When it comes to buying geysers, or water heaters, there are quite a few options for you to choose from. Most people tend to go for the storage kind that runs on electricity. While the appliance is highly effective and proves very easy to use, you as a consumer should also be aware about the different versions available on the market. This way you can make a decision depending on what your requirements might be. If you are wondering about the different type of geyser that you can find in the market, we suggest you start with what you are looking for exactly.

We will discuss the different formats of geysers and for whom they would be perfect. Once you give this a good read, we promise you would be able to figure out the best kind of geyser to install in your house.


Type of Geyser – Different Types of Water Heaters

Geysers or water heaters are some of the best, most convenient appliances to have in your home. If you are someone who lives in the more colder regions, or if your region has harsh winters, a geyser is literally one of the most crucial appliance to have. Not just for baths, geysers are highly multifunctional and can provide you hot water for a variety of purposes. You can just as well install one in your kitchen without worrying too much about it.

That said, buying a geyser is not easy. Yes you can always go into a store and buy any commonly found storage geyser, but what if you could do better? And yes, you can do better. While we understand that storage water heaters are really convenient, easy to use, long lasting, and don’t cost a lot either, the other type of geyser you can find in the market might function better when they are put against your usage and requirements.

Before purchasing a geyser, you need to understand the different kinds of geysers available and how they go about heating the water for you. Geysers all work for the same purpose, to heat up water for use. However, how they get that done varies from geyser type to even specific models.

Let us take a look at the different geyser types available in the market, separated according to their function and build style.

Type of Geyser – On the Basis of Heating Format

So, when it comes to how a geyser can heat the water for use, there are three primary types of geysers.

  1. Electric Geysers
  2. Gas Geysers
  3. Solar Geysers

1. Electric Geyser

Electric geysers are the most common form of water heaters that you can find in the market. They are found in either of two major types – storage geysers and instant geysers. They use electricity to heat the water and are widely available in the market. Depending on your use, you can easily get something that best suits your requirements since they tend to be available in several models ranging in different capacities.

Electric geysers are easy to use and maintain, therefore the wide use. They also do not cost a lot, and are rather safe to use as well.

The two different variations they are available in, instant geysers and storage geysers, perform the same task, but their methods are different. Storage geysers come with a tank to store and heat water, while instant geysers provide heated water instantaneously without any waiting required.

Electric geysers prove some of the top 10 best water heaters in India.

Advantages of Electric Geysers

  • Storage availability means heated water can be stored for longer
  • Instant electric geysers are perfect for use in a kitchen situation
  • Much easier to find in the market
  • Tons of options available
  • Easy to install and use
  • Easy maintenance
  • Ability to customize the temperature of the water

Disadvantages of Electric Geysers

  • Operating costs and utility bills can see an increase

2. Gas Geyser

Gas geysers are slightly different than electric ones. They perform the same task, but instead of using electricity, most of the heating is done through gas, and their function is also instant in nature.

Gas geysers require an LPG connection to function. You can either send piped gas to it, which means you do not have to be refilling it since its connected to a gas line, or you can use cylinders of LPG to heat the water and change them out once the gas has run out.

Most people do not get gas geysers due to two reasons. First, their safety issues. Yes, gas geysers can be quite difficult to work with and the potential damage it can do is also pretty high. But the thing is, gas geysers are built incredibly durable and safe to use. There are multiple precautions, and by only following a few useful steps, you can make sure your gas geysers runs for years on end without any issue. The second reason why people do not get a gas geyser is the delusion of increased operating costs. If you think that running a gas geyser is more expensive than electric geysers, you are terribly wrong.

Gas geysers are quite effective at their job, and their instant approach means you do not waste any valuable gas heating your water. If you are building a new house for instance, installing a gas geyser for the entire household could be a great idea. That said, finding a good gas geyser, getting it installed, and maintaining it over the years it will be in use will be quite the chore. So do keep that in mind.

