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At Noritz we value the small business as equally as our larger partners. In fact, our installer network is primarily made up of many small businesses so we understand the importance of helping small businesses. We’ve done some research to help get you started and below are some links for us to recommend to our contractor base.
A small business is considered to be 500 or less employees.
SBA is the Small Business Administration. This is the agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses.
https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options
This is the overall link explaining fund availability called the CARES Act.
This is the Paycheck Protection program which is designed to provide a direct incentive for small business
to keep workers on their payroll. This loan program began on Friday, April 3rd.
This is the Economic Injury Disaster Loan which allows for up to $10,000. This advance will provide economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue.
https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/sba-express-bridge-loans
This is the Express Bridge Loan Pilot Program. This allows small businesses to access up to $25,000 instantly if they have a relationship with an SBA Express Lender
https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/sba-debt-relief
The SBA will automatically pay the principal, interest and fees of current 7(a), 504 and microloans for a period of 6 months.
If you do find additional resources or links feel free to send them to us so we can help out our community. marketing (at) noritz.com
Best wishes from your friends at Noritz.
Good news! The Non-Business Energy Property Tax Credit has been extended through 2020 and made retroactive to cover 2019. The credit amount for Gas, Oil, Propane Water Heaters, including tankless units, is $300.
That means if you installed a qualifying tankless water heater last year, you could get the credit on the return you file in 2020 (for 2019). Of course, any qualifying tankless water heater installed this year would also qualify on taxes due in April 2021.
Here is how it works:
Residential equipment and materials that meet specific standards set by the Department of Energy can qualify for the Equipment Tax Credits for Primary Residences. However, these credits apply only to existing homes and a principal residence. Newly constructed homes or rentals are not eligible.
For this credit, the IRS distinguishes between
Qualified Energy Efficiency Improvements and Residential Energy
Property Costs. “Water Heaters (non-solar)” are a part of Residential Energy Property Costs. All Energy Star-certified tankless water heaters meet the requirements for the Non-Business Energy Property Tax Credit.
According to Energy Star, water heaters account for 12% of the energy consumed in the home. Energy Star® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions.
1. Does your tankless water heater have a Uniform Energy Factor (UEF) of 0.82 or above?
UEF (Uniform Energy Factor) is the newest measure of overall water heater efficiency, according to the Energy Star website.
To qualify for the Residential Energy Property Costs Tax Credit your tankless water heater must have an energy factor (overall efficiency) of 0.82 or more. The UEF of your tankless water heater is an important consideration when you’re in the process of purchasing a residential tankless water heater, or hoping to apply for the tax credit.
Most Noritz residential tankless water heaters are Energy Star-certified, but be sure to check your model’s spec sheet or technical information to confirm whether it qualifies. You can also find your residential tankless water heater’s UEF on the Noritz products page by clicking on your model.
To apply, you will need a written certificate that your tankless water heater qualifies for the tax credit. You can download the certificate as a PDF right from our Rebate Center page, which can help you find the best rebates available in your area on qualifying models.
As soon as the IRS announces an extension of the tax credit, manufacturer certificates are updated and made available on our website.
Not sure how to apply for the tax credit from the IRS? You will have to use Form 5695, Residential Energy Credits, on the IRS website. Read more about it here.
Have you ever turned on the faucet to take a relaxing hot shower, only to be hit by an unpleasant stream of cold water?
It’s safe to say we’ve all experienced the inconvenience of having to wait for hot water to arrive at the faucet or shower — most of us every morning. You’ve probably grown accustomed to waiting several seconds or even a minute or two, depending on the distance to your bathroom or kitchen from your water heater in your basement, garage or utility closet on the opposite side of the house. The longer that distance, the longer the wait, the bigger the annoyance.
So why does the water coming from your “hot”-water faucet or shower run cold at first before finally turning hot? When that outlet was last turned on, hot water flowed through the pipes, right?
