NORITZ BLOG

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Homeowner Michael Craig of California drives an electric car, uses a “smart thermostat” and is considering installing solar power in his home, all in the name of going green.

His most recent project involved swapping out his energy-guzzling storage tank heater with the ENERGY STAR-certified EZ98-DV high-efficiency, condensing tankless water heater, donated by Noritz.

An EZ Solution For WiFi Tankless Water Heating 

The EZ98’s 0.95 energy factor convinced Michael, owner of Bytelaunch digital marketing agency, that this was a green device he wanted in his home, as it would fire only when needed, instead of continuously, like a storage tank heater.

In addition to yielding energy savings, the EZ98 would bring Michael’s water heating system into the 21st century with its WiFi capability. By downloading the Noritz Connect app, he could take advantage of various remote functions, such as controlling the unit’s temperature and viewing error codes.

The EZ98’s direct-replacement design also streamlined Michael’s installation:

• Unlike traditional tankless models, which offer only bottom-mount water-supply connections, the EZ98 unit’s connections are top-mounted—just like on the storage-tank unit being replaced. This eliminated the need for Michael’s plumber to run additional plumbing lines, saving time and labor on the water connections.
• Venting options are also flexible, ranging from dual- or single-pipe (made of PVC or CPVC), to 2-inch Flex, which can be fed through the existing B-Vent. Michael’s plumber ultimately used the 2-inch Flex.

• The EZ98 has the potential to utilize the same, half-inch gas line as the storage tank water heater it replaces, which was the case for Michael, eliminating the costs of having to upsize.

First Impressions Of The Noritz EZ98

After installation, the EZ98 began heating the 1,800-square-foot home without issue, supplying hot water for three full bathrooms, a laundry room and a kitchen. Michael reports stable water pressure and temperatures with the new unit and never runs out of hot water in the middle of a shower anymore. The wall-hung unit also yields space savings, making moving around the laundry room easier.

Conclusions on Gas Bill Savings From The Noritz EZ98 

Most striking have been Michael’s energy savings. Since the EZ98 fires only on demand, the gas savings began to accrue from Day One. In 2016, with the storage tank heater, Michael’s monthly gas bill totaled an average of $17.19. In 2017, with the tankless water heater in place, the average monthly bill has decreased to $14.14. Estimates Michael, “We are saving an average of 17.7 percent on our monthly gas bill, largely due to the new unit.”

To learn how tankless can benefit you like it did Michael, please visit www.noritz.com

Noritz helps save an Orlando, FL community from the perils of zombies… zombie houses, to be exact, with tankless water heaters

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Zombie houses (nothing to do with the undead) are the unfortunate result of the flood of foreclosures that occurred when the housing bubble burst in 2008. In some cases, houses were abandoned by homeowners and ignored by banks, leaving homes to decay as homeowners around the property helplessly endured the growing blight on their neighborhoods.

Enter Keith Ori, CEO of Parhelion Homes and cast member of FYI and A&E Network’s “Zombie House Flipping.” Kicking off its second season, the crew finds and purchases these abandoned homes, renovates them, and then flips them — selling the renovated homes for a profit and restoring the neighborhood’s sanctity at the same time.

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The crew of Zombie House Flipping steps in at Copeland Avenue

Such was the case with a property Ori helped locate on Copeland Drive in Orlando, Florida. Originally built in 1930, the 3,000 square foot home had been vacant for five years, and was badly in need of repair. With four bedrooms and three full bathrooms, plus kitchen, laundry, and other living space, the house was one of the few in Orlando that also had a basement. Located near the city’s historic center, the house was also already plumbed for gas.

So when the crew began to think about improvements, a gas tankless water heater, which could easily be installed in the home’s basement, topped the list.  The model Ori chose was a Noritz Residential NRC98-DV-NG vented for indoor use.

Noritz fits with the vision of the house

Ori and the rest of the Zombie House Flipping crew always renovate with an eye toward energy-efficient solutions, so the Noritz NRC98 hit the mark, especially when compared to electric storage water heaters.

