NORITZ BLOG

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Noritz doesn’t just make tankless water heaters, we also provide education on them for plumbers and engineers. Our training courses are now IACET accredited—and that makes a big difference for our customers.

Did you know that besides making high quality tankless water heaters, Noritz also offers instructional classes? We have become a major provider of formal training courses for HVAC professionals to learn the ropes of tankless water heating technology. And as of May, these courses are now accredited by a major adult education body, the IACET (International Association for Continuing Education and Training).

The IACET is responsible for setting quality standards and making sure that continuing education courses will truly live up to the expectations and needs of students. Only organizations accredited by the IACET can offer courses with Continuing Education Unit credit. Authorized CEU serves as a way to make sure that technical training from different providers lives up to a uniform set of standards.

At Noritz, our training classes are aimed at a variety of professionals: engineers, plumbers, technicians and anyone who works in HVAC design, installation or repair. The fact that we are now IACET accredited means that the professionals who take our classes not only walk away with new knowledge, but with a certified set of training that will be recognized by other institutions.

We originally established our training courses to address a lack of information in the industry about tankless water heaters. Offering this training is meant to benefits three groups of people:

• Noritz customers. One of the most important resources we offer to our customers is a lookup service to find certified Noritz installation specialists in your area. By offering this training, we increase the number of professionals who can install Noritz products.
• The plumbers and engineers themselves. Increasingly, plumbers and repairmen will find themselves looking at tankless water heaters, while engineers and HVAC professionals have more and more clients requesting this technology. It is to the advantage of anyone in the HVAC field to be well versed in tankless heaters and know how to implement or repair them.
• Homeowners generally. Tankless water heaters are simply a better technology than traditional water heaters: longer lasting, more convenient, cheaper to run and better for the planet. By increasing the number of professionals who work on these units, we improve the offerings available to homeowners everywhere.

At Noritz we want to be more than just a tankless water heater provider. We want to be champions for a technology we believe in. Going through the IACET application and accreditation process was rigorous and difficult, and we’re proud to have passed. It means we are providing only the highest quality education and that our customers will have more options than ever before.

How Can It Affect Your Home?

Hard water can be a pain when you’re trying to wash your hands. But it does much more serious damage where you can’t see it.

Depending on where you live you may have what’s known as “hard water.” Hard water is heavy in minerals and can be very destructive to pipes and water heaters, leading to costly repairs. However, there are ways to minimize the effects of hard water and some water heaters handle it better than others. Here is our complete guide to hard water.

How To Know You Have Hard Water

Hard water is water that contains three dissolved minerals: calcium, magnesium and manganese. All water has traces of these minerals, but it becomes “hard” when levels go above three grains per gallon (51 parts per million). Your water can be tested for these minerals, but in most cases you won’t need to. You’ll notice the effects for yourself, including:

• Soap will not “suds up” and reduced foaming/cleaning power from detergents
• Soap scum in sinks and bathtub rings in tubs
• Spots on clean dishes and shower doors
• Clothes require extra rinsing or look dingy after being washed

Why Hard Water is Bad

Besides the effects listed above, hard water can cause serious problems. The most well-known problem is that it clogs pipes. That’s because the minerals in hard water have a tendency to collect on the inside of pipes build up, and lead to damage and clogging. (Faucets and other fixtures can also be affected).

Another serious problem from hard water is that it decreases the efficiency of water heaters. Because they can start to clog up from mineral buildup, they have to work much harder to heat water and thus use more energy. The result is higher energy bills month after month. Hard water can also damage and destroy heaters altogether.

Solving Hard Water

Fortunately, there are solutions to hard water. The most common solution is to “soften” it. This is done with an “ion exchanging” water softener unit which should be installed at or near where your water supply first enters the home. The unit contains salts that “soften” the water (counteracting the “hardening” minerals) and prevent or reduce the effects of hard water. There are several types of ion water softener, but all of them work well as long as the instructions are followed.

Note that water softeners attached to faucets are not a good idea, because they may make it easier to get soap to foam up, but they do not prevent damage to pipes.