But once the outlet was shut off, the remaining warm water in the pipes did not return to the water heater for reheating. Instead, it stayed in the pipes and eventually turned cold. When the outlet was next turned on, this resting cold water exited the pipes first, ahead of the incoming hot water from the water heater.
Not only is this inconvenient (and downright uncomfortable if you’re standing in the shower), but a typical American home annually wastes thousands of gallons of perfectly usable potable water down the drain, thanks to lengthy wait times at hot-water outlets in the bath and kitchen.
So what’s the solution? Is it possible to get truly “instantaneous” hot water? Yes, with a hot-water recirculation system that delivers hot water with virtually no wait time.
What Is a Hot-Water Recirculation System?
A hot-water recirculation system delivers hot water to a faucet, shower or appliance in seconds, eliminating the usual water-wasting wait. The system does so by recirculating the water that remained in the pipes and eventually turned cold, back to the water heater, through either the cold-water line or a dedicated return line.
One type of recirculation system — and the focus of this blog — is a closed-loop, pump-assisted, hot-water recirculation system.
A recirculation pump can operate 24/7. But the energy savings would be nonexistent if the external circulator were always on and continuously recirculating hot water.
The most efficient type of hot-water recirculation system is an on-demand type that operates on the push of a button.
The most efficient “traditional” recirculation method would use a combination of both a temperature sensor and a timer to activate the system.
Recirculation System with a Dedicated Loop
Some recirculation pumps can serve as a separate, add-on component that uses a dedicated pipe loop for hot-water recirculation.
Here’s how a recirculation pump with a dedicated return line works:
Hot water flows from the water heater and passes near each hot-water outlet.Recirculation System with an Integrated Pump
Some hot-water recirculation pumps are built into the water heater itself. An integrated recirculation pump is ideal if your home lacks a dedicated return line, and you want to avoid the cost of adding one.
Another option is to purchase a “crossover kit” that is sold with the water heater and acts as a substitute for a return line.
Instead of wasting energy by having hot water flow through the system continuously, some water heaters have an integral display on the front of the unit that allows homeowners to program the recirculation system to operate at specified times.
In conclusion...
Whether you choose to install an external recirculation pump or go with a fully integrated system, the benefits for both are clear. A hot-water recirculation pump eliminates the need to wait for hot water by recirculating the water through your plumbing system, keeping hot water flowing and ready for the moment someone turns on the faucet or shower.
Hot-water recirculation dramatically reduces water waste. With time and temperature sensors, hot-water recirculation pumps can control when the recirculation kicks on, ensuring that energy is not constantly being wasted.
Mike Jungers, owner of Complete Plumbing, Heating and Air, has been in business in Southern California’s Orange County for more than 30 years. Committed to meeting the needs of their customers, the team at Complete Plumbing has embraced new technology as a way to always deliver on that commitment.
In the following interview, Jungers explains why partnering with Noritz to offer its line of residential tankless water heaters has been a major value to his company and, more importantly, to his customers.
Q: How long has your company offered tankless technology?
Mike Jungers: We have been installing tankless water heaters since the inception of the technology in the United States. A lot of plumbers were very skeptical when tankless heaters were introduced, because of the perceived intricacies with wiring and installation. But because our offering includes heating, air conditioning and water filtration, for us, it was an easy next step.
We are technically savvy and already had the knowledge and tools to install and maintain tankless heaters. There are a lot of benefits to this technology, and the learning curve isn’t as high as people think.
Q: How do you sell the benefits of tankless technology to customers?
Jungers: When I come to a customer’s home, the first thing I consider is their wants and needs. If they had a water heater that leaked, I’ll ask if they’ve considered another option, rather than just putting in another tank. Have you considered tankless? We make the offer, “Would you like this to be the last water heater you ever buy?”.