“The whole idea that with a regular tank-style water heater, 24 hours a day you’re keeping 40 to 50 gallons of water hot at all times…if you ask yourself how much sense that makes, it almost sounds preposterous,” says Ori. “We’re using an enormous amount of electricity all across the country to keep water hot 24 hours a day when we only use it in very small intervals. Gas non-storage water heaters are sort of a common sense solution that I think a lot of people in the United States are coming around to.”

Aside from the energy savings made possible by a tankless unit that only fires on demand, Ori noticed major installation benefits.

“Literally the biggest surprise we had during the installation was how easy it was. We’ve used units by other manufacturers, and the venting wasn’t quite this simple and intuitive to use.”

Noritz tankless adds value

The real estate listing for the house at Copeland Avenue included specific mention of the tankless water heater, and Ori says that’s far from accidental. “It unquestionably adds value to the property. When people buy a house, they’re looking at the value of the house and the equity. But the second thing that people look at is what it’s going to cost them to own it. Lowering the operating costs is a big deal. It’s a definite selling feature.”

Ori says the family who purchased the house at Copeland Avenue were savvy buyers who understood the basics of no-tank water heaters even before they moved in. Now, the unit provides constant and unlimited hot water for all of their needs.

The future of water heaters

Ori’s experience with this Noritz unit has inspired him to go tankless as often as possible. “We’re going to do this type of unit in every house where it’s practical to do it. It’s a big selling feature,” says Ori.

As for this house in particular, Ori couldn’t be more pleased with the overall outcome. “This is a spectacular house. We won the 2017 City of Orlando historic preservation award for the work we did here.”

The house’s renovation fit with Ori’s philosophy on how to bring a historic house into the modern era. “When I do historic houses, what I try to do is infuse modern convenience while keeping the original architecture,” he says. “The Noritz is just one of those modern aspects,” continues Ori. “You’re living in a house that has these great bones, but you know inside your head that when you turn the hot water on, you’re never going to run out. That is definitely not historic – that’s future stuff right there.”

To view the episodes of Zombie House, please visit https://www.fyi.tv/shows/zombie-house-flipping/season-2/episode-10

Common-Venting Tankless Water Heaters

As a contractor, your number one question when installing a water heating product likely is: “How simple or complex is the job?” When you hear about a new product, you probably evaluate its worth based on what labor and time savings it can offer you and your crew.

If you’ve seen the new NCC199CDV condensing tankless water heater from Noritz, designed for commercial applications, you may have noticed that is has been approved for common-venting up to six units by the CSA Group (formerly the Canadian Standards Association). This labor-saving feature may be enough to justify the product in your eyes. If not, let’s walk through exactly what this common-venting capability means for your installers.

As you may know, common venting differs from individual venting in that it allows multiple tankless water heating units to share a single vent in an application. This brings with it a number of installation benefits.

Reduced vent terminations

Since you are running multiple water heating units through one vent in a common-vented application, you save the time it could have taken to make all those additional wall or roof penetrations. Consider the use of 24 NCC199CDV heaters in a large commercial application. Since up to six can be common-vented together, it means you would need only four penetrations. Venting the 24 units individually would involve six times the penetrations and six times the work.

Fewer necessary supports

Fewer vent pipes also means less labor and lower material costs when it comes to adding necessary support hangers for each of your runs. Installing support hangers can become extremely labor-intensive on larger commercial projects when the vent runs climb into the double digits. A unit like the NCC199CDV needs only one set of hanger supports per six water heaters.

Longer vent runs

In general, a common-vented configuration will allow you to run venting for longer distances and broaden your installation flexibility. According to Randy Oshiro, Lead Engineer at Noritz, the maximum run for common venting up to four units with 8-inch diameter pipe is 200 feet. The maximum run for individual venting with 3-inch diameter pipe is only half that distance.

