Category: Electronics & Electricals ->Home Appliances Review on Water Heaters Author: By Edgar Kieu Date: 01 May 2008 Water heaters have gained popularity as a standard feature of most newly renovated homes, even in our hot, tropical weather. After all, who can resist a nice hot shower after a hard day’s work? Furthermore, it has become a practical item, given that in Singapore, we do not have a central water heating supply and hence rely on either storage or instant heaters for that early morning or night time shower. There are two main types of water heaters on sale in Singapore, namely Storage Heaters or Instant heaters. Tank-Type or storage heaters consist of an insulated tank with a capacity of 10 to 35 liters of water. They are often used in situations where hot water is desired in several bathrooms and can supply a consistent supply of hot water with little temperature fluctuation. They can be a gas type storage tank which relies on a piped gas supply to heat the water or can be electrically heated. Instant type heaters usually only supply the shower head directly and can raise the temperature of the water running through it by a fixed amount, decreasing with the flow rate. As such, multiple units of instant type water heaters need to be installed if hot water is desired in more than one bathroom. Below is a comparison table of the two types to help you in your decision. Storage Heaters  Instant Heaters  Can supply many rooms and water outlets Can only supply one water outlet Single power point required Power source required at every heater Fairly consistent supply, regardless of flow rate Heating depends on flow rate of water Water pipes need to be constructed from heater Water piped directly into heater then to shower More electricity used to heat water Less electricity used Fairly high upper temperature limit Temperature dependant on temperature of water According to the HDB’s Website, no permit is required for the installation of both storage and instant water heaters. However, there are some regulations: Flats provided with 30 Amps main switch a) Consumption of appliance should not exceed 3kw for instantaneous water heater and 1.5kw for storage type water heater. b) No restriction on number of water heater. c) For prefabricated flats, diameter and penetration depth of power-driven nails/screws should not exceed 6mm and 40mm respectively. Flats provided with 40 Amps main switch and flats upgraded under Main Upgrading Programme (MUP) a) No control on running current of electrical appliances. b) No restriction on number of water heater. c) For prefabricated flats, diameter and penetration depth of power-driven nails/screws should not exceed 6mm and 40mm respectively. To submit the SP Services Ltd (SPSL) Form CS/5H to your HDB Branch Office for endorsement and arrange with SPSL to test the new wiring. Below are some common brands and models of water heaters and they should serve as a rough pricing guide for water heaters in that volume category. Common Brands & Models Sims Prima instant heater - $168.00 per unit at Sim Siang Choon   Perla P30 (30Ltrs) storage heater - $222.15 per unit at Sim Siang Choon Perla P15 (15Ltrs) storage heater - $191.58 per unit   Joven JVA25 (25L) Storage Heater – Price From $200-$250 from http://www.jovenelectric.com