Tankless heaters with a 25-year warranty provide peace of mind to a homeowner. I have so much confidence in this technology and the company standing behind it, I tell homeowners: “Any problems, you don’t pay a dime.” This 25-year warranty is a game-changer, and I put a 25-year labor warranty on it too just to make the decision easier.
I also sell the benefits of this technology. Complete does a lot of kitchen and bath remodels, and we see a lot of beautiful tub and shower installs. I tell clients that a tankless unit is the only option to enjoy a hot bath and shower in that space. I explain that the unit has a temperature setting, so they can set their preference.
I then talk about space considerations. A tankless unit can be installed almost anywhere and takes up significantly less space than the large tank-type heaters. We’ve put them in attics, under crawlspaces in homes — it can go virtually anywhere, including outside, which is nice.
The last selling point is service, and it is huge. We can be proactive with a tankless water heater, so that keeps the life cycle cost down. Nine times out of 10 when we have a leak — and I’m talking a drip — with a tankless water heater, it is due to the hard water we have in Southern California. Routinely, we install a drain pan under the heater so there is no damage.
Also, when we do a maintenance check on a tankless unit, which every contractor should do every 1 to 2 years depending on water quality in the area, I always remove the ports and look at the tube bundles. If I see signs of green or corrosion, I alert the homeowner by showing them the problem.
You can’t see inside a tank heater to determine the level of corrosion. Replacing these parts is covered under the warranty, so our customer isn’t paying out of pocket to keep the unit operating at peak efficiency.
Q: How did you make the decision to partner with Noritz for your tankless offering?
Jungers: One of the issues that I have always seen is that, with tankless water heaters, all the piping configurations come in at the bottom. What I like about Noritz, with the new EZ Series, installation is very easy, since all the plumbing and wiring connections go through the top. Noritz also makes venting really easy.
Now, with the 25-year warranty announced in January, picking Noritz is a no-brainer. I tell my customers: this is the product I have in my house. Make sure it is installed properly and is regularly maintained — and then forget it.
Q: How do you think tankless water heaters benefit your company?
Jungers: One of the things that attracted me to Noritz is they are very contractor-friendly. They cater to the contractor, as long as they install the units properly. They also honor their warranties. The hard water in California can scale up the water heater, and Noritz is really good in standing behind the product. It is also the easiest tankless unit to install, so every plumber on my crew is comfortable with this technology.
Q: How do you bring in the green aspect of the technology?
Jungers: The green aspects of the product that we highlight are: the low emissions into the atmosphere, the gas savings that come with heating only the hot water you’re using, and the water savings that come when you’re not waiting for hot water to arrive at the outlet. In California, this is a big deal, and customers like hearing it.
Q: What are the pain points with tankless and how do you eliminate them?
Jungers: There is a misconception about the difficulty of tankless. Plumbers, for the most part, are like “Pull out the old one, put in the same new one” without thinking about it. Tankless is different: You have to think about it — most especially where you are going to put it, proper sizing and venting. It isn’t hard; it is just different.
Q: Does the new EZ Series change the game for tankless water heaters?
Jungers: The EZ was developed to make things easier for our customers and hopefully bring down the installed cost of this technology. With the new EZ Series, not only is it a 25-year warranty, but it is easy to install because all the connections are through the top. Noritz has made it really easy to vent too; there are options to cover all the conditions.
Q: Do you really tell homeowners that tankless is the last water heater they will ever buy?
Jungers: My contractor buddies think I’m crazy to do this, but my question back to them is: Why wouldn’t I? I want that customer for life too. We do more than just plumbing for a customer; we want to be their source for heating, air, water filtration, full-service plumbing. If I can solve a leaky water heater with a product that solves their problem and provides peace of mind for 25 years, I stand a better chance that they will keep them using us.
With the cost of marketing these days, it is a no-brainer.
If the facilities you own or manage use tankless water heater systems, you most likely battle to find the best way to monitor and control the hot water needs of each site. Never mind troubleshooting the error codes of each individual heater, while minimizing, if not preventing, overall tankless water heater system downtime.
