Two days ago, a new electric water heater was installed at home, and the small talk with the master during the installation process gave me a deeper understanding of this daily household appliance. Regarding the question of whether the electric water heater should be turned off when taking a bath, the master's answer made me suddenly enlightened.
1. Which electric water heaters can be used without electricity?
When installing the electric water heater, I curiously asked the installer: "Do I need to unplug the electric water heater when taking a shower?" The master worker first replied "no" without thinking, and then added: "You don't need to unplug this one, but not all electric water heaters don't need to be unplugged when taking a shower." ”
It turns out that if you want to keep your electric water heater powered on while taking a shower, you need to meet several conditions.
1. The quality of the electric water heater must be excellent
The kind of old-fashioned storage electric water heater, the kind with a hot shell, must be powered off when used, and usually this kind of water heater will also be posted with obvious safety warnings. Most of the fast-heating electric water heaters on the market can be uninterrupted under normal use due to the use of advanced thermal insulation technology and safety design.
2. The safety of the family's circuit is also the key
Leakage switches must be installed in the distribution box, rather than relying solely on leakage sockets. At the same time, the electrical circuit in the home must be grounded, and the ground wire must function normally, which is the basis for ensuring the safety of electricity.
3. Also consider the service life of the electric water heater
Generally speaking, the safe lifespan of an electric water heater is about 6 to 8 years. After this age, although the water heater may still work, the probability of failure such as leakage will be greatly increased. Therefore, for old electric water heaters, it is better to turn off the power when using them.
Second, the advantages of uninterruptible power use
Why do more and more people now tend to keep their electric water heaters powered on while taking a bath?
This is mainly due to the many advantages of uninterruptible power use.
1. It eliminates the trouble of plugging and unplugging before taking a bath every time, making taking a bath easier and more convenient.
2. The electric water heater in the energized state can provide hot water at any time without waiting, which is very practical for situations where hot water is urgently needed.
3. The current electric water heater generally has the function of increasing capacity, which means that the water heater can heat and supply water while maintaining the state of power, so as to realize the "unlimited" supply of hot water. Although it is not really unlimited, the capacity increase function greatly increases the amount of hot water used compared to traditional storage water heaters, even if you have a bathtub in your home.
3. Power consumption in the energized state
Many people are worried that if the electric water heater is powered on 24 hours a day, will it consume a lot of electricity?
The electricity consumption of an electric water heater can be calculated by the "24-hour intrinsic energy consumption factor" on its energy efficiency label. This coefficient is experimentally obtained and can be used to estimate the power consumption of a water heater in a 24-hour insulated state. For example, a 60-liter electric water heater with a 24-hour intrinsic energy consumption factor of 0.7 consumes about 1.38 kWh of power for 24 hours. This power consumption is within an acceptable range.
4. How to reduce the power consumption of electric water heaters?
Of course, if you still want to further reduce the power consumption of your electric water heater, there are several ways to try.
1. Choose the right capacity:
First of all, when buying an electric water heater, it is necessary to choose the appropriate capacity according to the actual needs of the family. Too much capacity will result in increased power consumption, while too little capacity may not meet household water needs. The choice is based on the size of the household and water use habits.
2. Adjust the temperature reasonably:
Secondly, setting the temperature of the electric water heater reasonably can also effectively reduce power consumption. Setting the temperature too high can lead to frequent heating during the holding process, which can increase power consumption. Generally speaking, setting the temperature at around 45°C is sufficient for daily water needs. If you need to take a bath, you can temporarily increase the temperature to 55°C.
3. Periodic defouling:
Finally, regular cleaning of limescale in electric water heaters is also an effective way to reduce electricity consumption. Limescale will affect the heating efficiency of the heating rod, resulting in an increase in power consumption. It is recommended to have a professional clean and maintain the electric water heater regularly.
summary
To sum up, under the premise that the circuit safety and the quality of the water heater are guaranteed, the electric water heater can be uninterrupted when taking a bath. This not only brings convenience to use, but also realizes the function of hot water access and capacity increase at any time. At the same time, we can also effectively reduce the power consumption of electric water heaters by selecting the right capacity, setting the temperature and cleaning the scale. Therefore, when using an electric water heater, we don't have to worry too much about power consumption, we just need to master the correct way to use it and maintain it regularly.