How Tankless Heaters Can Help with Hard Water Deposits

These days more homeowners are choosing tankless water heaters, since they are far more efficient than traditional water heaters. But how well do these units work when you have hard water?

The results are generally positive. Any device that handles water can become clogged by hard water. Although tankless heaters are not immune to clogs, they have a lot going for them. For one thing, since minerals in the water tend to clump together when heated, tankless heaters spend a lot less time heating water, and only do so when hot water is needed. Hot water in a traditional heater sits in the tank, getting plenty of time to build up on the tank walls as a tankless water heater, flushes through as soon as it is heated. Tankless water heaters, like all water heaters, should be cleaned regularly. If that is done, then they outlast traditional heaters substantially, even with hard water.

The Noritz tankless water heater product line can help you fight hard water where it matters the most.

See our current line of products here.

Hot Water for 20 Years: What Makes Noritz Tankless Water Heaters So Durable?

Durability is one of the most important qualities to consider when buying anything, often even more critical than price. Unless you’re 17 and clueless, you probably wouldn’t buy a ’96 Pontiac for $1,200—it likely wouldn’t last you the drive home.

When it comes to your water heater, you might be leaning toward a storage tank-type over a tankless only because the former is usually less costly up front (even though it actually isn’t in the long run). However, consider that while a tank-type water heater typically lasts 10-12 years, a tankless can keep on kicking for up to 20.

Why is that? Randy Oshiro, Assistant Manager of Engineering at Noritz, explains why tankless units will outlive tank-types.

They work less (and not in a bad way): To begin, tankless units are not operating nearly as much as tank types. Most families only use about an hour of hot water per day. Tankless water heaters provide hot water on demand, so the rest of the time is not spent wearing themselves out.

A tank-type, on the other hand, always strives to ensure that the stored water is hot and ready for whenever you turn on the faucet. This means it’s constantly cycling on and off, even for that long stint of time when no one is home during the day, thus causing unnecessary wear and tear and higher energy costs.

They’re built tougher: You may think that those giant, hulking tank-type water heaters must be built stronger with all of that steel, but it’s easy to forget steel’s inevitable weakness when water is involved—rust.

Noritz tankless water heaters are manufactured using mostly copper, plastic, or stainless steel; therefore rust won’t be an issue. They may be considerably smaller than tank-types—which is actually a plus because it saves space—but size doesn’t translate into strength and longevity in this case.

Water is less “hard” on them: Water hardness refers to the percentage of compounds in the water, like calcium and magnesium. “Hard” water will have a larger percentage of these minerals. In a tank-type unit, these compounds will gradually build up around the flue. Some will break off and settle at the bottom. Eventually, this buildup will impact heater efficiency (the fraction of available energy used to heat the water, as opposed to going up the flue) and even shorten the effective life of the storage tank.

The buildup potential is much lower in a tankless water heater because there are few places for it to collect. Even if some deposits do accumulate, the water rushing through the system often suffices to remove them.

Thus, under comparable conditions, a tankless unit will last longer than a tank-type. To maximize the chances of your water heater lasting a full 20 years, Oshiro offers the following tips:

Make sure to install it properly: In addition to having your unit professionally installed, it’s important to consider location as well. For example, if you install it in a laundry room, it may suck up damage-causing lint.

Perform regular maintenance: It’s important to descale your tankless water heater periodically. The frequency depends on your region’s water hardness. (See this water hardness map.) Preventative maintenance can go a long way to maximize unit life.

Ultimately, tankless water heaters’ longer life cycle does something magical to the higher up-front cost—it makes it irrelevant. In some cases, a tankless heater can last up to twice as long as a tank type! So it’s not inconceivable that you may have to buy two tank-type units during the lifetime of one tankless unit. If that doesn’t scream “go tankless,” then what does?

Tankless is Expensive

No one likes spending money (unless it’s someone else’s). This is especially true when an appliance breaks. All of a sudden you have to dish out the cash for something unexpected, meaning you must spend less on that vacation to Fiji, a new car or even that elaborate talking wristwatch-type gizmo.

