What is the best geyser that is perfect for your home? How many litre water geysers will serve your purpose? Will it consume a lot of electricity? 4-star or 5-star geyser?—which one should you buy? Will the geyser last long for you? What about the warranty and after-sales services?
These are the questions that generally come to our mind most of us when we plan to purchase a geyser. If you are one of them then we have answers to almost all your queries regarding how to choose the best water geyser. So, make sure that you read the entire article.
We are certain that after you finish reading this article a lot of confusion will be cleared from your mind and enable you to make your own decision about buying the best geyser.
First, let us understand how many types of geysers are there.
Types of Geysers in India: Geyser buying guide
- Electric Geyser
- Gas Geyser
- Solar Geyser
Almost 95 percent of geysers sold in India are electric ones. They are very popular for their convenience and user-friendliness. As the name suggests, electric geysers run on electricity. They are lightweight and are loaded with advanced and latest technology.
Gas Geysers run on LPG or cooking gas. A constant supply of gas is required from a gas cylinder or piped natural gas.
Gas geysers are a little bit cheaper than electric geysers. But they are very inconvenient to install and operate. Also, byproducts of gas like carbon monoxide emitted from the geysers are not good for our health.
Solar Geysers are going to be the alternatives to electric geysers in future because of the rising electricity cost. They are free from pollution and very eco-friendly. But, the initial installation cost is very high. Also, You might face problems during the rains and winter when the sunlight quality is very poor and unsuitable to produce solar electricity.
Types of Electric Geysers in Water Heater Buying Guide India
With Tank or storage Geyser
Tank Type water heater or Storage Geyser stores hot water in a tank and it will fulfil your requirements of a large quantity of hot water. This type of water heater is suitable for the bathroom for bathing purposes.
Without Tank or Instant Geyser
If you need hot water in a matter of a minute, then an instant water geyser should be your choice. It is generally used in the kitchen but you can use it in your bathroom also as it will save your space. Water is not stored as it is tankless.
Differences between storage geyser and Instant geyser.
| Specifications | Storage Geyser | Instant Geyser |
| Water Heating Time | Takes 5 to 10 minutes to heat water in the tank | Takes a few seconds to heat water. |
| Hot water availability | You have to wait at least 10 minutes to get hot water | As you turn on the geyser, you get hot water immediately |
| Quantity of hot water | You get a large quantity of hot water at a time. If you have a 15-litre tank, then you get 15-litre hot water available at once. | It produces much less hot water (5 to 6-litre water at a time) |
| Tank Type | Comes with a storage tank | No water tank is required. |
| Space Occupation | Due to the storage tank attached with the geyser, it takes up a lot of wall space. | Saves your valuable wall space as it comes tankless. |
| Suitability | Best for a bathroom with a longer bathing time requiring more hot water. | Best for kitchen work and a quick bath |
| Electricity | Compared to instant geysers it takes less electricity. | Consumes high electricity. |
| Heating Cost of water | High as water is kept hot using constant electricity. | Low cost as hot water is used instantly and does not need to heat up water again and again. |
| Geyser Size | 10 ltr, 6 ltr, 3 ltr, 1 ltr | 6 ltr to 35 ltr |
| Energy efficiency | Wastage of energy is more as it is kept hot for a longer duration. | Less wastage of energy since hot water is used at once. |
| Price | Less costly ( 10 ltr geyser costs around rs 6000) | Costlier ( for a 6 ltr geyser you have to spend rs 7000 to 8000) |
| Durability | Less durable than a tankless geyser as the storage water tank is prone to rust and corrosion. | Lasts longer as there is no water tank. |
Recommended Read: Best Geyser for Hard water in India:
Geyser Buying guide: Geyser Water Heater vs Immersion Rod
Immersion Rod as water Heater
As a water heating tool immersion rod was quite popular at one time when geysers were not so available in the market. It is very cost-saving and everyone can afford to buy it. The best quality Immersion heater comes at a cost of around Rs 660 to 700. But it has its own drawbacks. It is not at all safe, especially for the children.