For a solution look no further: The new Noritz NWCC Wi-Fi adapter offers an organized, web-based dashboard and alert system that provides full visibility and control over your commercial tankless water heater systems.
How it works:
The NWCC Wi-Fi adapter can be used on a single commercial tankless water heater as well as multiple-unit tankless rack systems where the adapter connects to the rack’s system controller. One adapter can monitor up to 24 units in a single system.
Monitoring your tankless water heater sites has never been easier. Using your laptop, tablet or phone you can now stay up to date and informed on everything you need to know, remotely and in real-time. Should a problem occur, the NWCC adapter immediately transmits, via the web, all the relevant actionable error information to your laptop or smart device, enabling you to take immediate action to solve the problem and prevent further issues.
While most monitoring is done via a dashboard, with notifications sent via text or email, a dedicated mobile app is also available for download on smartphones and tablets. The Wi-Fi adapter is compatible with both iOS (Apple) and Android.
Let’s take a look at some of the features and benefits of the NWCC Wi-Fi adapter:
Complete visibility
Although the NWCC adapter provides many benefits, perhaps the most important is that you can continuously track the operational status of multiple tankless water heaters. The adapter keeps you current with multi-site monitoring and site-specific notifications, so that you can quickly and accurately identify which location’s system needs attention and when.
Operational problems left unchecked can turn into added operational costs and are therefore critical to track. The adapter also ensures that your system functions properly and efficiently.
Reduced downtime
The NWCC Wi-Fi adapter notifies you when a heater needs your attention by offering early service alerts that trigger timely reminders via email or text, allowing you to proactively anticipate maintenance needs. Maintaining your tankless water heater system can help you reduce downtime related to repair issues.
Focused troubleshooting
Physically checking each individual tankless water heater in multiple systems — including those that don’t need servicing or aren’t actually causing the problem — can be unnecessarily time-consuming and tedious. The NWCC adapter pinpoints the problem and transmits all error data, so you can focus on the true complication.
Customized, logic-based alarms
The NWCC Wi-Fi adapter allows you to customize your dashboards and alarm systems to speed comprehension and decision-making. You can set up alerts and notifications to be sent to designated individuals, allowing you to decide who receives what information.
The best thing you can do for your commercial tankless water heater systems is to invest in a tool that identifies issues that prevent them from performing as intended. The NWCC Wi-Fi adapter does just that. By understanding where problems originate, you can take proactive measures to direct your attention to the problem and ensure that your systems are in its optimal working condition.
As a manager, technician or mechanical contractor, it's important for you to capitalize on the latest trends and newest technologies. The NWCC Wi-Fi adapter will keep your systems running efficiently with minimal downtime.
For more information about the NWCC Wi-Fi Adapter visit: https://www.noritz.com/commercialwifi/
A checklist to follow for mechanical contractors and commercial facility owner-managers
on multi-unit tankless water heater systems.
Tankless water heaters in combination become a potent, problem-solving solution in larger commercial installations. Floor- and wall-mounted multi-unit rack setups — anywhere from two to six tankless heaters — provide flexibility and efficiency in both installation and operation.
Offered by Noritz America, these systems have provided solutions to complex commercial applications, both new and retrofit. A significant labor savings and time savings make the appeal of these multi-unit systems easy to understand.
To help ensure that the installation of these pre-engineered, prefabricated and pre-plumbed packages, delivered on an aluminum frame rack, is problem-free, we have prepared the following checklist that answers the most frequently asked customer questions and concerns — from initial order to operation.
Indoors, there are three venting configurations:
3 types of venting material can be used: polypropylene, PVC, and CPVC. With PVC or CPVC, a Noritz supplied adaptor (part # PP4xPVC-ADAPT) is needed to connect the PVC common vent header to the non-return valve of each tankless water heater.
