Tips on buying the right kind of geyser for your bathroom and kitchen

Electric geysers come in various types, sizes, colours and price points; choose a power-efficient one that’s in sync with the aesthetics of your home and has optimal heating capacity

Namrata Kohli  |  New Delhi

Regardless of the weather, we all need hot water in our homes all year round–sometimes to soak our feet in a bucket with rock salt for relaxation or pedicure, or to heal a sprained ankle and treat inflammation. All this is apart from the hot showers during winters, and doing the dishes and laundry. Your call to action is answered by the humble water geyser which comes in two significant types–instant and storage. As the name suggests, instant geysers instantly heat the water as one goes on using it, while a storage heater stores the water and then heats it. In a storage geyser, you need to wait up to ten minutes for water to heat up, and it occupies a large space on the wall.

Says a spokesperson from Amazon India, “The winter of 2021-2022 has been longer than usual and has a direct and positive impact on sales. Our sales in January have gone up by 500 bps. Storage geysers are our largest segment followed by the instant variety.” In terms of capacity, their 15 litres products are a bestseller, followed by the 25 litres. In the 15-litre storage geyser segment, the majority of the business is happening at Amazon India in the Rs 5,000-7,500 price band.”

Key brands

Some of the top brands include Bajaj, Crompton, AO Smith, Havells, V Guard, Racold, Usha International and Urbanflo. Bathrooms are no longer an ignored part of the house and are looked at as rejuvenation zones. Says Rohit Mathur, President-Electric Fans, Water Heaters & Pumps, Usha International: “Today bathrooms have become a space to unwind and luxuriate. They are spacious and equipped with modern amenities like bathtubs, large head showers, and multiple shower panels. With these lifestyle evolutions becoming the norm among the more affluent, Usha’s new water heater range caters to the needs of these consumers.”

Usha’s bestsellers include storage water heaters like Aquerra, Aqua tide, Aqua Genie, and Misty Waters Heaters, and instant water heaters like Instano, Insta Fresh, and Instaline. The Aquerra range is available in three capacities of 10L, 15L, and 25L and has prices ranging from Rs 11,895 to Rs 16,195. Designed in a modern cubic form, Usha’s Aquerra DG is a BEE 5-star rated energy-saving water heater that has WhirlFlow technology for faster heating. It also has a digital temperature setting display indicating the temperature of the water, anti-bacterial function set at 80 degrees.

Innovations are the order of the day. Take the case of Adonia water heater series from Havells with prices ranging from Rs 12,500 to Rs 14,500. Says Ravindra Singh Negi, President-Electrical Consumer Durables, Havells India: “The Adonia series comes with an industry-first LED indicator feature that changes colour from blue to amber as the water heats to the desired temperature. It also comes with a digital temperature display, a feather-touch panel and remote control for temperature setting, and designed to take user experience to a different level. The innovative feroglas^TM technology in the inner container withstands hard water to give years of trouble-free service. We are first in the industry to provide free installation and a flexible connection pipe inside the box for storage and instant water heater.”

Talking about tech innovation, Negi says Havells has launched Magnatron, India’s first water heater with element free induction heat transfer technology ensuring rapid heating and high heat retention. The water heater also helps save up to 25 per cent electricity by reducing heating time by 10-12 minutes. With minimum scaling impact, energy consumption of Magnatron remains the same throughout its life. Otherwise, Havells’ domestic geysers range from 1L to 100L capacity and the central heating range in both solar and heat pump water heaters is available from 100L to 500L.

Recently Polycab has launched Urbanflo water geyser in three capacities of 10 litres, 15 litres and 25 litres, costing Rs 12,500, Rs 15,500 and Rs 18,000, respectively. It comes with a diamond glass-lined coated tank and can withstand high water pressures up to 0.8 Mpa. It also has an energy saving PUF insulation that keeps the water hot for longer inside the tank.

What does the customer want?

Consumers today are more conscious about the shape, size and colour of the water heater. But they must look at safety features and other significant attributes such as capacity, energy consumption, star rating, technology, warranty, free installation along with free connection pipe and after sales service. 

What’s trending are square body and compact size water heaters. Digital models with timer settings are more in demand for consumer’s own convenience. Says Manish Behl, a 32-year-old Delhi-based businessman, “I have always wanted to control my geyser with my smartphone. And today this is possible- I can actually plug the geyser into the oakter smart plugs and set daily schedules to turn the geyser ON/OFF automatically.”

Consumers want both aesthetics and performance, and are ready to pay for it, giving rise to a demand for high-end products that offer both beauty and technological innovation. For instance, the colour white is no longer the choice by default. Says Tapas Chowdhury, President-Fans and Home Appliances, Polycab India Ltd: “While white is still in demand, colours matching the aesthetics and floral prints are also gaining popularity. People are looking for compact design, sturdiness, reliability, safe usage and durable performance, along with smart/IoT. But a geyser is a must for every bathroom and even for a kitchen, not necessarily bigger is better but different shapes like square geysers are trending.”

What you should be mindful of

Buy the right-sized geyser as per your requirement. An over-sized geyser means heating extra water that is not required. Choose the size of the geyser as per the size of your family and consumption habit geyser so that electricity is not wasted. Says Usha International’s Rohit Mathur, “Choose the right capacity, 15 litres or 25 litres basis your family needs. For a family of four in cold conditions, a 25 litres water heater is the ideal size.” Even the climatic condition should be factored into your choice. Typically, for kitchen what is available in the market is geysers with capacity of 1 L, 3 L, 6 L; bathroom 10L – 35 L; shower 50 L, bathtub/Jacuzzi 100 L; for farmhouses, hostels and independent houses, there are solar and heat pump from 100 L to 500 L capacity.

A perfect water heater is the one that does its job with efficiency and also ups the design quotient of your bathroom or kitchen. So, while investing in a good electric water heater, one should also buy one that pleases the eye and performs well. Plus, it should have easily available replaceable parts.

Always opt for an energy-efficient product. If you are looking at long-term cost-saving, invest in 5-star rated products which make for the highest savings. Higher star rating geysers are a little expensive to buy in the first place but they save a lot of money over a longer time period. Warranties are very important. Do not forget to check the warranty on the heating element and tank while purchasing the geyser.

Safety first

How many times have you been out and realized that you may have inadvertently left the heater on, and then stressed till you didn’t reach home. The heater you choose must-have features like circuit breakers, leakage protectors, and safety valves incorporated ensuring the highest safety standards. These safety features provide protection against dry heating, over-temperature, over-pressure, and different kinds of electricity leakage. The safety valve is designed to automatically relieve pressure and discharge water in case the pressure overshoots the pre-set limits. It also protects from any accidental damage.

Finally, you must consider installation, warranty, and service. Water heaters are sensitive appliances and like all long-lasting appliances need regular maintenance. It is advisable, therefore, to buy a brand that offers free installation at home, prompt and good after-sales service support. Look for a product with a good warranty period for peace of mind, some brands offer up to an 8-year warranty on the tank! So do your homework before you go buy the first one that appeals to you.

Table: Indicative price list of various geyser brands

Source: Market Research