5 Point Installation Checklist for Water Heaters in Singapore

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After you have combed through the many types of water heaters in Singapore to choose the one that fits your needs and requirements, the next most important thing to consider is the installation.

You may have bought the best water heater in Singapore, but if you engage a dangerous installer, your water heater might still land you in hot water, and not the kind you’ve been dreaming about when you were buying it.

How do you ensure your water heater installation was done right?

Here is a checklist for you to confirm that your heater was installed correctly.

5 Point Checklist For Water Heater Installations in Singapore

Use a Reputable Installer
mounting brackets three times water weight install
An incorrect installation may be dangerous or result in irregular water pressure or temperature. 

After receiving some scary images of heater installations from homeowners, we decided to put together a quick checklist of the important things you must look out for to ensure your water heaters are installed right.

1. Heater Mounting

mounting brackets install wall wrong correct
The A. O. Smith (AOS) water heater is mounted on 2 mounting brackets. These brackets are drilled into the wall. 

The heater is hooked onto these brackets. The brackets may look small but they are designed to hold up to THREE times the weight of the water heater when completely filled with water!! 
Ensure your heater tanks don’t look like they are free-falling off the wall like King Kong on the Empire State Building.

The heater on the left what an incorrect installation looks like. Make sure yours doesn't look like that! It's dangerous..

2. 30cm Space for Service Panel

30cm space service panel heater install bto thermostat element checklist
The right side of the heater is our access to the service panel. Don't shift your heater all the way to the right. 

If you fix the heater so close to the wall, there is no way to remove the right panel cover. This blocks access to the heating element, thermostat and thermal cut out. All are crucial for us to check if anything happens to the heater.

Homeowners had to reinstall the heater in the photo. 😢

Always ensure there is at least a 30 cm gap between the right side of the heater and the wall.

3. Water Pipes

copper pipes stainless steel kink heater installation bending
The most common choice of water pipes for homes are copper and stainless steel pipes. Both are equally durable.

Copper is used for above ceiling installations. It is easier to tighten and bend copper as it is softer than stainless steel.

There are fewer kinks in copper pipe bends. For stainless steel, kinks are common.

Stainless steel is preferred for exposed installations, like in HDB. Owners prefer its silver colour and find it easier to match their bathrooms.

Most people do not have a preference but if you do, you must let the installer know this before the installation. They need time to get the right pipes!
flexible hose copper pipes ppr hpw install
PPR is a type of plastic pipe. It is used in larger buildings or landed homes. 

Any of these pipes are fine, but do not use flexible hoses for the pipe connection! 

They are not strong enough and may burst, causing leaks.

4. Relief Valve Connection

drainage relief valve rubber tube install inlet oulet
The relief valve connection is often overlooked, but is very important. 

Water heaters drip water while working, similar to an air con. This water drips from this relief valve. 

The relief valve may drip water even when the heater is OFF, because it also releases pressure from the pipes.

A tube must be connected to the relief valve so that the droplets of water will drain off into a proper drain point. This is usually done with a rubber tube. The tube is provided in the heater box, with the relief valve. 
pipe rubber tube drainage relief valve install
Without a proper drainage, the water will drip on the floor or worse.. on your ceiling boards. Make sure your contractor installs a proper drainage pipe beforehand!

If the rubber tube falls out over time, it may also wet your ceiling. Luckily, this tube is easy to reconnect. Plug it back into the valve.

Caution: do not block the relief valve, or the drain tube. It will cause permanent damage to the heater.

5. Mini Stopcock Valve

The stopcock valve is an optional item. Some installers fix it, others don't. We do, because we feel it is good practice. The valve is installed at the inlet (blue side).

The stopcock valve is useful if your heater is leaking. It gives you an option to cut off the supply of water to the heater, effectively stopping the leak. 
mini stop valve water heater install inlet

Installation Checklist FAQ

Is it wrong to install water heaters in a vertical position?
Check your heater manual. 

Every heater is different. They all have a specific orientation. 
Yes. Make sure to use proper ceiling Omega Brackets and rods. 

Using wall mounted brackets on a ceiling installation is wrong. It will cause your heater's safety devices to malfunction. 

The wrong installation will damage the heater and void its warranty. 
The relief valve is a safety device which relieves pressure build up in the tank.

It does this by leaking tiny droplets of water over time. 

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6 Reasons Why a Tankless Heater May Be Better Than A Storage Heater

Stiebel Eltron BathBox Tankless Heater
So, you’re in the market for a tankless heater. Whether it’s because you noticed a leak in your old water heater, if you think it’s time you replaced your old one, or you’re getting a new one for your new BTO, we’re here to recommend the tankless water heater.

1. No Heat-Loss, Save 30% Energy

A tankless heater only runs when water is flowing. A storage heater pre-heats water for you and stores it in a tank. This tank can lose heat. That is why tankless uses less energy than a storage heater. It can save up to 30%, which is better for your monthly bills.

Apart from lowering your bills, all tankless heaters come with a water-saving device. Your water usage goes down by 20%, and you still have a good shower at 7 litres/min. But just how efficient is the tankless heater?

The National Environment Agency (NEA) introduced the Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme (MELS) to allow you to compare the two heaters and make informed purchases. The tankless heater has 4 ticks, whereas the storage heater only has 1 tick. NEA estimates that this helps you save up to $120 a year!

2. Space-Saving and Easy Installation

Storage heater comes in tank sizes of 30 to 100 litres. Tankless heaters have no tank, so they take up less space. A small heater is easy to install in a false ceiling as it is space saving. That's why your installation will cost less with tankless.

A bonus with tankless heaters is that you get to skip messy ceiling works that can cost up to an extra $500.

The installation of a storage heater, including ceiling works, is about $1500. Compare this to a tankless heater, which costs about $900 to install.