Cleaner aesthetic

Finally, a common-vented system offers a much cleaner look. The potentially large number of vents and terminations required for an individually vented, commercial configuration could make the site look messy and cramped when compared with a common vent.

Common venting clearly has its benefits for commercial applications, which is why the NCC199CDV can be a game-changing product for many installers. To learn more, please visit https://www.noritz.com/products/ncc199cdv/

Discover how to protect your home’s plumbing system, including your tankless water heater, from Old Man Winter

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Winter is coming. If you live in the top third of the country, it means changing your entire lifestyle: from the way you dress, to the way you drive, to—yes—the way you maintain your home plumbing system.

The main danger your plumbing system faces during the winter is water freezing inside your pipes. This can cause, at the very least, nothing to come out of the tap; at worst, a pipe burst from the pressure of the ice.

Thankfully, it’s not too hard to take precautions to prevent this from happening.

Keep Your House Warm

The simplest way to keep your indoor pipes from freezing is to keep the house warm, even when you’re not home. Always set the temperature to at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit; set it higher if you live in a particularly cold region. Keep your windows, doors and garage closed, especially if you have nearby piping or plumbing appliances.

At the same time, check your home for any cracks in the floors, walls or ceilings that might let in cold air. If found, caulk them shut.

Insulate Your Pipes

Protect the pipes themselves by wrapping them in insulation sleeves, slip-on foam or heat tape. Make sure they are completely insulated without any gaps.

An old trick to prevent pipe freezing is to let a faucet drip at roughly 0.1 to 0.2 gallons per minute. This keeps water moving through the pipes and minimizes the chance of a freeze. If you have pipes behind a service door in the basement, keep it open so that they are exposed to the room air.

Protect your water heater

If you have a traditional storage tank water heater without freeze-prevention technology, be sure to insulate it. For tankless water heaters, this shouldn’t be necessary, as long as they are plugged into a power source. Noritz units have built-in electric heaters that provide freeze protection.

For added protection, consider installing a draft blocker at the heater’s exhaust termination. It will stay closed unless exhaust pushes it open, thereby preventing cold winds from blowing down the flue and potentially freezing the heat exchanger.

If you happen to be installing a new heater, make sure the vent runs are longer than five feet for wind protection. Also make sure the venting is above the snow line to prevent the white stuff from clogging the exhaust.

Finally, check the venting for any critters trying to make their nests for the winter. Blockages can cause exhaust to back up into your home.

See more tips on protecting your tankless water heater from the cold

Winterize your summer home

If you have a summer home or some other residence that will be vacant during the winter, you’ll need to take a few extra steps to protect its plumbing system.

Close the water supply valve and open all drain lines. Drain any appliance that uses water. This includes toilets, water heaters (both storage tank and tankless types), dishwashers, etc. Use an air compressor to blow excess water out of your plumbing lines, and pour plumbing antifreeze into your drain traps. You don’t want to take the chance of water freezing anywhere in your plumbing system.

Call a professional to perform these tasks if you do not feel comfortable doing them yourself.

Don’t forget your hose

Whether you’re winterizing a summer home or simply preparing your current residence for the winter, remember to disconnect your garden hose and drain the water from the external faucet. A garden hose can crack during the winter if it’s left out.

The same applies to sprinkler systems. In this case, the best advice is to call a professional to blow out water in the underground lines.

Once you’ve followed the above tips, pour yourself a nice cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the winter, knowing that your home plumbing system is protected!

For more information on protecting your home plumbing from winter, check out these websites:

https://www.bobvila.com/articles/winterizing-pipes/

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/how-to-drain-pipes-winter

Groundbreaking NRCB Combination Boiler Unit Heats Space, Water Simultaneously

Combination boilers that provide both water- and space-heating have become a compact, energy-efficient option for homeowners wishing to save energy and reduce their count of necessary appliances.

