If you live in a house without a centralized hot water supply, you are forced to install a gas water heater in the kitchen. The presence of this water heating element often spoils the design ideas of the housewife and frightens the residents of the house due to the supposed “danger” of use.
In our article you will learn how to choose a speaker, place it without compromising the beauty of the room, and the rules for safe use.
Why install a column
A gas water heater in an apartment or house is necessary for comfort. The lack of hot water can infuriate any housewife. A gas water heater will make the process of cleaning, washing dishes, cooking, and taking a bath convenient and simple.
Unlike old generation water heaters, modern water heating devices are safe and easy to use.
The main function of a geyser is to heat water. On some models, an electronic thermometer is installed, which displays the water temperature on the device screen.
Types of geysers
The operating principle of all speakers is the same. Units for heating water differ from each other in the way they ignite the burner in the column. Several varieties can be distinguished.
Speakers with manual ignition
This type of speakers is outdated. These were used back in Soviet times. The gas was lit with matches, and the fire flared up after turning the gas supply switch.
Speakers with piezo ignition
The column starts working by pressing the start button. By pressing it, you supply a spark to the burner using the built-in piezoelectric element. Then you can open the tap and get hot water.
Automatic speakers
The water in them begins to heat up immediately after opening the water tap. The spark is supplied automatically to the burner. Pressing buttons and matches are not needed at all here. The spark supply is powered by AA batteries. Energy consumption is minimal, so they rarely require replacement with new ones.
Speakers also differ in power. The more powerful the column, the greater the volume of water it will heat in a certain time. If you have a large family, then choose a device with the highest power. For example, a column with a power rating of 24 kW heats 14 liters. This volume is enough for a shower for several people and washing dishes.
Naturally, water heating devices vary in price and quality. The most expensive models are considered automatic, with the greatest power, capable of heating water up to 50 degrees. This model will cost you 13-15 thousand rubles without installation.
How to use a geyser safely
The opinion that using a gas water heater in the house is very dangerous has a right to exist. Accidents, of course, sometimes happen. Almost always, the tragedy was a consequence of failure to comply with the basic rules for the safe operation of the device. Knowing the rules and not breaking them, you will protect your home and your family from misfortune.
Rules for using a kitchen gas water heater
Before using the column, be sure to check:
- Presence of flammable objects near the burner;
- Presence of gas leakage;
- Serviceability of burners. If it smokes, you cannot use the device;
- Pay attention to the color of the flame. If it has a yellow or red tint, call a technician; most likely the surface near the burner is clogged.
- In case of malfunction or defects in operation, turn off the device from the network. Do not smoke near the speaker, do not use lighters or matches.
- If a gas leak is detected, immediately call gas service specialists. Open the windows. You cannot repair the device yourself until the gas workers arrive.
Before installing the device, read the rules for installing speakers in an apartment or house.
- Good ventilation is the first rule when choosing a room for installation. The best option would be a kitchen or bathroom.
- It is prohibited to block air access to the water heater.
- Do not place the speaker near flammable objects.
- Provide access to the device for inspection and verification of its operation, and on-site repair work.
- Do not hide the column in plasterboard structures, do not cover it with tiles or bricks.
There is an opinion among manufacturers that only old Soviet speakers can lead to an explosion. If you regularly check the gas duct, calling a specialist for a preventive inspection of the device, you should not be afraid of an explosion.
Let's dispel another fear. People installing speakers in their home are afraid of gas leaks. Modern appliances have a pilot burner. It prevents gas from entering the room, since it begins to flow through the pipe only after a spark or fire appears.
After the fire is turned off, the tube shuts off the gas with a valve.
If for unknown reasons the gas goes out, the valve also works. Designers and manufacturers always think about people's safety when developing new speaker models. Advice! It is better not to install aluminum corrugation from the column to the flue, as it has a very short service life. Use steel pipes for this purpose. Failures of this part of the burner structure lead to accidents and fires.
Current questions and answers on repairs
The small area limits some design possibilities, but does not limit the flight of imagination for redevelopment and other alterations. For those who have started demolishing the partition between the kitchen and living room and those who want to move communications, it will be useful to know the following information.
Is it possible to move the geyser?
There may be several transfer options:
- outweigh within one room;
- move to the corridor.
Theoretically, according to SNiPs and SanPiNs, it is possible to move gas equipment and pipes, but it is worth considering several important requirements and restrictions:
- the work must be performed by a specialist who has permission to work;
- there must be an approved redevelopment project;
- the speaker can only be moved along one wall at a distance of no more than 1.5 meters from its original location. Transfer to another, even adjacent wall, is prohibited.
Moving the column to the corridor is also very difficult, because... here it is necessary to fulfill several requirements at once:
- the distance from the body of the gas water heater to the opposite wall must be at least 1 meter;
- ceiling height – at least 2.2;
- room volume – from 7.5 m3;
- there must be a ventilation duct in the corridor;
- The speaker can only be installed on a load-bearing wall.
The power of the equipment can also play a role in coordinating column transfer. Therefore, it is possible to accurately assess the chances of agreeing on redevelopment only after consultation with a specialist.
Under any circumstances, DO NOT :
- move the speaker from the kitchen to the bathroom or toilet;
- hang the geyser above the refrigerator or close to it, above the sink or stove.