Immersion rod water heater working principle
The immersion rod is coated with anti-shock material. When the switch is turned on electricity passes through the rod and the rod gets heated. The hot rod then heats up the surrounding water as it is immersed in water. But, in course of time, the insulated coating peels off and the heating capacity of the rod gets reduced resulting in taking more time to heat water and consuming more electricity. At the same time, as the anti-shock coating gets off, the rod becomes more and more prone to getting shocked by electricity.
Also, hard layers of scaling get accumulated on the surface of the rod reducing further the water heating capability.
Geyser Water Heater
A geyser is the most advanced water heater. It has many advantages. Moreover, it is very safe to use. But, it is costly compared to an immersion rod. Considering the safety and ease of use the cost is justified.
Geyser vs Immersion Rod: Power Consumption
An Immersion rod heater will consume more power than a geyser. An immersion rod is a basic water heater that is not designed to protect against heat loss to the atmosphere. When we heat a bucket of water using an immersion rod, a good amount of heat evaporates into the surrounding air and atmosphere. Also, an immersion rod takes way more time to heat the same amount of water and consume the same amount of electricity.
On the other hand, a geyser heats up water quickly compared to an immersion rod. The heat in the water can not escape to the atmosphere because of its insulated water tank. So, even if both geyser and heater take the same wattage of electricity, the geyser will be the best choice as it will take less time to heat water. Time is important here. The less the heating time, the less will be power consumption and the electricity cost will be less.
Therefore, a geyser will save more power than an immersion rod.
Comparison between Immersion Rod and Geyser
| Specification | Immersion Rod | Geyser |
| Heating Time | Takes more time to heat water | Less time to heat water |
| Quantity of water | Maximum One bucket of water at a time | Can heat 1 to 30 litres of water |
| Power Consumption | High as it takes a lot of time to heat water | Low as it heats the water quickly |
| Heat Retention | Poor heat retention capacity as the heat evaporates into the atmosphere. | Very good heat retention capacity as the heat of the water can not escape. |
| Safety | Not safe at all, especially for children. It might cause an electrical shock. | Completely safe to use and operate. |
| Portability | It is portable and suitable for people on the move. | Not portable. |
| User-friendliness | Not user friendly | Very easy to use. Just switch on and that’s it. You will get hot water in no time. |
| Price | Very Cheap at Rs 600 to 700 | Price starts from rs 3000 |
| Durability | Not durable | Lats long as heating elements and tanks are designed to protect rust, corrosion and scaling. |
Vertical vs horizontal geyser: Geyser buying guide
Vertical Geysers
Most of the geysers available in the market are Vertical geysers. Generally, a geyser comes 2 feet long. So, to install a geyser vertically you need at least 2 feet length of wall space from the ceiling for the proper installation of the geyser.
Horizontal Geyser
As the name suggests, the horizontal geyser is installed horizontally in the bathroom or kitchen wall space. You need a horizontal geyser when your wall space is very low from the ceiling and does not have enough space. It requires enough side space for repairing and maintenance. Otherwise, you might have to unmount the geyser in case you need repair or check. So, before installation, do consider all these aspects.
Vertical Geyser and Horizontal Geyser: Difference
| Specifications | Vertical Geyser | Horizontal Geyser |
| Space | Suitable for a wall with vertical space | Best for the wall with enough horizontal space. |
| When Required | When the wall length is long enough | When the space between ceiling and floor is low and the wall is not long enough |
| Price | Not costly | costly |
| Installation | Not so difficult | difficult |
| Aesthetics | Average look | Nice looking |
Hard Water Geyser
As the name suggests, a hard water geyser is particularly useful where the water source is hard water. When mineral salts like magnesium, and calcium are present in huge quantities in water, we call the water hard and it is not suitable for our normal household work like washing clothes, bathing and kitchen work.
Similarly, hard water harms electric appliances like washing machines and water geysers. When hard water passes through the heating elements or is stored in a tank, it forms scaling and rust and corrodes the water tank as well as other elements. We have an A to Z guide on the Best Geyser for Hard Water in India. Click here for more details.