To date, all combination boilers on the market have operated in such a way that only water or space can be heated at any given time—never simultaneously. Although in many applications this hasn’t been an issue, some homes retain heat less efficiently, so that occupants may notice a dip in the ambient temperature when domestic hot water is in use.

Noritz has solved that potential problem by unveiling the NRCB—the first combination boiler capable of heating both water and space at the same time.

Heat what you want, when you want

Simultaneous heating marks a new standard in combination boiler design. It includes the full energy-saving power of a tankless water heater: no tank, no storage, no unnecessary heating of water when you’re not around. At the same time, its boiler heats your home at a 95% AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency). Since these functions can now be run simultaneously, you need not worry about any post-shower shivers due to the space temperature decreasing.

Get great tankless water heater rebates

The NRCB’s fuel-saving performance allows it to meet “Energy Star Most Efficient” standards, which represent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s highest efficiency rating. It has also achieved Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) certification. These distinctions qualify it for various state energy rebates, which will help offset the cost of switching to a combination boiler.

You can use the following online database to find local rebates: https://www.dsireusa.org/

Also worth noting are the NRCB’s low emissions (14 parts per million) that exceed expectations in all states, including California, which has the most stringent regulations.

Noritz uses high performance components in the NCRB

The NRCB is also the first combination boiler to use 316L copper primary and secondary heat exchangers, which have higher corrosion resistance than traditional heat exchangers. The payoff: increased durability and a longer lifespan. The product includes a 10-year warranty on heat exchangers, five years on parts, and one year on reasonable labor.

In addition, a flow control valve, unique to Noritz combination boilers, ensures a consistent temperature for domestic hot water, regardless of the incoming water temperature. As a result, you’ll enjoy greater domestic hot water flow and more precise temperature stability.

In addition, auxiliary pump connections, outdoor reset control and recirculation capability are all built-in, thus minimizing the number of separate accessories that must be purchased to perform those functions. Everything is right there in a compact, 100-pound unit.

The NRCB takes the best features of both boilers and tankless water heaters, combining them into one unit without sacrificing performance. Why have two appliances when you can have one that does the job of both more efficiently?

Learn more and/or find out how to install one in your home at https://www.noritz.com/NRCB/

The Noritz Connect WiFi app brings your tankless water heater fully into the internet of things and the growing trend of “smart home” technology. When paired  with the Noritz wireless adaptor, the app lets you remotely monitor and adjust various data and features on your tankless water heater.

Setup is simple and straightforward, but to help you, here is a step-by-step guide to getting your Noritz WiFi feature online.

Downloading the Noritz Connect App

1. Install the app in one of two ways:

• If you have an iPhone, go to iTunes
  and search for NORITZ CONNECT.
• (Coming Soon) If you have an Android, go to the Google Play store and search for NORITZ CONNECT.

2. Press the “Sign Up” link on the bottom of the screen. It will take you to a form where you will type in your Email and password and hit “Register.”

3. Now you need to connect the app to your Noritz water heater model. You can do this in one of two ways:

• Manually type in your heater’s Model Number and Serial Number.
• Use your phone’s QR code scanner to scan the QR code on the water heater. When you do this, the Model Number and Serial Number will automatically populate.

4. Complete registration by typing in your name, address, phone number, and the type of application for your water heater. You can minimize the app for a moment, but you will return to it at the end of setup.

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*Image refers to steps 1-4 in “Downloading the Noritz Connect App” section

Setting Up and Connecting the WiFi Adaptor

5. Open the front cover of your adaptor.

6. Press and hold the AP button on your NWC Adaptor for three seconds. Adaptor Access Point Mode will activate with the indication of all three lights flashing twice.

7. Now you need to connect your phone to the water heater WiFi adaptor. Without closing the app, go to the WiFi settings menu on your phone and locate the adaptor. The adaptor’s WiFi signal name will start with NAW and end with the unique SSID number that you can locate on the product WiFi adaptor information sticker on the plastic cover. Click on it.

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8. You will be prompted to type in a password. Type in the KEY number located on the WiFi adaptor label.