Installing a gas water heater in the kitchen
The popular opinion that the presence of a speaker in any kitchen, and especially in a small one, spoils the appearance of the room, can easily be refuted. Modern speaker models differ from Soviet-era models.
They look like a small cabinet; the color can be chosen individually. Let's consider the algorithm for installing a column so that it does not spoil the appearance of your kitchen.
- If you are not an experienced gas installer and installer, you should not try to do this yourself in your home. Call a team of experienced craftsmen.
- Before purchasing an appliance, think about its future location in the kitchen. This depends on the size and model of the speaker you choose.
- You need to decide exactly where the speaker will be located before installation. Moving it even a couple of centimeters later is a very big problem. For such a movement, you will need to again contact the installation team and coordinate your actions with Gorgaz.
- The ideal place for a speaker in a kitchen, especially a small one, is a kitchen cabinet. It will be great if you order the headset after purchasing the device. Then a separate cabinet for the speaker will be provided in advance.
If you already have furniture and just need to install the speaker, proceed as follows:
- Choose a white column, since the standard refrigerator and stove are in this color scheme.
- Order an additional cabinet for the heating device to match the tone and color of the rest of the furniture.
- Sew the pipes into a plasterboard structure, so the kitchen will look more aesthetically pleasing.
- Hide the speaker in the closet and you can use it.
When ordering space for a speaker in a furniture showroom, consider the following recommendations:
- The size of the cabinet should be different from the size of the appliance. The closet should be a little larger. The distance between the column and the cabinet wall must be at least 3 cm. This is necessary for ventilation and fire prevention, since the water heater also heats its walls.
- Remove the top and bottom lids of the cabinet. They create an unnecessary problem when heating the device. The holes at the top and bottom will serve as additional ventilation.
- Cover the cabinet walls with reflective film. This way they will heat up less from the device.
- You can decorate the closet with painted film and hang magnets and photographs on it. Make any other manipulations to fit it into the interior.
- There is an option with blinds. They will cover the column, but it doesn’t look as nice as the option with additional furniture.
We disguise it as a general interior
One of the easiest ways to “bring” a gas water heater into the kitchen interior is to cover it with the same wallpaper as the walls of the room. Or cover it with a vinyl film similar to them in style and color. You can also match the shade of the film for the water heater to the kitchen unit.
The best option is to paint the speaker with non-flammable paint to match the walls or furniture. Heat-resistant enamel, which is intended for coating metal, is best suited for these purposes.
However, you can use a regular spray can, then even a teenager can cope with the task. In this case, do not forget to cover the screen and handles of the device with masking tape, and also cover the surface behind the speaker.
Make sure that the blinds do not touch the column and have an indentation of several centimeters.
Interior options with a geyser in a small kitchen
To create a cozy atmosphere in a small kitchen, use the services of an experienced designer. He will advise you on how to arrange the furniture and all the necessary appliances.
There are several interior options for kitchens with gas water heaters. The most common option would be a complex and expensive solution to the problem of a small kitchen, connecting it with a living room or another room. The space will become larger, and there will be more options for the location of electrical appliances and furniture. Unfortunately, this is not always possible by law.
Let's consider options that do not require moving walls. They are performed by choosing furniture, determining a less noticeable place for the speaker and decorating the device itself.
The speaker becomes part of the headset
We considered this option very similarly above. It remains to give advice: replace the old column with a new one if the previous one is too outdated. Modern models are smaller in size, take up less space, and are easier to hide in the kitchen of a Khrushchev-type apartment.
Create a comfortable work area
Corner kitchens are easy to use. Everything is at hand. And the gas water heater can be hidden in the corner of the room. The remaining cabinets will hang on the sides. This will make the additional cabinet less noticeable.
Placing a speaker between cabinets
This is a very practical option. No cost required. The column is located above the stove, and on the sides are the cabinets of your set. You can decorate the column with painting or other decorative elements as desired. By the way, this option is the most convenient due to the short length of the tubes from the stove to the column. They are easy to hide under a structure made of finishing materials.
The column becomes an element of the interior
There are many styles of room decoration. The loft style is dominated by technical motifs. That is, the speaker pipes become part of the design idea. They do not interfere with the owners at all, but only complement the style of the kitchen.
Country style
A country-style kitchen includes curtains and rustic-style furniture. On the sides of the column you can hang additional wooden shelves and place pottery on them. And on the column itself, draw such shelves with dishes or stick a photo or film with an image.
People have been using geysers for a long time and successfully. You should not give up this device in your country house or apartment, even if you have centrally supplied hot water. Sometimes water is turned off due to accidents, as planned. In such situations, a gas water heater will help you out.
Do not forget that gas is the cheapest energy source in our country. Gas water heaters are cheaper than electric water heaters.
What to do is strictly prohibited
In accordance with current legislation, it is prohibited to independently install gas appliances without prior approval of the relevant project and work. Otherwise, the person will bear criminal liability.
For residents of small apartments, where the kitchen area does not exceed 6 m², an exception is provided: they can hang the column above the sink.
It is not allowed to install such devices in conditions of high humidity. Also, you should not equip it with plastic and synthetic products nearby.
You cannot do forced traction. The law prohibits the installation of gas connection installations on supporting structures. Water hoses must not be used for connection. There are other types of installations for this purpose.
It is imperative to have a high-quality, unclogged ventilation system with natural air flow.
