true or false- if you only want a small volume of hot water, you should place the immersion heater near the bottom of the hot water tank?
Between room temperatures and boiling point, water is lighter when hot than cold. So cold water rises to the top when it gets hot.
What would be your choice to heat up a "small" amount of water?
True.
To understand why placing the immersion heater near the bottom of the hot water tank is ideal for obtaining a small volume of hot water, let's delve into the concept of water stratification in the tank.
Hot water tanks are designed to store and distribute hot water for various purposes. Inside the tank, there are different layers of water at varying temperatures. The top portion contains the colder water, while the bottom consists of hot water.
By placing the immersion heater near the bottom of the tank, you ensure that the heat is concentrated in the lower portion, where the hot water is stored. When you only require a small volume of hot water, such as for washing your hands or filling a cup, the immersion heater near the bottom will quickly heat up that specific portion without disturbing the rest of the water in the tank.
If the immersion heater were positioned near the top of the tank, it would primarily heat the cold water at the upper portion, causing the entire volume of water to heat up and making it inefficient for obtaining a small amount of hot water.
Therefore, placing the immersion heater near the bottom of the hot water tank is the more efficient option when you only need a small volume of hot water.