9. Now, return to the Noritz Connect app on your phone and press “Next” on the Connect NWC-Adaptor screen. You now will have two options in paring your adaptor to your home WiFi Router.

Option 1: Press and hold the WPS button on your router for three seconds. Then, press and hold the WPS button on the adaptor for three seconds or more.

If your router does not have a WPS button, you will have to use Option 2 to manually establish the connection. Search for the router network on your phone. When you find it, type in your Home Wireless Router Password to complete the connection.

(The Adaptor’s Unit (red) Router (yellow), and Server ( Green) lights will each come on as the connection is made. Once all three light indicators are on, the Noritz Connect Adaptor has a solid connection.)

10. Give the app a moment to make the connection from the WiFi adaptor to your home WiFi Router. It will then connect and say “Heater Online.” If the app fails to make the connection, press the retry button and proceed with steps 5-10 again.

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Additional Tips

• Before starting WiFi setup, be sure you have an internet connection and are using a compatible Noritz product. (For example, NRCP/CB models are not compatible with WiFi.)
• The Noritz WiFi Adaptor does not provide a traditional internet connection. It utilizes a WiFi signal to connect to your home WiFi router.
• The wireless adaptor is weatherproof and can be installed outdoors.
• The adapter can be extended up to 300 feet by splicing the cord and using 18 gauge wire to extend the cord to the appropriate length.
• The adaptor operates only on a 2.5 ghz frequency.
• For the best WiFi connection, install the adaptor on the same floor as your router with minimal wall separation.
• Avoid installing the adaptor in buildings with metal structural members or near elevators and fire doors.

For more information on the Noritz Connect WiFi app, please visit https://wifi.noritz.com/

Meet the New Noritz Low-NOx Tankless Water Heater

Noritz is committed to reducing pollution by coming in under emissions standards in California and — eventually — other states

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are air-polluting compounds that react with the atmosphere to produce ozone and acid rain. Ozone creates smog and reduces the quality of breathable air, while acid rain can damage crops and unbalance entire ecosystems.

Human activities trigger the formation of most NOx emissions, since the compound is created when fossil fuel is burned at high temperatures, such as during the gas-combustion process in an automobile. Cars are some of the largest producers of NOx, which is why owners across the country must submit their vehicles to periodic emissions testing.

NOx Emissions Regulations  

NOx emissions are not limited to the auto industry, however. With the high temperatures generated by their combustion process, water heaters are also sources of NOx emissions and can contribute to air pollution. To limit these emissions, several air quality management districts in the state of California require that water heaters release no more than 20 parts per million (ppm) of NOx emissions.

“California tends to be a trendsetter for green energy requirements,” says Noritz engineer Eric Manzano. “Other states look to the Golden State as an innovator in this regard, and I wouldn’t be surprised if more begin to adopt these low-NOx emissions standards.” In fact, Utah recently became the first to adopt the same low NOx requirement, effective July 2018.

Why the Noritz Low-NOx  Units Are Ahead of the Game

Noritz has been able to not only meet California’s strict, low-NOx standard, but actually exceed it, with its latest additions to the EZ Series line of ultra high-efficient condensing tankless water heaters. The Energy Star-rated EZ98-DV and EZ111-DV heaters have a nitrogen oxide-emissions level of only 14 ppm, or six ppm less than the California requirement.

Manzano explains that the low-emission levels in the EZ models derive from a significant redesign of the traditional tankless model. “We made alterations to the burner and gas valve to far exceed the requirement.” Pre-mixing makes the fuel/air mixture more even. Since NOx is more prone to form in pockets of extra air or lower levels of gas, regulating the fuel/air mixture helps keep this process better under control.

The Noritz Low-NOx Tankless Water Heaters  Are Future-Proof

With their low-NOx emissions, the EZ units are prepared to meet not only the current code, but also future revisions that might lower the maximum emissions level even further. The company will also be ready if and when other states join California and Utah in implementing similar requirements.