One final item for your venting checklist: the dip switch settings. Depending on the vent configuration, there are corresponding dip switches located on the circuit board that need to be set. Failure to set these switches can result in error codes or operational issues.
To learn more about tankless water heater rack configurations, contact/visit https://www.noritz.com/racksystem/.
This second conversation with Noritz service technician lead Desiree Lovelady addresses warranties, maintenance, and fuel-cost savings.
Attracted to the energy efficiency and fuel-bill savings of tankless water heaters, more North American homeowners are making the switch to this technology. Tankless allows homeowners and their families to enjoy as much hot water as they want whenever they want it, while also saving energy by not needlessly heating and reheating that water when they don’t want it.
To obtain a deeper understanding of tankless water heaters and their benefits, we asked service technician lead Desiree Lovelady to address several of the common questions she hears from professional and consumer customers alike.
Q: How long is the warranty for Noritz tankless heaters?
Desiree Lovelady (DL): We have different versions of the warranty for our water heaters. For our residential units, the warranty on the heat exchanger has historically been 12 years, plus five years on other parts.
However, earlier this year, we introduced a 25-year warranty on the dual stainless-steel heat exchangers used by our EZ Series of residential condensing tankless water heaters. All four models in the series have a Uniform Energy Factor (UEF) of 0.96, and all are specially made for tank water heater replacement applications. This new warranty is a full decade longer than the longest warranty currently on the residential market and more than double Noritz’s previous warranty on these four products.
Because commercial units are engineered to run three times harder than a water heater inside a home, their warranties are necessarily shorter. But our newest commercial water heater, the NCC199CDV — with an energy rating of 98 percent — offers a full 10 years of protection on its heat-exchanger. It is one of the longest warranties in the commercial water heating business.
Q: Is maintenance necessary for tankless water heaters?
DL: Yes, it is — if you want to maintain your water heater’s high efficiency and therefore its ability to save you money on energy costs. We normally recommend an annual descaling of our residential units, just in case there are any issues with hard water in the home. The severity of such conditions, of course, varies by geography.
The interior of the water heater should also receive maintenance throughout the year. If dust or debris gets in the machine, it can cause numerous combustion issues. You can resolve this by using an air compressor to blow air into the interior of the unit. It’s not that difficult, and it will help maintain high performance, which is why you would purchase a tankless water heater in the first place.
Q: How can you have hot water moving only to certain fixtures in a home — that is, hot water for one bathroom, but not another?
DL: This issue usually involves a problem somewhere in the hot-water supply line in a home. Tankless water heaters have no sense of where they are moving hot water to once activated. The unit is simply looking for demand and turns on to meet that demand for hot-water flow once it finds it.
Sometimes a home can have an obstruction issue, such as a cross connection or blockage in the hot-water line to a fixture. Either can interfere with water being delivered where the homeowner needs it.
Q: How much money can a homeowner expect to save by replacing her storage-tank water heater with a tankless unit?
DL: Water heaters can account for at least one fourth of all energy consumption in a typical American household. Since a tankless water heater operates — and consumes natural or liquid propane gas — only when you need hot water, it can reduce energy consumption substantially. A Noritz tankless water heater could cut monthly fuel bills for water heating in half.
To learn more about other common questions for Noritz tankless water heater, please visit our FAQ page here: https://www.noritz.com/about-noritz/faqs/
Learn more about the products offered by Noritz by clicking here: https://www.noritz.com/products/
Offering an industry-best, 25-year warranty, the Noritz EZ Series uses on-demand recirculation to eliminate the wasteful wait for hot water.
What does a homeowner most want in a water heater?
#1 — Hot water at the expected temperature without delay at the tap or shower.
#2 — Uneventful, uninterrupted, perfect performance year after year after year…if possible, for as long as they live in their home.