No wonder then that many people balk at replacing their broken tank water heaters with a tankless model because of the perceived higher cost. It’s true that tankless costs more—up front at the time of their installation. What many do not realize is that tankless is a long-term investment. You may pay more now, but you will save money over time from Day 1, all while enjoying the benefits of hot water on demand.

Here are six reasons why the higher initial cost of tankless water heaters really doesn’t mean much:

1. Energy savings add up:

Tank-type water heaters are the second highest source of a home’s energy usage.  After all, the water stored in the tank has to be warm when you need it, meaning that throughout the day it’s being heated and reheated even when not in use. A tankless unit heats the water on-demand only when needed. That’s energy savings right there and, multiplied over many years, these savings will help recoup the extra money you spent going tankless.

2. Tankless costs are falling:

The costs of installing a new tankless water heater are now less than even a couple years ago. For example, the EZTR40 tankless water heater from Noritz has drastically simplified this process. Using two-inch, flexible polypropylene tubing threaded directly through the old tankless water heater’s existing B-Vent, the EZTR40 does not require a new vent. Its top-mounted water connections allow for quick and easy reconnections, without the need for new plumbing. Lastly, EZTR40 reduces labor time by up to half by utilizing the old tank unit's half-inch gas line. These savings have resulted in tankless units costing as little as 300 dollars more than tank-types in some instances.

3. Tank-type costs are rising:

In contrast to falling tankless prices, the costs of installing a tank type unit are increasing. New federal energy efficiency standards, effective this year, require a higher Energy Factor (EF) for all residential storage tank-type, gas, electric and oil water heaters. This means that tank-type manufacturers must implement expensive product-design changes that will inevitably increase manufacturing costs. Fortunately, tankless technology already meets and exceeds the demands of the new guidelines and does not need to change.

4. Rebates:

Many states and utilities have been offering rebates or tax credits for those who purchase energy-efficient products, including tankless water heaters. Depending on the amounts, these rebates can reduce, close or even exceed the cost gap between tank-type and tankless. Explore various energy rebates and credits here.

5. Tankless lasts longer:

While a standard, tank-type water heater typically lasts 10-12 years, the life expectancy of a tankless unit can be 20 years or longer. So it’s not inconceivable that you may have to buy two tank-type units during the lifetime of one tankless unit. So, what was that about tankless costing more?

6. It’s overall superior technology:

Tankless water heaters are more expensive than tank-type water heaters. Do you know what else? Blu-Ray is more expensive than VHS. Smart phones are more expensive than flip phones. Computers are more expensive than typewriters! You get my point. The world moves on and technology improves. It costs money to design state-of-the-art tankless water heaters that are more reliable, advanced and energy-efficient than their tank-type predecessors. You’ll pay more up front, but in the long run, you should not only recoup the extra costs, but actually spend less on hot water for your home.

Read Tankless Myths 1 in this series about Tankless Myths.

Promote Your Project & Win! We love our network of Noritz installers and all the amazing work they do. If you’re a Noritz installer, now is the time to show us!  We’re giving away a $100 prepaid Visa gift card with our #PromoteMyProject contest. All you have to do to enter is post a photo of your Noritz tankless water heater install on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #PromoteMyProject and you could win!

You’ll also get featured on all of our social media channels, giving you, your company and your work great exposure. What are you waiting for? Show us your Noritz installs! Contest ends July 3, 2015. For more details click here.

Promote Your Project & Win! We love our network of Noritz installers and all the amazing work they do. If you’re a Noritz installer, now is the time to show us!  We’re giving away a $100 prepaid Visa gift card with our #PromoteMyProject contest. All you have to do to enter is post a photo of your Noritz tankless water heater install on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #PromoteMyProject and you could win!

You’ll also get featured on all of our social media channels, giving you, your company and your work great exposure. What are you waiting for? Show us your Noritz installs! Contest ends July 3, 2015. For more details click here.