Advantages of Gas Geysers

  • Durable and more long lasting than standard geysers
  • On demand hot water
  • Lower utility costs in the long run
  • Does not take a lot of space, can be installed elsewhere as well
  • More efficient at heating water

Disadvantages of Gas Geysers

  • High purchasing cost
  • Installation is difficult
  • Limited options
  • Difficult to find good gas geysers
  • Safety concerns

3. Solar Geysers

Now, here is something that is a win-win situation for everyone involved. Solar geysers are some of the best appliances you can install in your home. If you live in a place that gets ample sunlight, keeping a couple, maybe even a few solar geysers up on the roof can take care of all of your heated water needs as easily as it can be.

Solar geysers, as the name suggests, use the sun’s energy to heat the water. The sunlight is converted into electricity which slowly heats the water in the connected storage tank for you to use. So as long as your geyser gets sunlight, you will have heated water at all times. This costs you no extra money, and so basically you would save a ton of money if you use a solar geyser to heat up your water.

There are only a few drawbacks however. Since you need sunlight in the first place, overcast weathers will only render your geyser useless. Another problem is that the geyser is slow to function. To heat an amount of water, it generally takes twice, even thrice as long as a normal electric water heater would. However, the storage option is great to keep the water heated inside, and use it whenever you have to.

Advantages of Gas Geysers

  • Relatively quick function, takes only 15-20 mins to heat water on a good sunlit day
  • Can store a lot of water for use
  • Does not consume or cost electricity at all
  • Great for the environment as well
  • High durability

Disadvantages of Gas Geysers

  • High purchasing cost
  • Installation is difficult
  • Heating is difficult on cloudy days
  • Overheating is common since most models do not come with a thermostat to control the temperature
  • Needs more maintenance since they are generally installed outside

📌 Besides the different types of geysers mentioned in this article, immersion rods can also be used to heat water. These are inserted into the water and heated using an external power source, such as electricity. The advantage of using the best immersion rod is that it can be used to heat water very quickly. However, the disadvantage is that it can be dangerous if not used properly.

Type of Geyser – On the Basis of Storage

The other formats of geysers can be summed up on the basis of storage.

  1. Tank Geysers
  2. Instant Geysers

1. Tank Geysers

Tank geysers, or also known as storage geysers, can be of three formats, electric, solar, or gas. Tank geysers, as the name suggests, come attached with a tank or a storage drum of some kind. They hold a certain amount of water, depending on the size and model you have chosen, and heats the stored water whenever you switch them on. Once you have used all the stored heated water, you will have to start the cycle of filling the tank with water and heating it.

Most electric geysers that you find in Indian households are actually storage electric geysers. There are also storage gas geysers in the market, but they are very rarely available and not really used that much. All solar geysers come with a storage tank for the water to be heated for use later.

If you have a large family, a tank geysers is a really good investment to make sure all your family needs are met.

Advantages of Tank Geysers

  • Storing water for later usage can be really helpful
  • Storage capacity can be determined according to needs
  • Tons of options and sizes to choose from
  • Highly durable appliances
  • Very easily available
  • Easy to use and maintain

Disadvantages of Tank Geysers

  • Can be large and bulky
  • Operating costs are high

2. Instant Geyser

Instant geysers are a little more special. They are great appliances, able to function really well, but in some situations you might find them lacking. Instant geysers, as the name suggests, provide heated water as soon as you switch them on. They are usually connected to their own water inlet which provides them with all the water they need. While their outlet is usually connected to a faucet, where the heated water can be extracted and used.

Also read: Best Geysers Guides, Reviews & Comparisons

Instant geysers do not have a storage tank, and come with only an element that heats water as it passes through the appliance itself. They are available in two forms, electric or gas. The gas kind is not widely available, but the electric kind is common and are perfect to use as kitchen geysers.

If you have a large family, you might find your instant geyser costing you a huge amount of money to help with everyone’s needs. But, if you are living alone, or simply do not want a lot of hot water for use, an instant geyser will not only save you money, but also valuable time and effort as well.

The top 10 best instant geyser in India are very easy to maintain and cost relatively low for an appliance with such amazing functionality. They are highly versatile and prove to be long lasting as well.

Advantages of Instant Geysers

  • Instant heated water on demand
  • Very compact in size and can fit anywhere
  • Consumes very less energy
  • Very versatile usage

Disadvantages of Instant Geysers

  • Water flow is not too high since its heating takes a little bit of time
  • More energy hungry appliance

Comparing Different Type of Geyser – Which one proves the best for you?

