Instant Geyser Vs Storage Geyser – Which Is Best?

When it comes to choosing the right geyser for your household, you will find a confusing array of choices waiting for you in the market. Out of them, there are two that are most popular and suitable for Indian households; they are instant geyser and storage geysers.

Instant geysers can give you hot water instantly but the hot water gets over soon. This means that you need to keep it ON for a longer duration to use more hot water. This will increase your electricity bill considerably.  However, these kinds of geysers are beneficial if you are living alone or have a small family that requires hot water for limited activities such as bathing, etc.

On the other hand, a storage heater will take longer to heat up but can store a large volume of hot water that can be used as and when required. This is great if you are a large family that depends on hot water for most activities such as cooking, cleaning, bathing, etc.

Let’s discuss each one of them in detail to understand which one will be better for your household. Stay till the end for some tips on how to prevent high electricity bill arising due to regular geyser usage;

How Does an Instant Geyser Work?

Instant geysers as the name suggests can heat the water quickly and give you hot water instantly. This is possible because they heat a smaller amount of water than storage geysers. They generally have the capacity of 1 to 3 liters. Anything above 3 liters capacity automatically becomes a storage heater.

This type of geyser has a very simple operation. When you switch on the geyser, the cold water flows through the inlet pipe, this flow of cold water triggers the heating system to start and the water gets heated as it moves from towards the outlet pipe. This is a very quick procedure.

However, since the water is getting heated as it moves, this heater requires higher power than a storage geyser. It also requires a good water flow rate to be able to detect the cold water and trigger the heating system. Your water flow rate cannot be less than 0.5 GPM because the system will not be able to detect the flow and trigger the heating to start.

Pros:

• You don’t have to wait for the water to heat up
• Since the water gets heated quickly, this will consume less electricity
• They are great if your household uses hot water for limited things such as in the kitchen or washbasin etc.
• Small and compact design will not take a lot of space and will be easier to install

Cons:

• Since the water is getting heated as it goes, the heater can only heat smaller quantity of water in a single go
• This type of heater uses more electricity in order to instantly heat up the water. This means that they will conserve energy only if you use it for a smaller duration but the electricity consumption will be very high if you use it for a longer duration like taking a long shower etc.
• You need a minimum water flow rate in order to get proper benefit from the geyser
• The input water temperature cannot be too low as this will make it difficult for the geyser to heat it. It is advised that you consider instant geysers for the bathroom only if your input water temperature is more than 20 degrees celsius.

How Does a Storage Geyser Work?

Storage geysers not only heat the water but also store them for future use. Unlike the instant geysers, these have a tank that stores hot water which allows you to use it anytime throughout the day. Some storage geysers can hold up to 35 liters of water.

These heaters have 2 pipes, one for the incoming cold water and another for hot water. It works by producing heat energy from electrical energy and storing the water in the tank. This process takes longer than an instant heater but once the water is heated you can use it at your convenience. This is great for colder areas where hot water is used for many purposes. One of the major drawbacks of this geyser is that it will use a lot of power. This is because the heater has to work a longer duration to heat up the water.

Pros:

• You can use the stored water for a long duration, this means you use hot water even when there is no power.
• Easy installation and maintenance
• They are great for colder regions where a continuous supply of hot water is essential

Cons:

• Requires a lot of space as this type of geysers are bulky due to their storage tank
• This type of geyser also use a considerable amount of electricity
• They are also typically expensive than average geysers
• They can also be inconvenient due to the time taken to heat up

Comparison: Instant Geyser Vs Storage Geyser

Factors to Consider:

1. Space:

In terms of space, instant water heaters will occupy much less wall space in your bathroom than storage geysers. This is because the storage geysers have extra tanks to store the hot water. If you have a smaller bathroom then you need to figure out an alternative place to mount the geyser.

2. Initial Purchase Cost:

In terms of initial purchasing cost, the storage geysers will cost you more than an instant geyser. In India, a storage geyser generally costs between Rs.6500 to Rs.9000 depending on the tank capacity. On the other hand, instant geysers cost somewhere between Rs.2500 to Rs.4000.

3. Installation:

Installation of both the instant geysers as well as the storage geyser is fairly easy and can be done by any good mechanic. However, storage geysers are heavier due to the tank which might cause some difficulties while installing.

4. Operating Cost:

The operating cost of a geyser will include the electricity and water bill as well as any maintenance that may be required. For water bills, both the storage geyser as well as the instant geyser will use a similar quantity of water. The water consumption depends on the user’s habits and requirements and not on the geyser.

Both the geysers require regular maintenance to keep up optimum performance. In this regard also, both of them have similar performance.

Instant geysers require more power because the water has to be heated quickly but it also runs for a shorter duration because it heats up the water faster. If the instant heater is used for a shorter duration then it will save energy but if you use it for a longer duration then the power consumption will be very high.

