NORITZ BLOG

Get the latest in Noritz news and announcements.

Taking a shower should be enjoyable, meant to energize you in the morning, calm you in the evening

and always leave you feeling refreshed and clean. Unfortunately, little annoyances can detract from the

overall experience, so we have created a list of the top five shower problems  and solutions to resolve them.

1. Running Out of Hot Water
If you have a tank-type water heater, there is a finite amount of hot water you can use before you deplete the reserve in the storage tank, which usually holds from 30 to 50 gallons. This becomes unpleasantly apparent whenever you start a shower after someone has just taken one for an hour—there is little to no hot water left.

A Noritz tankless water heater eliminates this problem. Unlike traditional water heaters, which constantly heat the water, tankless operates on-demand with a high-powered burner. This means that once you turn that faucet, the tankless unit will kick into gear, and you will enjoy as much hot water as you need for as long as you need it. You could even take a five-hour shower. Just don’t blame us for the water bill.

2. Waiting for Hot Water
When you step into your shower, you want to get clean now…not three minutes later when the water has finally warmed to a suitable temperature. Waiting around for warm water is not only an annoyance, but also an energy-waster, since potentially gallons of unused cold water — and hot water if you wait too long to get in — are flowing down the drain.

You may reduce the wait time for hot water by installing a tankless water heater, which will heat water on demand. However, this does not eliminate the time it takes for the water to travel from the heater to the shower head. A better solution involves installing a hot water recirculation system that will keep warm water close to the outlet with the help of a timer or sensor. The new Noritz NRCP Condensing Tankless Water Heater uses a built-in pump to circulate hot water on demand, eliminating both the wait for and the waste of hot water.

3. A Clogged Drain
Clogged drains can mean having to stand in stagnant water while showering. Yuck. Most of the time, hair and dirt cause these clogs, and they can be avoided by placing a hair catcher in your drain. Another preventive measure involves pouring a gallon of boiling water down the drain after showering to loosen up any remaining gunk.

For tougher clogs, you can use a bent wire to remove hair, dirt and soap scum. Vinegar or any CLR product can also be poured down the drain to unclog it. In some cases, a good old-fashioned plunger may be required to remove the obstruction. If none of these options work, it may be time to call a plumbing professional.

4. Reduced Flow
You are standing in the shower enjoying a refreshing blast of water when suddenly the torrent turns into a sprinkle and you can barely wash your hands, much less your body. What Most plumbing systems use a trunk-and-branch design, meaning that a large pipe (a “trunk”) runs from one end of the structure to the other, and smaller pipes “branch” off to individual fixtures. If you are taking a shower on the far end of your home and someone opens a faucet,starts a clothes washer or flushes a toilet, water will get diverted, and you will be left with less. Many fixes to this problem can be costly, such as increasing your pipes’ diameter so more water flows toward each fixture. One totally free option that you can implement today is to reduce your toilet’s water usage. Close the supply valve to your toilet slightly, so that it does not take in as much water. Check with a plumber before doing this, though, since the less water going to the toilet, the less flushing power it has!

5. Bursts of Hot Water
The opposite of running out of hot water in your shower is getting scalded by a sudden rush of This problem has the same cause as “Reduced Flow”: if you are in the shower and someone flushes a toilet elsewhere, cold water is getting drawn to the toilet. With less cold water “tempering” your hot water, the water coming into your shower will be much hotter than the Installing high-efficiency toilets should help alleviate this problem by reducing the amount of water needed to flush them. Another fix involves installing a thermostatic mixing valve in your showers. This device will modulate the hot- and cold-water flows, whatever the usage by other fixtures, to keep the temperature of the shower consistently safe as well as comfortable.

Are Tankless Water Heaters Too Small For Big Jobs?

We seem to feel more secure around larger people, objects, etc. Suppose you are a celebrity hiring a bodyguard. Who would you rather have protecting you? A 5-foot-2-inch, 110-pound teenager or a 6-foot-5-inch, 300-pound ex-football star? Tankless water heaters and water heaters tend to have the same effect.

That large tank in your basement or mechanical room is extremely reassuring. You know that there is water inside constantly warming up to fill your bath tub, sink or dishwasher. If you’ve never used a tankless water heater, it can be difficult to fathom how that compact, wall-hung unit can heat the water for an entire house or place of business. When you find yourself needing a new water heater, the temptation to stick with the larger tank-type unit can be decisive.

Unfortunately, your faith in size may be misplaced, because that larger tank-type heater will bring even larger headaches: higher energy consumption, a shorter life span and the threat of bursting. A properly-sized tankless unit from Noritz, on the other hand, will effectively handle any application without these problems.

According to Jason Fleming, Sr. Marketing and Customer Care Manager at Noritz, properly sizing a tankless water heater depends on climate and household needs.

Climate impacts the flow rate a given water heater can deliver. “Consider the differences between heating water in Los Angeles versus Chicago,” explains Fleming. “While in Los Angeles incoming water may be 65 degrees Fahrenheit, in Chicago it might be 45 degrees, and both water heaters need to raise the temperature to 120 degrees. Thus, in the colder climate, the water heater needs to heat incoming water by a greater amount to meet the desired temperature, which requires a more powerful unit — as measured in BTUs per hour — to maintain identical flow rate.” Essentially, a colder climate will require more BTUs and a warmer climate, fewer — assuming household needs are equal.

Household needs are rarely equal, however, and that is the second part of the equation for sizing a water heater. For example, a household in Florida that uses three times the amount of water in a given hour than a household in Alaska may need a larger unit to meet demand, despite the warmer climate.

No matter what your water needs, Noritz has a tankless unit to meet them, and you can use the Noritz tankless sizing calculator to find out what will work best. Tankless units may be much smaller than tank-types, but they will easily handle any water demands while using far less energy. In fact, their small size is actually an advantage in that it opens up space in your basement, mechanical room, etc. In warmer sections of the country, you can even install them outdoors.

It may be that we naturally feel safer around larger things, but when it comes to tankless versus tank, David beats Goliath.

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