So, if you wish to know which type of geyser is perfect for your usage, you might have to first look into your requirements. Depending on how much you wish to use your geyser and where exactly, it will dictate which kind is perfect for you, and the type you should purchase.

Since there are a few different types of geysers in the market, this comparison table will help you factor in the aspect you care more when buying a water heater.

Type of GeyserSize and Space RequirementsHeating Time Power ConsumptionPurchase CostOperating Cost
Electric (Storage)Can be bulky in size depending on what capacity you purchase. Depends on the capacity you purchase. A higher capacity means a longer time to heat water. A smaller geyser would heat water quicker comparitively.Again, depends on the size. High capacity geysers will take a lot more electricity to heat all the water inside.Affordable. Electric geysers are very affordable and are easily available in the market.High operating costs due to electricity and water consumption.
Gas (Instant)Does not take a lot of space, but installation can be trickyQuite fast. The gas burners are directly connected to the outlet hose. As soon as you switch on the water faucet, the burners switch on and provide you with instant hot water.Does not consume electricity much, but does consume gas instead. Overall gas prices might be lower when compared to using electric geysers. Gas geysers are a little more expensive and can also be difficult to find and get installed.Average operating costs. You will still have to pay for gas, but in the long run, gas does not cost as much as electricity.
SolarLarge in size, generally installed on rooftops or out in the yard. Depends on the sunlight outside. Can take a while to heat water if the weather is overcast, and can take only a few minutes to heat water if it is sunny out. No power consumption on your part. Totally environmentally friendly. You are only required to pump the water up to the storage tank.Solar powered geysers are actually quite expensive. However, since you save a ton on electricity bills, this initial markup can easily be handled. Very low. Solar geysers only need you to pump water in to the storage tank. Other than that, there are virtually no extra costs.
Instant (Electric)Very compact in size and can be easily installed right over a faucet with minimal issues. Very quick to heat water. The instant format allows the water to be heated as soon as the geyser is switched on. High power consumption till the time it stays on. Instant heating takes a little bit of power.Quite affordable. Instant geysers are easily available and are quite inexpensive to purchase as well.Instant geysers do not waste water, so you do save money there. However, they do take quite a bit of electricity to run.

📌 Geysers can also be differentiated on the basis of design as vertical or horizontal geysers. As the name suggests, Vertical geysers are taller in height and have a vertical design, while horizontal geysers are shorter and have a horizontal design. Vertical geysers are considered more aesthetically pleasing than horizontal geysers and take up less space. However, horizontal geysers are considered more energy efficient as they have a larger surface area for heat transfer. To know more, read our article on what is a vertical geyser.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which type of geyser is best?

That depends on your usage and requirements. If you are living alone, an instant geyser is great for you. For medium families, an electric storage geyser proves the best. All that said, if you are building your home from the ground up, take a look at gas geysers to take care of all hot water needs of the entire household.

Which geyser is suitable for bathroom?

For bathrooms, the best type of geyser is undoubtedly the electric storage geyser. Not only are they easy to find and install, they are also quite affordable and do not ask for a lot of maintenance either.

Which geyser is best for 4 member family?

For a 4 member family, we suggest you get yourself an electric storage geyser for maximum convenience and ease of use. If you live in a hot climate where hot water is not really necessary but just an added benefit, you could also try out instant geysers. They also work pretty well.

Which is better instant or storage geyser?

Depends on your usage. Instant geysers are great for smaller families or to be installed in kitchens. Storage geysers are much better for larger families, where heating the water once can prove enough for two people.


Conclusion

After carefully pitting all the types of geysers with each other, we have come to the conclusion that each type has its own audience and all prove to be great appliances. You as a user would have to take a sharp look at the different formats available and put them against your particular requirements and figure out which ones is best for you. As a rule of thumb, if you are living alone, instant geysers are the best, while for families, storage geysers are better. If you get ample sunlight, a solar geyser is probably the best you can get since you also get to save a ton on utility bills as well as help contribute positively to the environment.