By Heba Sourour

Relatively new appliances in Egyptian markets and homes, electric tankless water heaters are the alternative to the electric tanked heaters. Rather than hot water gathered and saved in a tank, electric tankless heaters warm water instantly as it flows from the source and out of the tap. Every member of the household can enjoy their morning showers with no need to race and win the most amount of available hot water; the primary drawback of electric tanked water heaters.

In this article, Yaoota will present a full review about Instant/Tankless Water Heaters. How they work, how we can select the most suitable ones, their pros and cons, and much more details about them.

*Prices listed in the article are the ones provided when the article has been published, and they are subject to change according to the supply and demand of the market.

How a Tankless Heater Works

Quite different from a tanked heater, a tankless heater performs its job without the use of a tank. What happens is that cold water flows from the house water pipe and into the tankless unit. Inside the unit, the water is then instantly heated as it passes through the electric heating element, and it flows out of the tap readily heated. In this manner, the instant heating guarantees a steady flow of heated water. The temperature of the water can be adjusted by means of temperature controls, but it remains steady in all cases.

When buying one of these trending appliances, consider two factors:

• The type of household you will install your tankless water heater in; is it a small apartment or larger one? Is it a multi-floored villa, or a small chalet?

• Will your water heater cover the needs of the whole establishment? Or you prefer a heater per bathroom, kitchen, washroom, etc.  

Depending on the size of your establishment, and the heating system you wish to run in it, you can decide on your tankless heater.

• Smaller tankless water heaters that run on less than 10 kilowatts are less powerful and can serve the heating needs of one room with multiple taps.

• More powerful tankless heaters that run on 18 to 36 kilowatts ranging can serve whole households. The suitable unit is chosen according to the number of taps a household has.

Let’s look at specific numbers:

Now that you know the abilities of instant electric water heaters, allow Yaoota to give you an idea about their pros and cons.

Time Factor

Pros

Time is definitely on your side when you choose to install a tankless heater. You will not find yourself waiting for long periods of time before hot water flows out of your tap. The instantaneous aspect of this heater is one of the most distinguishing advantages that it has. It is perfect for the fast-paced life we live today.

Cons

Does waiting a few minutes for the water to heat up count? Maybe in the future, new models would make the torture of waiting last only a few seconds!

Cost and Kilowatts

Pros

Do not let the cost or number of kilowatts deter you. You might feel like you have spent too much cash already just to see this tankless heater mounted on the wall, and will spend even more on the already sky-rocketing Egyptian electricity bill.

While this is true, tankless electric heaters surprisingly do well in the energy consumption department. The way this appliance functions, heating water instantly and only on demand, and staying off when unneeded, will actually save energy. Compare it to a tanked heater, where so much energy is consumed and wasted to first heat the liters of water in the tank, and then maintain its temperature for hours even when it is on standby. In other words, a tankless electric heater is more efficient, and will actually guarantee a lower electricity bill than its tanked counterpart (when used within reason). More still, its efficiency allows it to be a more environment-friendly option.

Cons

Unfortunately, tankless electric heaters cost a fortune. Buying this heater and installing it will require double the money you would spend on a tanked heater. The fact that these tankless heaters are imported (currently no local manufacturers) does not help.

Another downside is the number of kilowatts a tankless heater needs to heat water. The more powerful the heater you choose to buy is, the more kilowatts it needs. And of course, more power means a higher price tag.

Size and Design

Pros

If your kitchen cabinets run around the walls of your kitchen, leaving little space for a good powerful heater, then these tankless electric heaters are the best solution. Obviously, going tankless means there are no bulky, space-swallowing metal tanks. Whether in the kitchen or in the bathroom, a tankless heater will do the job while keeping a low profile, whatever the dimensions of the size you choose to buy are.

Let’s draw a quick comparison:

Not only are tankless heaters more compact and light-weight, but most models are designed to look smart and sleek, fitting right into the modern home.

Cons

The main size disadvantage to these tankless heaters is height and width. If you buy a more powerful tankless heater, it will be slightly taller and wider. But on the bright side, it always retains its slimness, light weight, and sleek design.

Lifespan

Pros

This reliable appliance is expected to live for at least 20 years. With such a long lifespan compared to most tanked water heaters, which generally last for around 10 to 15 years, you can count on these tankless heaters to grow old with you. This is also great news in the money-saving department.

Cons

The only downside to this lengthy life of a tankless water heater is a different warranty plan. Typically, warranties are provided for a product for a period of half its life expectancy. So, a tanked water heater would thus have a 7-year warranty. But because tankless water heaters live such long lives, the warranty is divided between the heat exchanger and other parts of the unit. The heat exchanger is covered in the warranty for 10 years, but then the remaining parts are only given 3 to 5 years.  

Safety

Tankless electric water heaters naturally contain lots of electric wiring, and therefore questions of their safety might come up frequently. To ensure a worry-free experience, safety measures are taken very seriously with these heaters. Here are a few:

• The inside electric wiring is well-insulated, never touching the water, and therefore preventing electric shocks.
• When the pressure of the water from the source is too low, or in the case of a water outage, an internal switch cuts off the heater’s power supply, even when the appliance is switched on.
• Once the water reaches the desired temperature, the thermostat in the heating reservoir is switched off automatically to avoid overheating. It is switched back on when the water cools and its temperature needs to be readjusted.
• Usually, units will have light indicators signaling whether it is on or off. This serves as a helpful reminder to switch off the heater when not in use.

Set-up Guide

• Make sure your home has sufficient electrical capacity and proper electrical wiring for the model you purchase. If not, then you will either go for a less powerful model or end the purchase altogether.

• Whatever the brand you choose to purchase, it is preferable to let the licensed service center takes care of installation. It is just safer for you and your warranty. It is also a more complicated process to install this unit. See above point.

• After you install your unit, begin testing the controls your model has. Depending on the model, you will find temperature and/or flow speed controls.

Having read this comprehensive guide to electric tankless water heaters, you can now check out and compare some of the models available in Egypt here.

SEM Electric Tankless Water Heater (Recommended by users)

• Origin: Turkey
• Price range: L.E. 1,770 – 1,950
• Power: 8KW, 9KW, and 10KW

Price

Check out SEM Electric Tankless Water Heater here.

Guner GR5027 (Recommended by users)

• Origin: Turkey
• Price: L.E. 1,750
• Power: 9KW

The above mentioned two Turkish brands offer high-quality appliances for reasonable prices. The heaters available for sale are compact in size, yet powerful enough to heat water for a shower and two taps running simultaneously.

Price

Check out Guner GR5027 Heater here,

Ariston Pro15

• Origin: Italy
• Price: L.E. 1,700
• Power: 1.5 KW

Well-known for its high quality, Ariston offers an even smaller tankless heater, a model its makers claim “can fit anywhere.” It is less powerful, but useful for a shower on the go. The downside of this heater is that it is quite pricey for its power.

Price

Check out Ariston Pro15 Heater here.

Check out Electric Instant Water Heaters here, prices start at 1,049 EGP.