Atlantic Nanto vs Ariston Andris Lux: Is It The Same Heater for Less Money?

If you have been pricing up a small undersink or oversink water heater, you have probably found the Ariston Andris Lux near the top of every list, and then found the Atlantic Nanto sitting just below it for noticeably less. The obvious question is whether you are giving something up to save the money, or whether it is the same heater with a different badge. 

Are they actually the same product?

No. They come from two different companies  that have competed in electric water heating for decades. What makes them look interchangeable is that they are aimed at exactly the same use; a compact unvented heater that sits by the sink and delivers mains pressure hot water without you having to touch the main hot water system. 

Both use an enamel or glass lined steel tank with a sacrificial anode, both are unvented and sealed to mains pressure, both mount the same way, and both are built around a simple thermostat with a heating indicator. If you have fitted one and then the other, the plumber would not do anything differently. 

The Comparison

Does the cheaper heater cost more to run? 

This is the fair question to ask about a budget procduct, and the honest answer is: not in any way you will notice. 

Every electric water heater is close to 100% efficient at the point of use. The electricity that goes in comes out as hot water or as heat in the cupboard. Heating a full 10L tank from cold mains at about 15C up to 60C takes roughly 0.52kW. At an electricity price of 30p per kWh that is about 16p for a full reheat, and it is the same 16p whichever badge is on the front. 

The only runnign cost difference between the two heater of the same size is the standing heat loss (the small amount of warmth that laks out of the tank between uses).The nanto carries an A energy class and the Andris Lux carried a B. 

When to pick an Ariston 

• You want the longest tank guarantee - Ariston gives 3 years on the tank, so, if the heater is going somewhere awkward to get at then that matters
• You need fast reheat - The 3kW models recover a 10L tank in around 15 minutes against roughly 18 minutes for the 2kW Nanto, and the gap widens on the 15L size. For a busy staff kitchen or a barber's basin this is worth having. 
• You need a size or feature the Nanto doesn't offer - such as 6L model, 30L model, app control and anti-legionella cycling on the Elite WiFi
• You are matching existing kit on site and want the same brand throughout for spares and familiarity

When the Atlantic Nanto is the better buy

• Standard domestic or light commercial point of use - one or two tap, 10 or 15L, where 2kW reheat is perfectly adequate. This is most installations. 
• Multi unit fit outs where the per heater saving multiples up
• You want a digital control without paying Elite WiFi money. The Nanto Plus has a front digital panel and still undercuts the mid-range Ariston 
• Landlords and letting agents replacing a failed undersink heater like for like, where the job is to restore hot water at the lowest sensible cost. 

The Bottom Line 

Th Atlantic Nanto is not the same heater as the Ariston Andris Lux, but for the job most people are bujying it for it is close enough that the price difference is the story. If you need 2kW point of use hot water at one or two taps, the Nanto does it for around 15% to 20% less. if you need a 3kW element, a longer tank guarantee, an unusual size, or smart controls, the Ariston range is broader and worth the extra. 

Not sure which size or which model fits your job? Call us on 01934 253600, Monday to Friday, 8:30am-5pm, and we will talk it through.