What should you check before buying a water heater?

Water heater buying guide: the checklist

Run through these seven checks before you order.

• SAFETY Mark. The Consumer Product Safety Office (CPSO) lists electric instant and storage heaters as Controlled Goods that must carry the SAFETY Mark before sale.
• Energy Label ticks. Compare the ticks on the National Environment Agency (NEA) Energy Label; more ticks means a more efficient heater.
• Type and size. Decide between instant and storage, then check the size with the water heater size calculator.
• Its own switch. The Ministry of National Development (MND) advises a 20A switch, and CPSO says not to use a 3-pin socket.
• Pressure relief valve. A storage heater should have one, according to CPSO's safety tips.
• An LEW for the wiring. The Energy Market Authority (EMA) says a Licensed Electrical Worker (LEW) should carry out or supervise wiring at home.
• Who does the pipework. PUB lets a handyman replace only the pipe between a stop valve and an instantaneous water heater; other pipework needs a PUB Licensed Plumber.

Safety marks and the energy label

CPSO lists instantaneous and storage electric water heaters as Controlled Goods, so they must carry the SAFETY Mark before they can be sold in Singapore. CPSO also says not to use a heater that looks damaged or is leaking.

Each mark has a unique 8-digit registration number. To check it, search the Register of Registered Controlled Goods by the model number or that 8-digit number, and confirm the mark has not expired and the product details match, as CPSO's SAFETY Mark page explains. It is illegal to advertise or supply Controlled Goods without the mark, and CPSO asks people to report such suppliers.

The NEA Energy Label rates efficiency from 1 tick (Low) to 5 ticks (Excellent), and it covers water heaters. On a water heater, the label shows:

• the type: electric instantaneous, gas instantaneous, electric storage or heat pump
• the rated input power (electric) or nominal heat input (gas), in kW
• the capacity in litres, for storage heaters
• the annual energy consumption in kWh and an annual energy cost

That annual cost uses fixed assumptions stated on the label, not your own tariff, so use it to compare models. When you are weighing which water heater to buy, put two or three labels side by side and compare the type, power and ticks together.

Instant, storage, gas or electric

No one water heater suits every home in Singapore; the right one depends on your bathroom, the number of showers in your home and the space you have.

A few questions help narrow it down:

• How many bathrooms need hot water, and how many showers are taken each day?
• Is there wall or ceiling space for a tank?
• Does your home have a gas supply, or would you rather keep to electric?

For the trade-offs between fuels, read the gas or electric water heater comparison. To see how the two main designs differ to run, read the instant or storage running cost comparison. If you settle on an instant heater, you can see companies listed for instant water heaters.

Installation rules

EMA says electrical work at home, including new wiring and switches, should be carried out or supervised by an LEW. EMA says electrical work in an HDB flat needs a Licensed Electrician, the class of LEW approved for loads of up to 45kVA. EMA also says to verify the LEW's licence card before work starts.

In a written answer to Parliament in 2018, MND said water heaters should be connected to a 20 ampere socket switch, not a normal 3-pin socket that supports 13 amperes, and must be installed by an EMA-licensed electrical worker.

PUB's simple plumbing works list lets a handyman replace or remove any pipe between a stop valve and an instantaneous water heater. Other water service work, including pipework for a storage water heater, needs a PUB Licensed Plumber, and since 2018 it has been an offence to engage a plumber not licensed by PUB for regulated works. See the water heater installation steps for the order of work.

Vouchers and installation rates

The Climate Friendly Households Programme (CFHP) lists 5-tick water heaters among its eligible products.

FROM THE HOMEZYPRO DIRECTORY

Published water heater installation rates

For the most common unit (per job), the lowest published rates from 5 companies run from S$120 to S$288. Each figure is one company's own advertised rate with its conditions, not a market average or a quote.

See 5 published water heater rates and sources

Lowest matching advertised rate per company, in SGD as published. "From" marks a starting price and ranges are shown in full. Check the source for minimums, GST and inclusions.

Company	Service as listed	Rate	Source
BS Integrated Engineering Pte. Ltd.	13A water heater point	S$120 per job	247plumbingandelectrical.com
SHS Engineering Pte. Ltd.	Water Heater Installation	From S$120 per job	shshandymansg.com
NILE Plumbing	Install Instant Water Heater	From S$160 per job	nileplumbingsg.com
PW Plumbing Services	Water Heater Installation	S$200 to S$500 per job	pwplumbing.com.sg
Reliable Plumbing Services - U-Home Plumbing & Engineering	707 Protek Instant Water Heater with Hand Shower Set	S$288 per job	u-homehardware.com

5 companies publish a water heater line, all priced per job. As printed, their lowest published rates run from S$120 to S$288 per job, and S$160 per job is the middle company's own published rate. One company prints a range of S$200 to S$500 per job. The lines cover different things, from a single water heater point to a named instant heater with a hand shower set, so open each source to see what is included.

Compare more lines on the water heater installation page, browse plumbers in the directory, or read the water heater FAQ.

Questions