introduction
The gas water heater market has been somewhat incomprehensible in recent years.
In the past, the Japanese system firmly occupied the middle and high end, and the domestic production was a little in the middle and low end. Occasionally, a few European and American departments join the competition.
Among them, Japanese water heaters, as "imported old brands" and "product benchmarks", were once deified and sought after in the whole network, and the price was also high.
However, as domestic brands began to make efforts, things began to gradually change.
From dominance to gradual differentiation, the first-tier brands and products have also achieved quite good sales performance. If you really want to talk about rolls, who can roll up domestic products?
Under the operation of various increases and price reductions, Japanese water heaters are also more or less difficult, and they have begun to reduce prices in various ways.
If you choose a water heater in the past, there are two ways: choose the Japanese system with a sufficient budget, and choose domestic production with a tight budget.
So what now? When the price is in the same large range, when choosing a water heater, many people make it difficult.
On the one hand, the Japanese water heater that everyone says is good, and on the other hand, the domestic water heater that everyone is buying, who should I listen to?
Don't listen to anyone. Let's make a comparison first. I pulled the sales of various e-commerce and found a dark horse, no, it should be called a group of dark horses: Haier K series. It is also the water heater product line of Haier's whole series of standard water servo system and closed and stable combustion tank.
Compared with the entry-level "barely enough" that can only solve the problem, the K series has stepped into the threshold of mid-range water heaters. You must know that the Japanese water heater in those years was sold with the water servo system.
Water servo system, quite complicated to explain. It is a component to control the amount of water, when the amount of water is too large but the combustion and heating force of the water heater is not enough, or the water temperature is too low to rise to the set temperature, the water servo can automatically adjust the size of the water volume, with a smaller hot water outlet flow, to ensure a constant temperature. Traditional water servos, which are implemented by memory alloys, are now mostly implemented by sensors and central processing units.
For the northern winter, the water server is definitely a bounty. The weather is cold, the water temperature is low, and the water heating up will be slow at the beginning, but with the water servo, you can automatically adjust the water output, so that the heating speed at the beginning stage is greatly accelerated, and then gradually increase the water output, so that the water temperature throughout the bath is always constant. During the peak period of gas and water consumption, or when there are more water at home at the same time, the bath water can also be kept from being hot and cold.
With the water servo, Haier K series can be regarded as the admission ticket to compete with the traditional Japanese enemy. But is it enough just to enter?
Let's compare real knives and guns.
Fundamentals are overdone
The fundamentals of water heaters, I summarized two dimensions, seven items.
The first dimension is the hardware configuration of the water heater, a total of four: burner, heat exchanger, fan, water servo.
The second dimension is the functional configuration of the water heater, a total of three: constant temperature, zero cold water, and safety.
Let's grab two excellent class representatives of Japanese water heaters, E4 and Linnai D31, plus Haier K series KL5 and KN5, and make a table for comparison. Come one by one.
What can you see in comparison?
Haier's KN5 with zero cold water, the price is comparable to that of Japanese products without zero cold water;
Haier's KL5 without zero cold water, the price is directly two gears lower, and the difference will be 1,000 yuan;
Haier's ±0.1°C constant temperature, although there may be errors in actual use, but the accuracy has far exceeded the Japanese system;
Haier's firepower can be smaller and more suitable in hot summers;
Haier's frost and wind protection is better, and it is safer in the northern winter...
It can be said that these are very good. But on paper, the Haier K series is slightly superior. If you talk about price, let alone mention it.
So ↓
The matter of internal roll, or depends on domestic production
Actually, I'm quite puzzled. How did Haier pile up the configuration so quickly and beat the price down? Is it a packaged gimmick, or a solid technological breakthrough? We still have to keep our eyes open and analyze rationally.
Let's look at the technology first
Closed and stable combustion chamber:
Gas water heaters have two most important components: burner and heat exchanger. one turns natural gas into flames, into a source of heat; One turns cold water into hot water through heat exchange. These two components, in the Haier K series water heater, are integrated into the "closed stabilized combustion tank". The design of the lower fan makes the oxygen supply more sufficient, ensures combustion efficiency, and can also ensure 10-level wind resistance through the frequency conversion speed of 500-7000 rpm.
This fully sealed combustion chamber also ensures silence and stable combustion. Coupled with a V-shaped combustion system, a W-shaped heat exchange structure and an increased heat transfer fin of 36%, the thermal efficiency soars to 91%.
Let's take a look at the disassembly diagram
The unconventional design, from the fan to the burner to the heat exchanger, the workmanship quality is not inferior to the Japanese system.
Microfire:
The micro-fire technology of the water heater is very practical for hot areas. In summer, the water flowing out of the faucet is close to 30 degrees, and if the fire of the water heater is bigger, the water will be very hot and the bath will be uncomfortable. Just like cooking, sometimes it has to be stir-fried, and sometimes it has to be simmered in soup.
Taking Haier KL5 as an example, to achieve microfire, one relies on as many as 15 groups of fire rows, that is, how many groups of flames are burned, only 2 groups are left in one section of microfire, and 15 groups of the largest fire in five sections are fully opened; Second, rely on accurate water perception, water temperature perception and fire matching.
In this way, the minimum firepower is only 2KW, the minimum temperature rise is 3 °C, and the temperature of the hot water can be as low as 32 °C. Compared with the minimum firepower of 4.1KW and the minimum water temperature of 35°C, it is self-evident which is more suitable for the tropical and subtropical regions of the mainland.
