other Metals which are priced Cheaper which consume double the power due to longer heating time , your electricity bill also depends on the product you buy Point No: 2 - Location of installation of the water heater is very important. People living near the coast have to take corrosion into account. Saline water can also corrode internal parts of the water heaters. eg : borewater (apartments), hard water areas (city out areas), salt water areas (costal areas). So the best option here would be a water heater with a Fibre outer body (ABS) and a complete internal copper Assembly set up. Copper has special anti corrosive properties that prolongs the life of the water heater and saves energy and copper is a good conductor of heat. Point No: 3 - Domestic Set Up The model of water heater which you buy is again based on what kind of a residence you have independent house / small apartment (less than 5 floors) / high rise building and how many people require hot water etc. If you are living a bachelors life or with other fellow bachelors an instant water heater is the best option. You don't have to keep reminding yourself to turn off the heater and you wont waste electricity. If you are living with a family in an independent house a Solar Water Heater is an option, this is 100% electricity free and the most green way to go. A little expensive in terms on initial investment but lot of national banks in the country are offering interest free loans so finance is not an issue. The basic recommended capacity is the 100 litre per day. In Solar water heaters there are two technologies the conventional flat plate collector and the

Vacuum Tube Model. Both of these cost the same but the vacuum tube model is preferred because its replacement cost is cheaper in case of damage to the solar tube and also because it can absorb infra red rays so heating takes place till late in the evening and on cloudy days as opposed to the other model which requires direct sunlight. If you are living in an apartment then a electric storage water heater is the best option. A 25 litre model is ideal for a family of four, 35 litre for a family of 6 so on and so on. If your bathroom ceiling is low or you have a false ceiling or a attic then a horizontal water heater would suite your need in terms of space but if you have enough space a vertical is always suggested cause in a horizontal water heater you would loose 5-8 litres of hot water from the total capacity. If you are living in a multi-storied high-rise building then chances of a pressure pump being installed to make sure water reaches all the flats. This can cause problems to the water heater due to high pressure conditions which normal storage water heaters cannot withstand. Opt for a water heater that has extra thick insulation in the tank and a capability of withstanding High Pressure depending on the pressure of the pressure pump in the apartment. A gas water heater is a good buy if you have your gas cylinder placed outside the bathroom. Ideal for the kitchen because thats where the gas cylinder is located or if you have extra ventilation. (NOTE : GAS WATER HEATERS ARE NOT SAFE IF PLACED INSIDE THE BATHROOM DUE TO CARBON MONOOXIDE FUMES EMITTED BY THEM). Point No: 4 Safety and Quality Features that you should look out for 1. BIS / ISI mark : The basic requisite for accepted safety and quality standards 2. Warranty on tank and other critical components 3. 5 star rating is preferred. 4. Thermostat for Auto Cutoff at 60degree so you can use a mixer to control the output of cold water 5. Thermal Cut out / Thermal Plug and Semi return device- a fail safe device to prevent dry heating 6. Copper Heating Element : Heats the water very fast compared to any other coil (EASILY AVAILABLE) and shock proof 7. PUF insulated tank : Heat Retention is longer 8. 2-in-1 pressure cum release valve : Ensures positive and negative pressure is not created inside the tank 9. BIS APPROVAL is most important factor so that in terms of energy consumption you don't land up paying more on electricity BILLS. 10. Check for BEE Label too. ( Recently BEE has Rated brands which state the standing loss of a

water heater ). Look for 5 star rating. Most of the leading brands will have the features mentioned above, the consumer voice survey, Power rating chart by ISI is a good guide to help you in choosing good buys namely Remson, Venus , Bajaj and Usha.

Table1: What does running a geyser cost us? Tested According to ISI ( Bureau of Indian
Standards) and Consumer Voice

Brand

Standing Loss of Energy in a Day (kWh/24 hrs) 0.79 1.028 1.052 1.098 1.24 1.252 1.266 1.283 1.41 1.447

Remson Bajaj Thermoking Johnson Usha Venus Racold Spherehot Crompton Hotflo

What Energy Rating they would Get according to BIS Draft Standards 5 Star (Best) 3 Star 3 Star 3 Star 2 Star 1 Star 1 Star 1 Star Poor Poor

Actual Cost (in Rs) of Running for a Day (@ Rs 4 per unit) 3.16 4.11 4.20 4.39 4.96 5.00 5.06 5.13 5.64 5.78

Actual Cost (in Rs) for Running for a Year (@ Rs 4 per unit) 1153.40 1500. 88 1535.92 1603.08 1810.4 1827.92 1848.36 1873.18 2058. 6 2112.62

What You Over-spend (in Rs) in a Year on (0.79 kWh/24 h as standard) 347.48 382.52 449.68 657 674.52 694.96 719.78 905.2 959.22