Save Space, Avoid Floods in Your Basement with a Noritz Tankless Water Heater

If you own a tank-type water heater, you’re probably used to having that water-storage tank crowding out space in your basement. You probably even have a hard time imagining a basement which, instead of housing that bulking behemoth, contains a Noritz tankless water heater that utilizes only a fraction of the space.

Although tankless water heaters provide many benefits, perhaps the most simple is evident right in the name—they don’t have a tank. No tank means two very crucial things for you the homeowner: You need not worry about leaks, and your basement suddenly opens up to new design possibilities.

No tank, no bursts

Fortunately, your tank-type water heater shouldn’t explode like in this Mythbusters episode, but the fact is that leaks and bursts do happen. According to Randy Oshiro, Assistant Manager of Engineering at Noritz, a water heater can spring a leak due to an over-buildup of scale and mineral deposits (click here to learn how to descale your water heater), rust and corrosion and pressure buildup due to overheating.

Although a tankless system is still susceptible to such things as scale buildup, you won’t ever have to worry about waking up only to find that the Great Flood has made an encore performance in your basement, at least not because of a water heater burst. Depending on the type of tankless water heater you own, there might be some water circulating within the unit, but not the gallons upon gallons you might find in a tank-type.

Saving Precious Space

Decluttering any space in your home makes it look cleaner and really allows you to get creative with design ideas. This is especially true for your basement, since that’s the place many homeowners keep the appliances they would prefer to have out of sight, like the furnace, boiler, washing machine, etc. Most of these appliances are unavoidably large, but your water heater doesn’t have to be, and that can free up precious living space. Because of its diminutive size, wall-hung tankless water heaters are easier to conceal behind a partition or inside a closet, leaving more space for furnishings, fixtures and other decorative elements.

A tankless water heater can be conveniently hung, so as to create more living space.

One homeowner we spoke to recalled that, had she installed a tank-type water heater in her laundry room, local regulations would have required the inclusion of a drip pan that would have protruded into the already tight working space. Instead of worrying about tripping over this pan every time she had a basket full of laundry, she decided to go with the wall-hung Noritz EZTR40 tankless water heater (measuring only 18.3 inches wide x 27.2 inches high x 9.4 inches deep), a decision that made the room safer, more attractive and more functional.

The absence of a tank does more than just provide more space for additional furnishings; it also eliminates the fear that such furnishings might be damaged by a leaky water heater. With tankless, you can place a designer couch or ottoman downstairs without worrying that it will be waterlogged one day from a water heater burst.

So the most obvious benefit of a tankless water heater is one of its best. You have enough things to store in your home. Hot water doesn’t have to be among them.

Tag Your Tankless Water Heater You Could Win!

Enter to win a $100 VISA prepaid gift card and all you have to do is show us where you would install your Noritz tankless water heater(or where it is already installed)! Submit your photos on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #TagYourTankless and you’ll be automatically entered in to win!

What are you waiting for? Get snapping! Contest ends May 31^st! Details here. LINK TO: https://www.facebook.com/notes/noritz-tankless-water-heaters/tag-your-tankless/10152895123326819

There’s a lot of things we have to do annually. Annual dental appointments are important to keep those pearly whites clean. Your smoke alarms should be checked once a year to ensure they are functional. If your car hasn’t had an oil change in a year, you’d better hightail it over to the nearest service station now!

With all these yearly tasks we’re forced to remember, wouldn’t it be nice to have something that you knew you could rely on for more than a year without maintenance? A Noritz tankless water heater could well be one such product.

Many believe that a tankless water heater needs annual maintenance, but that is a myth, according to Jason Fleming, marketing manager at Noritz America. “There’s no set time frame to service a tankless water heater,” explains Fleming. “It all depends on the hardness of the water.”

Water hardness refers to the percentage of compounds, like calcium and magnesium, in the water. Each region of the United States has water with varying levels of hardness. For example, many Western states have far higher water-hardness percentages than Northeastern states. (See this water hardness map.)