Ways to cut down Electricity consumption of geyser
Select a water geyser with a lesser water storage capacity
It often happens that you have bought a 25-litre capacity geyser but actually you need a 15-litre geyser. When 15-litre hot water geyser is enough for you, why should you purchase a 25-litre geyser? Therefore, read our geyser buying guide thoroughly and before making your purchasing decision, consider what you need and if possible go for a lesser water capacity geyser because 25-litre water will require much more electricity compared to 15 litres or 10-litre geyser. So, less the water capacity will be the electric consumption.
Hot water Temperature
It varies from person to person as to how hot the water they prefer while taking shower. Some prefer hot water during bathing. What you actually need is water with a tolerable normal temperature. It should be neither too hot nor too cold. So, set your geyser temperature at normal tolerable water temperature. This means it will not overheat your water unnecessarily and hence reduce electricity consumption.
Do not forget to switch off the geyser
When you are not using geyser water for a longer duration, then switch off the geyser. When it is kept on, the thermostat will constantly try to maintain the water temperature set by you and the heating will restart again and again consuming more electricity. So, it is wise to switch off geysers when not in use.
Use 5 star rated Geyser
Star rated geysers are energy efficient and save electricity. Star ratings are 1 2 3 4 and 5. The more the number of stars, the more electricity efficient the geyser will be. So, go for 4 star or 5 star rated geysers.
Useful Read: Best Hot and Cold Water Purifier in India:
Which type of Geyser is best for Home?
While buying a geyser you should keep in mind the following points:
Family Size
You should choose a geyser based on the number of family members, because if you have a small family then you need a small capacity geyser, otherwise, the hot water of the geyser may be wasted and more hot water means more electricity consumption and more electricity bill. So, choose your geyser wisely. You can take the help of the following chart.
For instant Geyser or Tankless Geyser: Instant geyser buying guide
| Use of Hot Water | Geyser capacity for 2-3 members family | Geyser capacity for 4 – 8 members family |
| For washing kitchen dishes and other work | 1-3 litre geyser | 1-3 litre geyser |
| For taking bath with a bucket full of water | 6-litre geyser | 6-litre geyser |
For Storage or Tank type Geyser:Storeage geyser buying guide
| Use of Hot Water | Geyser Capacity for 2-3 members family | Geyser capacity for 4-8 members family |
| For Taking a bath with a bucket full of water | 10-15 litre geyser | 25-litre geyser |
| For taking bath by using a shower | 25-litre geyser | 25 litre and above geyser |
Note: It is better not to use a hot water shower if it is possible. It will not only waste a lot of water in a single bath but also use a fair amount of electricity to heat up water increasing electricity costs.
Energy Consumption
According to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) India, Star rated geysers are the most energy-efficient. The higher the star, the less will be electricity consumption. It will also reduce the wastage of heat loss. Star ratings are done on a scale of 1, 2,3,4 and 5. So, a 5-Star rated geyser will be the best.
Durability
A geyser should last at least 10 to 15 years. The longevity of an Instant geyser is much higher than a storage geyser. This is because the Instant geyser is tankless. Rust, corrosion and scaling reduce the life of water tanks and geyser elements.
Warranty
Warranty is basically given on the water tank and heating elements. While purchasing a geyser does not overlook the warranty factor. Warranty is very important. It is a kind of assurance from a company of its maintenance and performance. Some brands even offer a warranty of 7 years on the water tanks and 2 to 3 years on heating elements. Warranty will provide you with free service in times of need.
After Sales Service
Another important aspect is after-sales service. Most of the reputed geyser brands have whole India after-sales service. However, some provide services only in metro cities. Before buying a geyser, check whether the company has after-sales service in your area or not.
Installation
Ideally, Installation should be free of cost. However, some companies charge for installation which is an extra cost. So, be sure about this also before making your decision on buying a geyser.
Best Geyser buying guide: Conclusion
With this Geyser buying guide, we have tried going into the detailed aspects of a geyser that you need to understand before making your buying decision. Feel free to ask your questions in the comment box below. we will definitely get back to you and try to clarify all your doubts.