The EZ Series, with its top-mount water connections and multiple venting options, is best known among contractors for its ease of installation when replacing storage-tank water heaters. But the low-NOx rating is a major benefit for the environment as well, says Manzano: “With these new water heaters, you can enjoy hot water on-demand, with minimal energy use and in an environmentally friendly way.”

For more information on the EZ Series, please visit https://www.ezseries.noritz.com/

7th Heaven Star Beverly Mitchell Goes Tankless With Noritz

Beverley Mitchell went three weeks without hot water in her search for the right solution — tankless

Even Hollywood stars are not immune to broken water heaters and the resulting inconveniences. Beverley Mitchell — best known for playing Lucy Camden on the TV show 7th Heaven (1996-2007) — found this out when her 75-gallon storage-tank water heater burst, causing a very unglamorous flood in her garage.                        

Instead of immediately replacing it with another storage-tank heater, like most people do, Beverley and her husband decided to take their time and get it right. “We had been thinking about going tankless for a really long time, so my husband wanted to research various options before making a decision,” she says. “The burst had taken us completely off guard, and we wanted to pick the right solution.”

Days turned into weeks. “I admit, my patience with my husband was wearing thin after he kept insisting on doing his ‘thorough’ research,” Beverley laughs. “I was literally boiling water just so my children could have warm baths. My cold showers were becoming downright painful. It was extremely humbling.”

Finally, after three frigid weeks, the Hollywood couple chose a Noritz-donated EZTR75 tankless water heating package as their solution. “We were impressed by the brand’s high quality and top-notch customer support,” Beverley says. “But most of all, we loved the product.”

Beverley highlighted the following features of the EZTR75 that most appealed to her:

Ease of Tankless Install

Beverley was thrilled with the simplicity of the replacement. Because the EZTR75 comes with top-mount water connections and is compatible with existing venting, it allowed for a direct, uncomplicated replacement of her 75-gallon, storage-tank water heater.

“It was great that we didn’t have to re-plumb anything or install new venting,” she says. “It was as clean a swap as you can imagine.”

Read more about how easy it can be to replace your storage-tank water heater

Hot Water Energy Savings

Unlike a storage-tank heater, which needs to fire periodically 24/7 to keep the water warm, a tankless unit fires only on demand, thereby using less energy. “We’ve seen a big dip in our gas bill,” Beverley notes, “It no longer fires when we’re not home.”

She’s even perceived another interesting effect. “I honestly feel the garage is cooler since we don’t have that old heater firing up all the time.”

Tankless Space Savings

Beverley is delighted about the extra space added to her garage with the removal of her bulky storage-tank heater. “I love that the new water heater is wall-mounted,” she says. “It looks very clean and has opened up a lot of space that we can use.”

WiFi Capability

The new unit is compatible with the recently introduced Noritz Connect WiFi application, which lets users monitor and adjust their water heaters on their mobile devices. “The WiFi is really cool, because we can control the heater from anywhere when we’re not home,” Beverley says. “I’ve already used it to turn my heater off remotely when I was out of town, and it was super easy.”

Hot Water ON DEMAND

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Most important of all for Beverley is that, after suffering without it for weeks, she now gets hot water anywhere in her home on demand. Plus, with the recirculation system that was also installed, she gets it nearly instantaneously.

“It’s a large house with four bathrooms and three showers that we use on a regular basis. My master bathroom is on the other side of the house, at the furthest possible point from the heater. We get hot water very quickly even there,” she says.

In the end, Beverley knows one thing for sure: “Never again will I take hot water for granted.” Her experience with cold showers and the need to boil water was aggravating, but it has also made her more grateful than ever for the benefits of tankless. “Even though those three weeks were rough, the end result has been far greater than I ever expected.”

To check out Beverley’s blog, visit https://www.growinguphollywood.com

Watch How the Noritz EZ Series Makes Swapping Out Tank for Tankless a Cinch

Easily and quickly replace virtually any size tank water heater with its corresponding EZ model.

