Heating Element Efficiency
Heating Element Efficiency
(OP)
Does anyone know what typical efficiencies are for a resistive heating element submerged in water? I am interested in the efficiency of converting electrical energy to heat energy in an application like a home hot water heater. I am not interested in how efficiently the unit stores heat.





RE: Heating Element Efficiency
There will be a small amount loss due to heat conduction at the mounting point of the heater, and through the "cold pin" of the heating element which connects the electrical terminal outside the heater to the internal resistance wire, but these are small compared to the overall storage losses and generally may be neglected.