The energy used to heat water for a home accounts for 25% of the energy. This is why using the system and the most economical energy source to heat water becomes a basic thing to get the maximum saving in the house.

What is a domestic hot water system?

It is that system of sanitary hot water that heats water for human consumption. Hot sanitary water is water that has been heated and is used for sanitary purposes

such as baths or showers or other cleaning uses. Since 2006, new homes must have installed, as a rule,  Solar thermal systems to generate hot water. However, there are many sources of energy that can be used to heat water at home, from electricity, natural gas, aerothermal or propane and butane.

Recommendations for an efficient hot water system

• Accumulation systems are more efficient and effective than instantaneous and non-accumulating production systems.

• Insulates both tanks and pipes well to prevent heat loss.
• Rationalizes water consumption
• One hundred litres of water per month are lost through dripping taps
• Place flow reducers (aerators) on taps if possible.
• Install temperature control thermostats
• The suitable temperature for cleaning is between 30 and 35 degrees. You have to consider that heaters usually reach 60 degrees, so it’s good regulate them to a maximum of 40 degrees.

Types of systems

Instantaneous systems

In these systems the water is heated at the moment it is used. They are the case of the gas or electric heaters, or wall hung boilers for heating and hot water (boilers

mixed). The problem is that these types of systems are less efficient for several reasons:

• Water and energy are wasted until the desired temperature is reached. Besides, the farther the boiler is from the place where the hot water is used, the greater the Loss.

• Every time you want hot water the system turns on and off, spending a lot of energy and causing the equipment to deteriorate.

• They do not usually allow the use of hot water in two different places at the same time.

Accumulation systems

In this type, the hot water is stored in a tank so it is always prepared at the right temperature. This fact makes them more efficient systems.

There are two subtypes:

• Equipment that heats the water plus a thermos flask where it accumulates
• Thermal electric resistance accumulators: these systems are not very recommended since, in them, every time the water temperature is reduced by below the minimum, an auxiliary resistor comes on. It is therefore important that the thermos, besides being well insulated, is connected only when it is actually necessary, by means of a programmer clock.

Evolution of domestic hot water installations

At present, the vast majority of buildings have a hot water installation, already whether common or individual. Major technological developments have enabled water systems to a much more comfortable and easy to use. These developments allowed for things as automatic regulation capable of ensuring adequate water distribution to

the comfort needs of each user. However, the greatest development that has taken place in hot water systems health is the use of increasingly efficient and sustainable energy sources. While the use of solar or wind energy for self-consumption is still economically out of reach of many people, the truth is that there are systems such as aerothermalism that are based on the use of a renewable energy source such as air to reduce energy consumption for heating water.

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