page_title: Water heating
section_title: Energy usage
hierarchical_section_title: Water heating / Types of water heating appliances / Electric shower heads / Energy usage
caption_attribution_description: English: 1500W Immersion Rod for water heating in a bucket
context_page_description: Water heating is a heat transfer process that uses an energy source to heat water above its initial temperature. Typical domestic uses of hot water include cooking, cleaning, bathing, and space heating. In industry, hot water and water heated to steam have many uses.
  Domestically, water is traditionally heated in vessels known as water heaters, kettles, cauldrons, pots, or coppers. These metal vessels that heat a batch of water do not produce a continual supply of heated water at a preset temperature. Rarely, hot water occurs naturally, usually from natural hot springs. The temperature varies with the consumption rate, becoming cooler as flow increases.
  Appliances that provide a continual supply of hot water are called water heaters, hot water heaters, hot water tanks, boilers, heat exchangers, geysers, or calorifiers. These names depend on region, and whether they heat potable or non-potable water, are in domestic or industrial use, and their energy source. In domestic installations, potable water heated for uses other than space heating is also called domestic hot water.
  Fossil fuels, or solid fuels are commonly used for heating water.
context_section_description: The power consumption of electric showers in the maximum heating setting is about 5.5 kW for 120 V and 7.5 kW for 220 V. The lower costs with electric showers compared to the higher costs with boilers is due to the time of use: an electric shower uses energy only while the water flows, while a boiler works many times a day to keep a quantity of standing water hot for use throughout the day and night.  Moreover, the transfer of electric energy to the water in an electric shower head is very efficient, approaching 100 %.  Electric showers may save energy compared to electric tank heaters, which lose some standby heat.
caption: 1500W Immersion Rod
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