What is dry heater in a water heater

Many, choosing a water heater, came across the concept of a "dry" heater. Similar models of water heaters quickly became widespread and won the trust of customers. They are installed in cottages, country houses where there is no central heating.

The main differences between dry and wet heating elements

Previously, heaters with a wet heating element were installed, the device is more like an ordinary boiler, only very large. It was a hollow pipe, inside of which a spiral. The rest of the space is covered with quartz sand or any other material with good thermal conductivity. All this was put in a huge tank, where there was contact with water and it was heated. Disadvantages: due to increased scale formation, energy consumption increases and heat transfer decreases.

Dry heater works in a completely different way: its base is a rheostat wire, which is placed in a ceramic insulator. It does not come into contact with water, because the product is in a closed cone, which, in addition, has an anti-corrosion treatment. To improve the conductivity of the heat, an oil layer is placed between the walls.

REFERENCE! Due to the design features - in a dry heater, the heating element is always straight, they are only equipped with containers with a volume of 50 liters or more.

The disadvantages and advantages of dry heating elements

The main advantages of this type of heater include:

1. Lack of scale. This is a modern heating device in which the heating element is reliably protected by the walls of a closed flask and is additionally treated with an anticorrosive solution. Due to this, there is no contact with hard water and, consequently, the formation of scale.
2. Water heats up quickly. Since the water heating element of the boiler does not have direct contact with water and is not exposed to its harmful effects, the operation of the device proceeds without interruptions, efficiently, at regular intervals.
3. Reliable thermal protection. The new generation boilers are equipped with reliable thermal protection, thanks to it, the apparatus does not heat up without water inside. If this unit breaks, then only the heater itself will fail, and not the entire water heater.
4. Easy to maintain. Replacement of parts in this device can be done independently, without resorting to expensive repairs. The heating element changes quickly and without much difficulty. It is advisable to undergo preventive repairs from the craftsmen in the service center once every two to three years, which significantly saves money.
5. Dimensions of the boiler. Such devices have small parameters and volumes in comparison with heaters with wet heating elements, and also have an interesting design, which gives them an attractive appearance. They also have a higher water capacity than previous similar models.
6. Eliminate the possibility of air congestion. These models are designed in such a way that the ingress of air is excluded, respectively, the appearance of traffic jams is also impossible. This significantly extends the life of the heater with a dry heater and saves the money of its owner.

There are few disadvantages of such water heaters, but nevertheless they exist:

1. Uneconomical in work. First, the apparatus heats a metal tube, and then water. But this minus is not always justified, since heating goes deep inside and indirect heating of water occurs with minimal heat loss, moreover, the diameter of a dry heater (10-12 mm) is less than the diameter of a metal pipe by only a couple of millimeters. Based on this, we can confidently say that the air gap between the walls is too small to significantly lose heat when heated.
2. There is an opinion that the power of a heater with a dry heater is lower than that of analogues with a wet heater. The second representatives of the heaters really have a spiral power of 2,000 watts, and for devices with a dry heater, only 1,200 watts. But there are usually two dry heating elements in the heater, so the power is already 2,400 watts.
3. Cost. It is higher than that of models with a different type of heating element, but since the advantages of heaters with dry heating element are much greater, it can be considered quite justified.

When choosing a heating appliance in your home, it is better to stay on the appliance with a dry heater. There will be few problems with him, but he will serve for many years.