When selecting a water heater one of crucial parameters is a heating element type. Heating elements are generally divided in wet and dry types, but any of them has its specific features that affect efficiency and longevity of a water heater.
Wet Heating Elements
include copper and stainless steel spiral heating elements they operate surrounded with water like a caldron. Due to direct contact of the heating element with water, especially if water is hard, lime scale deposits could occur. Scale deposits make the heater less efficient as water heats up more slowly leading to higher electricity bills. Regular cleaning of scale enables a longer life of the water heater and its electrical components, faster heating and larger amount of hot water and reduced electricity costs.
Dry Heating Elements
Differently from the wet ones dry heating elements are not in a direct contact with water as they are mounted in a special pipe. Such design gives higher safety and longer life of the heating element with less limescale deposits. In case dry heating element needs to be replaced the water from the boiler doesn’t have to be drained. Turning off the power is sufficient and heating element is simply pulled out from the pipe and replaced. Dry heating elements reach higher temperature with the same power which means faster heating of water and greater energy savings.
Ceramic Dry Heating Elements
Ceramic dry heating elements are an advanced type with bigger surface that permits better exchange of heat and therefore lower consumption of electricity, greater savingsa. Besides, ceramic heaters have longer service life, the boiler is more economical.
By choosing the right heating element and with regular maintenance you can obtain higher efficiency of your water heater, reduce electircity costs and ensure longer life of the device.