Experiencing low water pressure in your faucets? Or has your shower pressure been reduced ever since you’ve installed that new water heater?
Not to worry, you can remedy that quite easily with a water pump, which adds additional water pressure throughout your whole home.
But out of the AC and DC pump options available, which should you choose?
If you’d like to know more about the differences between an AC pump vs DC pump water heater, and which is the better option, read on below!
Table Of Contents:
- What Is A Water Pump?
- Should You Get A Water Pump For Your House?
- Should You Get A Water Heater With A Pump?
- What Is An AC Pump (And DC Pump)?
- AC Pump Vs DC Pump
- So When Do You Need An AC Or DC Pump?
What Is a Water Pump?
A water pump is a device that allows a water system to move water at a higher pressure from one point to another.
They’re usually installed when a water system’s natural water pressure is too low to reach its destination at an acceptable rate.
Water pumps are used in a variety of applications, although in this article, we’ll be focusing on their household applications, such as water pumps installed for the house, or a water heater.
Should You Get A Water Pump For Your House?
If you’d like a straightforward way to increase water pressure in your home, getting a water pump for your water supply may be a good idea.
That being said, there are other reasons why your water pressure may be lower than average, for example:
- Water supplier issues
- The main valve/meter isn’t fully open
- Clogged/corroded pipes
- Pipe leaks
- Faulty fixtures
So unless your water pressure has been persistently low for a while:
It might be worth looking into other methods first, such as replacing faulty fixtures and double-checking the main valve.
Do also bear in mind that the cost scales with how large your house is. Since you’ll need a stronger pump to better circulate water throughout a bigger home.
Should You Get A Water Heater With A Pump?
Getting a water heater with a pump isn’t strictly necessary, especially if the water pressure in your shower is efficient enough to not be impeded by the addition of said water heater.
However, if you’re worried that your shower won’t have enough pressure, it might be worth investing in one.
Although, do note that a shower water heater with a pump is significantly more expensive than their counterparts that do not include a pump!
What Is An AC Pump (And DC Pump)?
While both have the same function of increasing the flow rate in a water system (I.e. your home water supply):
The difference lies in their operation. AC pumps as their name suggests, rely on AC motors while DC pumps use DC motors. To be even more specific, a brushless DC motor.
Is An Ac Pump Or Dc Pump Better? – AC Pump Vs DC Pump Water Heater
Most water heaters on the market (that do have a pump) will likely use a DC pump.
Note: Throughout this whole article, we are referring to brushless DC pumps when we say DC pump.
Because AC pumps are much noisier than their DC counterparts. Although the resulting water pressure is higher with AC pumps.
Their upfront cost is slightly lower (RM300 to RM800) compared to DC pumps too.
But while more expensive initially (RM400 to RM1,000), DC pumps are more energy-efficient than AC pumps, while also having a fairly quiet operation. At the cost of being harder to maintain and repair (especially in remote areas).
Their many advantages are due to their lack of contact (i.e. brushless) between the moving (and critical) components of the motor:
As you can imagine, with no contact, there’s no friction. And therefore parts won’t wear out as fast or generate as much heat (I.e. energy loss) or noise.
To summarize:
| Difference | AC Pump | DC Pump |
| Power | Water pressure is significantly increased | Water pressure is moderately increased |
| Efficiency | Uses more electricity than DC pumps | Uses less electricity than AC pumps |
| Noise Level | Noisy when in use | Relatively quiet when in use |
| Cost | Cheaper than DC pumps | Pricier than AC pumps |
So When Do You Need An AC or DC Pump?
Whether or not an AC or DC pump might work better depends on your circumstances.
For example, if you prioritize water pressure, an AC pump will serve you a lot better than a DC pump. An AC pump is preferable for rain showerheads.
You also oftentimes don’t need as much water pressure as an AC pump can provide. You may not even need a pump at all if you already have one connected to your main water supply.
Meanwhile, if you want a more energy-efficient pump with less noise. then a DC pump will be the optimal choice.
Although as we mentioned earlier:
DC pumps are more commonly used, due to their quieter operation and more efficient electricity usage.
That being said, DC pumps can have a higher asking price and maintenance cost in comparison to AC pumps.
So at the end of the day, it’s really up to you and what you decide is best for your household. And how much you are prepared to spend initially and over a long period of time.
Conclusion
And there you have it, everything you need to know about AC pumps and DC pumps, all in a condensed format. For most households, a DC pump will suffice.
Given you’ve probably come to this article while researching water heaters:
Check out our article on the best water heaters in Malaysia, for our recommended list of the best hot water showers you can find on the market!