Noritz now offers a way to achieve both of those critical objectives with a single product — its EZ Series of residential condensing tankless water heaters. Immediate delivery of hot water at the tap is available by combining one of the four EZ models with Noritz’s new RPK-EXT External Pump Kit, which provides the time-, water- and energy-saving benefits of hot-water recirculation.
At the same time, all four models in the EZ Series — EZTR50, EZTR75, EZ98, and EZ111 — come protected by an unprecedented 25-year warranty on the high-performance, dual stainless-steel heat exchangers inside these heaters. Made effective January 1, 2019, this warranty is a full decade longer than the longest water heater warranty in North America today and more than double Noritz’s previous warranty on these four products.
A quarter-century isn’t a “lifetime,” of course. But 25 years should easily cover the tenures of most Americans’ in their homes. American mobility has slowed over the past decade and a half, but the median stay was still only 9 years in 2016 and 2017, according to the National Association of Realtors1.
In other words, the new Noritz 25-year warranty is two and a half times the current duration of modern Americans in their homes. In fact, that much protection should enhance the value of a home when the time comes to put it up for sale.
Hot-water recirculation: One of modern life’s minor, but no less irritating, rituals is waiting for the hot water to arrive at the shower. Not only is this daily exercise in futility personally annoying, but it also wastes thousands of gallons of perfectly good water down the drain in the typical American home every year.
The problem can be easily solved by continuously recirculating warm water from the water heater throughout the home’s supply piping. Such systems route the water close enough to the shower head, so that it has just a short distance to travel when the shower is activated; that is, the water arrives at the outlet almost “instantaneously.”
The problem with continuous “recirc” systems: They keep the water heater running…and running, so that the circulating water stays warm. As a result, a household inevitably consumes more energy, even as it sends fewer gallons of cold water uselessly down the drain.
Like a conventional recirc system, Noritz’s new RPK-EXT kit delivers hot water to a faucet, shower or appliance in seconds, eliminating the usual water- and energy-wasting wait.
Again like the conventional recirc system, a dedicated return line routinely dispatches water sitting in the hot-water line back to the tankless water heater for reheating and recirculation.
Save energy and water: So what’s the difference between the two types of systems? The RPK-EXT recirculates warm water on demand — that is, only when it is actually needed. The kit also includes an RC-9018M Commercial Remote Control with customizable run times to match a household’s hot-water usage. The intent is to time pump operation for when hot water is most likely to be used; e.g., for morning showers, evening baths, etc.
By heating and delivering water strictly when someone turns on the hot water, the RPK-EXT Kit not only eliminates the wasteful wait for hot water, but it also minimizes power consumption and reduces energy costs.
Couple the RPK-EXT Kit with a 25-year EZ Series tankless water heater, and you have a hot water-delivery system designed to maximize both personal comfort and system efficiency year after year — most likely, for as long as you live in your current residence.
And isn’t that what every American wants for their home?
Noritz tankless water heaters are engineered to operate at maximum efficiency 24/7/365 for home and business owners. But occasional error codes can appear on the units. These codes can alert homeowners to problems that go unnoticed until complete unit failure. On the other hand, the meaning and import of individual codes may not be immediately available to them.
To ensure that water heater owners know what to expect when they receive an error code, we asked Desiree Lovelady, Noritz service technician lead, to review the five most common error codes. Some codes have relatively simple resolutions; nonetheless, but Noritz strongly recommends that you contact a licensed plumbing and heating contractor to deal with them.
This code indicates a combustion abnormality caused by an improper mixture of air and fuel. It can occur from an insufficient gas supply, blockage in a fuel vent, or debris in the fan motor.
This issue requires the skills of a licensed plumbing and/or heating contractor to check gas pressures, venting length and dip switches for the cause of the issue. When you see this code, contact a contractor right away!
This error means that there are improper circuit-board settings for a water heater. This can happen if a jumper connection or a dip switch is changed while power is supplied to the heater. An improperly programmed circuit board could also create the issue.
