Gas boilers and water heaters have long since been the norm for homeowners. Natural gas is widely available, is on-demand and is cheaper than electricity. But using gas produces emissions and with countries trying to reduce their greenhouse gas output, the industry has been searching for a viable replacement.
Enter the microwave-powered home boiler.
What is a microwave-powered home boiler and how could it become the norm for water heating within the home and assist with the move towards zero carbon emissions?
Here are 6 facts regarding microwave-powered boilers that could soon replace your gas water heater.
Microwave-powered boilers use radio frequency to heat water
Most consumers own a microwave and are familiar with the concept of heating food quickly and efficiently. A microwave-powered boiler uses the same concept as your home microwave to heat water in your boiler using radio frequency
so it uses a technology that is long proven and well understood.
The concept of a microwave water boiler isn’t new and research dates back to at least the 1970s and 1980s but up until now, boiling water with an element through gas heating has remained the standard and norm. The push over the past few years to reduce emissions however has led to an increase in the desire for an alternative to gas especially as countries around the world begin to phase out various gas-powered appliances and vehicles.
Microwave-powered boilers are zero emission
In the United Kingdom, there is a push towards boilers and water heaters that aren’t powered by gas in an effort to reduce emissions. By 2025, new homes will no longer be allowed to install gas-powered boilers and by 2038 they aim to eliminate the use of them completely so a viable alternative is needed.
In the US, California has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2045 and many cities are increasingly banning natural gas hookups in new apartment and commercial buildings which means alternatives are needed to gas water heaters, not to mention gas stoves and clothes dryers, too. A push towards leaving gas-powered appliances seems to be the expected norm in the near future. When manufacturers see the writing is on the wall, they will be expected to ditch gas-powered appliances in favor of new technology.
Up until now, the downside with electrically powered boilers and heaters has always been that they are unable to achieve the same level of heating as their gas-powered counterparts. Microwave technology has since been improved and harnessed in a way previously unavailable.
They require virtually no maintenance
Gas-powered boilers and water heaters generally require maintenance and over time will develop sediment at the bottom that can impact the efficiency and increase running costs. This is especially true if you live in an area with hard water and have no water softener.
Microwave-powered boilers are expected by comparison to have very little maintenance required. They additionally run silently and can simply be installed in the same location as your current gas boiler. This is an advantage over other replacement systems which often require expensive custom installation depending on the situation.
Microwave boilers also don’t additional venting unlike some gas-powered alternatives.
Microwave-powered boilers have advantages over competitors
Three common methods that consumers may consider in place of a traditional gas-powered boiler are an electric boiler, a heat pump or a hydrogen-based system. Each system has disadvantages:
Electric boiler: Electricity is generally more expensive than natural gas so many consumers won’t bother considering it for that reason alone. Electric systems are considered to be carbon intensive and may not suit a large household with greater than average hot water requirements.
Heat pump: Heat pumps tend to be expensive to install and may cost three to four times what a conventional gas system costs so that will rule it out for many consumers right off the bat. Heat pump water heaters tend to require being located in a relatively warm room that experiences temperatures of between 40º and 90ºF (3º – 32ºC). They tend to break down and require more maintenance and given their nature of heat exchange, tend to cool the room they are located in.
Hydrogen-powered: Hydrogen is expensive and not nearly as widely available as natural gas and this isn’t expected to change in the short term. Hydrogen is also highly flammable so there is a dangerous aspect to it that has to be considered. While a hydrogen-powered heating system can reduce carbon emissions the actual production of hydrogen may use fossil fuels which emits carbon. Not all of your current appliances may be converted to use hydrogen so you may have to replace them which adds to the cost of the install.
They will be Internet-enabled for remote operation
Smart homes have increasingly become the norm, with many previously manually-operated aspects of our home now easily accessible through a cellphone app. Since we can operate our home security system, thermostat and lighting among others, it stands to reason that our water heating should also be Internet-enabled. Standard water heaters are manual in operation and need to be adjusted by hand to change water temperature and generally offer very limited functionality in that regard.
Microwave-powered boilers are expected to have Internet and smartphone capability for remote operation. So if you’re on holiday or otherwise away from home, you can adjust the temperature of your boiler to turn it down or up depending on when you expect to be home. They can also offer over-the-air software updates delivered remotely.
They will cost around the same price as a regular boiler
The cost of a new microwave-powered boiler is expected to be around £3,500 ($4,900) which is similar to the cost of a new gas-powered boiler. It is expected that they can generally be retrofitted in existing homes without much customization and can be installed in the same place as the current gas boiler.
The installation isn’t expected to take more than one day and will use the homeowner’s existing radiators.
Final thoughts
The concept of a microwave-powered boiler is expected to become reality in 2022 with commercial production. With a modern design and ability to deliver hot water on demand for households, it is expected to be a viable alternative to gas and other traditional water heating methods moving forward.
To learn about microwave-powered home boilers, please visit the Heat Wayv website to learn more about their technology.