 A storage geyser will definitely consume more power as the duration of operation here is considerably longer.

5. Lifespan:

Both the heaters are designed to last a long time. Therefore, with proper care, storage and instant heater can last up to 20 years.

6. Size of the Geyser:

The geysers come in different sizes/capacities. Instant heaters come in small capacities from 1 to 3 liters. Storage heaters come in medium to large sizes ranging from 6 liters up to 35 liters. The size of the storage geyser will also increase as the capacity increases.

7. Bacteria Formation:

In a storage geyser, the water is stored after heating. This water will be hot as long as the geyser is switched on, once the geyser is switched off the water will cool down. This storage of water in a stagnant manner can give rise to bacteria growth in the tank, which can contaminate the water for a long while. Once the tank gets affected by bacteria or mold, then you need to call a specialist to clean it.

The chances of this happening in an instant heater are low as the water doesn’t get stored anywhere.

8. Maintenance:

Instant heaters require more maintenance than the storage heater. This is because they constantly have to work at the optimum level to heat the water quickly. The performance of the instant heater will also get affected by hard water. If you live in an area with hard water, then you will need to frequently service the geyser. To prevent this, you can simply use a water softener. A storage water heater will also benefit from regular maintenance but it is not necessary.

9. Hot Water Availability:

The instant water heater as mentioned above will give you hot water with little to no wait time. On the other hand, storage geysers will make you wait for a considerable amount of time before you can use the hot water.

10. When to Use:

If you live in a relatively warmer area where you need the water heater only during winters then instant geysers are a great choice for you. It is also suitable for households where hot water requirement is limited.

On the other hand, if you live in a colder area where you need hot water for more than a couple of months per year then a storage geyser is best for you. This is best for you if you use hot water for most of your household activities.

Different Power Sources of a Geyser:

Powered by Gas: This type of geyser runs on LPG. You need to connect your home gas line to the geyser for it to work properly. This way the operation cost of the geyser will be cheaper as LPG is comparatively affordable than what average electricity your heater will consume. The time taken is also very little compared to an electrical heater. This is however very dangerous as any leakage has the potential to cause a major fire outbreak.

Powered by Electricity: This is the traditional kind of geyser and uses electrical energy to heat the water. Unlike gas heaters, this does not require any specialized installation, you just need a regular wall mounting installation. They are also very safe compared to gas heaters. However, they require more time to heat up and the operation cost is also higher due to the high electricity consumption.

How to Cut Back on Power Consumption While Using Geysers:

Take Shorter Showers/Use Bathtubs: This will obviously reduce the duration that your geyser needs to work for. A shorter shower means you don’t need much hot water. This will not only cut back your electricity bill but will also prevent wastage of water. This is eco-friendly and will reduce your water bill as well.

Wash Clothes in Cold Water: If you are using a washing machine, then there is no reason for you to use hot water to wash the clothes when cold water will be just as efficient at cleaning them. Hot water also has the potential to damage delicate clothing and reduce the brightness of clothes. Therefore, it is better to wash your clothes in cold water and minimize the use of hot water as and when required.

Turn the Heater Off When Not in Use: This is a pretty simple but easily forgettable way to largely reduce your electricity bill. Turning off your heater when you don’t need it will make a massive difference in the electricity consumption of your geyser.

Keep the heat settings to low or medium: Unless it is very important, don’t put your heater in a high heat setting. This is because high heat settings require your heater to work at optimum capacity which requires more energy. Keep the heat setting low or medium to save energy.

Install an Instant Geyser: Consider investing in an instant geyser if your hot requirement is limited to a couple of months a year. If you don’t depend on hot water to perform all activities in your house then an instant water geyser will save a lot of electricity as they work very quickly.

Get a Low-flow Showerhead: Low-flow showerheads are designed to consume less water. These are a great option to reduce water consumption and save on water and electricity expenses that result from the continuous use of geysers. A low-flow showerhead will reduce the water from your shower and in turn, reduce the amount of water your geyser has to warm.

This is great if you live in an area where the water pressure is high. High water pressure will force more volume of water out of your showerhead which will put pressure on the geyser to heat more water. In this case, a low flow showerhead will largely reduce the water volume and your geyser will not need to heat as much water.

Check for Leakage: Your geyser will also consume more power if there is a leakage in the geyser or its pipe. Therefore, it is very important to keep your geyser regularly maintained and serviced to prevent any leakage in the unit.

Which One Should you Choose?

If you live in an area where the temperature is warm during summers and only gets colder during the winter months then you should prefer an instant water heater. This is also because you will need hot water for limited activities such as bathing, grooming, etc., and not for cooking, washing clothes, etc.

But if you live in a colder area where you are heavily dependent on hot water for most activities then you should go with the storage geysers. This is because once you store the hot water they will give the freedom to use it as and when required.