When this happens, unplug the heater for 30 seconds and then plug it back in. If this does not resolve the issue, please contact a licensed contractor.
This error code indicates an issue with condensate drainage. Condensing water heaters use a drain line equipped with a neutralizer to remove the condensate. If this line is blocked or proper drain piping is not used, the burner could flood.
The typical fix for this error code is to clean out the container and drain line of any debris or blockages. You should also make sure there are no flat runs or 90-degree elbows in the drain line.
This code signals an ignition failure, without which no water will be heated. Possible causes: an insufficient gas supply, problems with air flow, or debris on the ignition plug.
When seeing this error code, first make sure that your gas is on. If it is, check gas pressures and test the spark. Both tasks call for a licensed contractor.
This error code can pop up when there is considerable scale buildup in your water heater. Scale decreases heat-transfer efficiency and will make the heater burn hotter to compensate.
Annual maintenance, using a descaling procedure or water softener, can prevent this code. If you need further assistance, once again, contact a licensed contractor.
To learn more about the products offered by Noritz, click here: https://www.noritz.com/products/
For help with finding a licensed contractor to fix these various error codes, please use the Noritz Find a Service Rep tool.
The utilization of tankless water heating technology has risen in recent years. By choosing a tankless water heater, homeowners and building occupants are able to have hot water whenever the situation demands it. With the heaters using less energy than conventional storage-tank water heaters by operating only on demand, adopters of tankless technology can save money on their monthly energy bills.
But even while more American home and business owners are transitioning to tankless solutions, questions about how these water heaters operate can arise.
To provide a better understanding of the Noritz technology, service technician lead Desiree Lovelady sat down with us to discuss several of the most common questions she hears from both professional installers and their homeowner customers.
Q: What type of venting material is the most acceptable for installing a Noritz heater?
A: The venting material can vary, depending on the type of installed heater. For condensing water heaters, installers can use plastic — PVC, polypropylene, or CPVC — piping for creating a proper vent connection. In the case of non-condensing water heaters, the venting material must be Category 3 stainless steel.
Q: What is the difference between condensing and non-condensing heaters?
A: The main difference between the two is their efficiency. A condensing heater uses a secondary heat exchanger to create a preheat cycle, so you capture more of the heat from the exhaust — that is, a higher percentage of the height from the gas burner is used to warm the water. A non-condensing heater does not use a secondary heat exchanger to provide this additional heating, so its energy efficiency rating is not as high.
The other major difference is the use of a drain line. A condensing unit, as its name indicates, will produce more condensate than a non condensing unit. The drain line is used to ensure the condensing unit can drain away the condensate to perform at peak efficiency. This condensate is acidic. Consequently, if not properly disposed of, it can damage a home’s or building’s plumbing system.
Q: Is a re-circulation pump compatible only with certain Noritz units?
A: People may think a re-circulation pump, or circulation, is compatible with only certain units, because competitors have pumps that can be used with just a few water heater models. Re-circulation pumps are compatible with all tankless water heaters at Noritz. The tricky part about these pumps is sizing. If you use a pump not properly sized for your tankless heater, it will create problems.
Q: Is water treatment necessary for tankless water heaters?
A: In most cases, water treatment is necessary, but it depends on your water quality. We determine the quality based on the grains per gallon. If there is a large amount of grains in the machine, it can damage the water heater. When you have hard water to this extent, you do need to undergo water treatment in order to maximize the longevity of your heater.
Q: What is the average lifespan of a tankless water heater?
A: The average lifespan is between 10 and 25 years, depending on how well it is maintained. We do recommend annual maintenance on a Noritz tankless water heater. As long as you make sure you provide it with proper care, it can last a long time.
To learn more about other common questions for Noritz tankless water heater, please visit our FAQ page here: https://www.noritz.com/about-noritz/faqs/
Learn more about the products offered by Noritz by clicking here: https://www.noritz.com/products/