Of course, this is not to blame the Japanese system, most of Japan is relatively cold, they hardly have the trouble of too hot bath water in summer.
Stepless variable frequency water servo:
Water servers, developed to the present, are also divided into different levels. The most basic is purely physical control by materials such as memory alloys, and the amount of water is unstable and the temperature is unstable; A better use of fixed gear water servo, that is, preset several different gears for adjustment, this technology based on sensors and PID, water stability and constant temperature effect have gone a step further; Haier K series adopts stepless frequency conversion water servo technology, which basically realizes completely linear water temperature adjustment, faster response, higher precision, and can achieve a constant temperature level of up to 0.1 °C.
Strictly speaking, only water servos that can be steplessly converted are good water servos. The reason is simple, people will have a very intuitive feeling of water temperature changes above 0.5 ° C. The ordinary water servo and fixed water servo have temperature fluctuations of ≥ 1 °C.
Since you want to pursue comfort, then pursue the extreme. "It's not that there are no conditions" - says the Haier K series.
(This is a stepless variable frequency water servo, there is a special stepper motor adjustment line)
(This is the traditional solenoid valve water servo, can only be opened and closed)
Three tubes of zero cold water:
Zero cold water heater is not new, new houses and old houses can be installed. But there are always some problems that can't be solved. For example, most commonly, in the return process, hot water will be mixed into the cold water pipe, resulting in the water flushing the toilet and the water entering the water purifier, which may be hot water, and even damage the water purification equipment. Another example is that the water pump is started frequently, constantly pumping, heating, and discharging, which consumes electricity and gas.
Haier's three-pipe zero cold water solves this problem in principle, in the past is to add the circulating pump to the inlet end of the water heater, the return pipe and the water of the upper water pipe participate in the circulation heating, Haier is only on the return pipe to add the circulating pump, although it is a little troublesome, but it is equivalent to the return pipe in the water that needs to be circulating heating a separate hot water path, the amount of water involved in the circulating heating is reduced, which means faster preheating, faster hot water, and will not mix hot water into the cold water pipe.
The Japanese system does not care much about zero cold water. It may have something to do with the Japanese habit of bathing - release the water slowly and not in a hurry.
Appearance:
When it comes to appearance, I'm even more anxious about the Japanese department. It's 2023, and the Japanese water heater still adheres to the traditional artistic ability of large square box + small LCD screen, and has hardly grown. At this point, domestic water heaters have improved a lot. Not to mention the super high value of Casati's luxurious materials, even the K series also uses glass panels and full screens. Of course, the appearance of this matter, do not make too much evaluation. But as far as the home appliances of the past two years are concerned, the Japanese system will not wake up again, and it will really be thrown off two streets.
Look at the service again:
Gas water heaters basically have a three-year warranty for the whole machine. It's just that compared with the conservative energy rate Linnei, Haier K series is additionally equipped with an 8-year warranty for the core components, burners and heat exchangers, and if there is a problem within 8 years, it will not be repaired, and it will be directly replaced. This point is quite attractive, after all, the service life of the water heater is only 8-10 years.
It's really quite rolled, roll, roll around, give consumers more choices, of course, it's a good thing.
How to choose a gas water heater in 2023?
Or back to the matter of choosing a water heater. In 2023, in the face of so many dazzling water heaters, let's make a few recommendations for everyone.
1. The first choice for entry, buy KL3 with your eyes closed
KL3 is a good example of how to have it all and spend the cost on the cutting edge. In addition to not using a full screen, but sheet metal body + LCD panel, other core technologies, closed and stable combustion chamber, water volume servo, fine control micro-fire... One does not leak. There is even magnetic purification and scale suppression. Compared with other products are 16L, KL3 has an additional 13L version to choose from, only the price of 2199, small house, one or two people to live, is also enough.
2. Home in the southern region, small and medium-sized households, KL5 is preferred
Simply put, the demand for zero cold water is not large, but there are requirements for micro-fire and water servo, choose the price of KL5, more than 2000, easy to get on the car. KL5 is also the best-selling one of the K series, the choice of the masses.
3. If the house is old, the water pressure is not enough, and there are many water points, KL7 is preferred
The KL7 has an extra pressurization function than the KL5 to ensure plenty of water and a pleasant bath.
4. The house is large, the nature is quite urgent, KN5 is preferred
KN series has more "three tubes of zero cold water" than KL series, and hot water is its biggest advantage. Combined with a water servo and precise thermostat, it is comfortable.
5. One step, stylish, stylish and grade, directly on the Casa Di Connoisseur series
The material is extremely solid and the appearance is beautiful. The user experience is even more unspeakable. The price is small but still worth recommending.
Of course, if you are not sure, you can leave a message in the comment area, and I can also help you make recommendations.
epilogue
Choosing a water heater is to choose a large piece that will be used for a long time. We should pay more attention to the brand and service. This kind of key home appliance should be selected reliable and follow the flow. If it is just right, it has excellent technology and excellent hardware, it is even more worth considering.
And Haier K series, is exactly such a product, so that the entry series also has the configuration of high-end product lines, with a lower price to buy a better gas water heater, isn't this what our people like to see?
It is no wonder that the sales performance of the K series is eye-catching, and sure enough, we still have to believe the masses.