“The harder the water, the quicker those mineral deposits will build up in a water heater, be it tank-type or tankless, explains Fleming. Unlike a tank-type water heater, which forces the minerals to collect on the bottom of the storage tank, a tankless water heater pushes most of the scale through the system. If there is a buildup of scale somewhere in the tankless water heater, the burner will be forced to work at a higher temperature to properly heat the water. Eventually, the water heater, if it comes with scale detection software, will provide an error message that service is required

“In a very hard-water area, this could mean servicing the unit once a year, but in an area with softer water, you might go four to five years without any maintenance,” estimates Fleming. One way to cut down on the water hardness is to use a water softener with your tankless water heater.

To sum up: Maintenance frequency completely depends on location and whether the water heater has scale detection software. It occurs on a case-by-case basis, and there is no set schedule.

If you do get an error message and must descale or flush your tankless water heater, kits are available online to do it yourself. “We recommend a 60-minute flush, using a white vinegar as the descaling material,” advises Fleming. CLR-type products can be harsh on the copper heat exchanger within the water heater.

For more details on descaling your tankless water heater, including step-by-step instructions, please click here.

Read Tankless Myths 2 in this series about Tankless Myths. 

How often have you turned on the shower in the morning only to get an icy blast of cold water? For most, this is an everyday occurrence . Your solution has likely been to accomplish something else, like brushing your teeth, as the water heats up. Unfortunately, when you return to the shower, the water is hot, and probably has been for some time, meaning a fair amount of hot water has been lost down the drain. Over the course of a year, such waste of water and energy can prove costly both for you and the community.

Achieving instant and continuous hot water has long been a sought-after goal for homeowners and water heater manufacturers. No matter whether you have a tank-type or tankless water heater, though, hot water must always travel from the heater to the fixture, a distance that takes time to traverse. It means you must always wait for hot water. So what can you do to get truly “instantaneous” hot water? Place the water heater next to the shower?

Fortunately, you don’t have to resort to such extreme measures (although the size of a tankless water heater makes such a move far more practical). A solution that provides hot water with virtually no wait time is a hot water recirculation system. Recirculation operates through a “loop” created in a home’s or building’s plumbing system. In addition to supply lines connecting the water heater to each outlet, a recirculation system also contains either a return line back to the heater from each hot-water outlet or from only the farthest fixture. A circulating pump moves hot water through this loop — in some systems, even when there is no demand for hot water — resulting in “instant” hot water when the tap or shower is turned on.

You might be wondering how anyone can afford constant circulation, considering the energy costs of continuously heating and circulating this water. Although some water recirculation systems operate 24/7 (hotels), many are activated either by a timer (you preset a time for it to turn on), a motion sensor (it senses when you are approaching a fixture), or manually.

One more option exists for water recirculation systems — integrating the circulator into the water heater itself. The Noritz NRCP line of residential water heaters makes use of that technology. Instead of wasting energy by having hot water flow through the system continuously, an integral display on the front of the water heater allows homeowners to program the recirculation system only when needed, with a precision down to the hour.

An alternative, “auto” setting allows the system quickly to “learn” a household’s water-usage routines and automatically control the recirculation loop-activation times, allowing for immediate hot water when it is needed most.

“In order to maintain desired water temperature, the water heater’s recirculation control monitors the temperature of the water leaving the heat exchanger inside the water heater,” explains Randy Oshiro, Assistant Manager of Engineering at Noritz. “Once that temperature cools to a certain preset cutoff temperature, the burner kicks on again to heat the water to the set point temperature.”

An added feature of the NRCP is its internal circulation pump, which regularly circulates about half a gallon of warm water inside the unit, with a temperature sensor turning the burner on or off. This prevents freezing if the unit is not in use for an extended period during the winter. It also makes the water heat up more quickly since it’s already quite warm, allowing for an even shorter wait at the hot-water outlet.

In short, a hot water recirculation system keeps hot water flowing and ready for the moment someone turns on the faucet or shower. Time and temperature sensors control when the recirculation kicks in, ensuring that energy is not constantly being wasted. It truly provides heated water “on demand.”