This is what ceiling works looks like:
false ceiling gen 1 electric heater tank cut
Because of this, some creative clients save on huge costs by choosing not to change back to a storage tank. How?

They leave their storage heater in the false ceiling, and get us to fix in a tankless heater in the same false ceiling. We disconnect the pipes from the old storage heater and connect to the new tankless.

Doing this, you can save on ceiling works $200 + removal cost $250. The only catch is that you need to use a hand shower. Rain showers do not run well with tankless heaters.

No problem for most people, some of us prefer hand showers anyway.
Storage and Tankless Heater Installed Together

3. Tankless Heaters: No Need to Maintain

Discolored water being drained brown water hose basin white flush tank
You need to maintain a storage heater tank every 3 years. This costs about $200 each time. The water needs to be flushed out to clear any sediments that are stuck there. This is the same for all storage heaters.

Sediments make your water yellow so you need to do this. If you have a landed home with multiple heaters, this cost goes up.

With tankless heaters, life is easy. No need to maintain these at all as they have no tank.
Comparison of Maintenance of Storage vs Tankless Heater
Simply enjoying how sleek it is for a water heater. Installer Bee is also wonderful in explaining the various positions for the installation before made my decision in this placement. He also took effort to clean up after the installation works. 👍 ...
Aurgus Chang Bathbox Heater Google Review
Aurgus Chang
Google review
Bathbox installation done by Mr.Moez. Great service by him and really like how clean and neat the Bathbox look
Afiq Hamizan Bathbox Heater Google Review
Afiq Hamizan
Google review

4. No Fear of Leaks with Tankless Heaters

Storage heaters can leak and cause damage. This is something every false ceiling owner has to put up with at some point. To prevent this, some choose to change their heaters before they get too old.

This is where the tankless heater shines. No tank = No leaks. That is why the tankless water heater could be an easier choice for you.
leak false ceiling water damage tank water heater

5. Tankless Heaters can Give You Infinite Hot Water

Ever wanted to take a long long shower after a long long day? You can do that with the tankless heater. With a tankless, water gets heated non-stop. This means that the hot water you get goes on forever. You can jump straight in the shower, with no worries that you'll run out of hot water half way.
If your family takes long showers one after another, you may run out with a storage heater. A tankless heater however, gives you infinite hot water. It just keeps going, as long as you aren't using a rain shower. You also can't use multiple bathrooms at the same time because of the lower flow rate.

If you are unsure if the tankless is a good choice for you, feel free to take an easy quiz here! We'll help you with that.
Speed of Tankless Heaters

6. Tankless is Safer for Kids and Elderly

Sometimes on a rainy day, the water at my shower takes longer to heat up because of the cooler cold water. I get impatient and turn the lever all the way to the left (high) and suddenly, the water is way too hot! I often jump back due to the high temperature and quickly turn the tap off. I bet this has happened to you at least once if you have storage heaters.

Many of us have ageing parents or grandparents. They might not be able to react so quickly. Luckily, the tankless heater has a special function not known to many.

Storage heaters can reach up to 70°C, which is a temperature that can scald. The tankless heater allows you to set it to a safe temperature of 50°C. This temperature control setting protects the elderly from injury as it is not so high. This setting also prevents young children at home from getting hurt.
Tankless Heater Safer for Elderly and Children

Why We Choose Stiebel Eltron Tankless Heater

Stiebel Eltron is the # 1 tankless heater supplier in the world. Established in Germany a 100 years ago, they have the best tankless technology. We like these good brands as they make stuff that is durable and long-lasting. An added bonus is how slim it is, allowing it to fit in the tighest space.

In Singapore, our labour cost is high. You don't want to waste money changing to a new heater every 3 years. You want something that can last you around 10 years. Stiebel Eltron can.


We also provide a 3 year full warranty on branded heaters like Stiebel. This is the longest heater warranty in Singapore. The average warranty for other brands are only 1 year.

A good brand is worth investing in. It will spare you the mess that comes with constantly replacing new heaters.
Stiebel Eltron BathBox Tankless Heater HDB Installation made in Germany
Moez came to help us replace our faulty storage heater with the AOS bath box! So slim and sleek looking. Very pleased with the hot water and pressure in both our toilets
google review J
Jac
Google review
Just installed a tankless bathbox at my owner house, Thanks to the installer, Shamemul, for his patience and cooperation during the installation. The tank looks sleek and space-saving compared to the other storage heater brands👍
Afiq Hamizan Bathbox Heater Google Review
Afiq Hamizan
Google review

Conclusion

With storage water heaters requiring more maintenance in the long-run, why not stick with the easy way out?

Not only will the tankless heater be a good addition to your household, it will also help save on your energy bills. The tankless heater can do this while giving you good water pressure for comfortable showers as well. It can also keep your family members, both young and old, safe from burns.

The BathBox is worth your time. Simple and direct, just like it's design, your save on space and energy starts now.

Tankless Heater FAQ

How is the tankless heater different from the instant heater?
Tankless heaters are totally different from Instant heaters.

• Tankless has a more advanced technology. They produce better flow rates of 7 lit/min. Instant heaters only go up to 5 lit/min.

• If you have 2 bathrooms, you can use 1 tankless piped to 2 baths. This is the ideal setup for BTOs. If you choose to install an instant heater, you need 2 heaters plus extra pipe work. Instant may end up costing you more, and your shower won't feel as good with the lower water pressure.
If you want to test the water pressure before deciding on the BathBox, feel free to visit us at our showroom here.

We have a working model available to test it out.
The tankless heater is better investment if you have a BTO.

The installation will also be neater, with no visible pipes.

Here are the approx costs:
Tankless Heater FAQ Tankless vs Instant Heater Cost of Installation

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