Replacing a 40-, 50- or 75-gallon, storage-tank water heater is never fun. Aside from draining the tank and carrying the heater out, you must also create new plumbing connections. All that additional piping often raises material costs and labor time. But now, if you’re replacing a tank unit with a tankless water heater, you can count on a faster, easier installation with the EZ Series from Noritz.

Designed expressly for the North American market, the EZ Series of tankless water heaters comes equipped with top-mounted, hot- and cold-water connections, a half-inch gas line input, and has the option to use a flexible vent piping that can be fed directly through existing B vents. More on these key features in a bit.

The EZ Series includes two available bundle packages, called the EZTR50 and EZTR75. These packages contain the EZ98 and EZ111 tankless water heaters, respectively, plus a flex vent conversion kit (25 feet of two-inch flex) and an isolation valve kit.

The two new units join the EZTR40 to provide direct replacement options for 40-, 50-, and 75-gallon storage-tank water heaters. Now, no matter what size unit you must replace, the aforementioned features make it a seamless transition:

• Top-mount water connections: Normally, tankless water connections are on the bottom of the unit, necessitating extra plumbing and labor. The EZ Series’ top-mounted connections allow the flexible water lines used by the previous tank heater to be quickly and easily reconnected to the new unit. Not only does this save time and money traditionally spent purchasing and running new plumbing around the unit, but the top-mounted connections also give the final application a cleaner look.

• Multiple venting options: EZ units offer four different venting options. Besides outdoor installation in warmer climates, an installer can use dual- or single-pipe (made of PVC or CPVC), as well as two-inch Flex. The latter can be fed through the existing B-Vent — again saving time and new material costs.

• Half-inch gas-line capability: EZ units may be able to use the same half-inch gas line as the tank units they are replacing. This time- and cost-saving option depends on incoming gas pressure and the distance of the water heater from the gas meter.

This trio of key benefits has been achieved in numerous field installations to date. Take, for example, Ben Bogie, owner of Built to Last Contracting in Connecticut, who recently specified an EZ unit for a residential project.

“The top-mounted connections are particularly useful to an installer,” says Bogie. “Not only do they save a bunch of labor, but the savings get passed along to the consumer as well.”

The EZ Series will help installers modernize any existing home to provide clean, energy-efficient hot water on demand. Going tankless has never been easier.

For more information and a great visual, check out this new video showcasing the benefits of the EZ Series from Noritz.

Mobile shower truck employs a Noritz propane-fired tankless water heater to produce enough hot water for up to 10 hours of showers for the homeless.

Nashville is home to roughly 4,000 homeless men, women and children. Among them is Kenneth, an army veteran who lives with his service dog in a tent near the Cumberland River. Although Kenneth has access to food, drinking water and clothing, there is one resource he has gone without for up to seven weeks at a time—a shower.

Those who have showers take them for granted, not realizing they are a luxury for people like Kenneth. In fact, fewer than a dozen showerheads are available for Nashville’s homeless population, and many are located far away or do not allow service animals. Without access to showers and proper hygiene, many homeless people are unable to acquire a job that would help them escape the prison of poverty.

Paul Schmitz, who works in donor fundraising for a Christian fundraising ministry, was one of the few non-homeless people who recognized the plight of those without access to regular showers. Motivated by the Gospel message to love and care for “the least” of those among us, Schmitz has long been involved with helping the homeless.

“In 2016, I began looking for the ‘next’ need that wasn’t being met in the homeless community and realized it was showers and basic hygiene,” recalls Schmitz. “At that point, ShowerUp was born.”

After a successful fundraising effort in late 2016, Schmitz raised enough money to purchase a truck that would put his idea of a mobile shower station into practice.  Three sink and shower units would be installed inside the truck that would serve the homeless for up to 10 hours at a time. Water supply would come from a local fire hydrant, and drainage would flow into a storm sewer.

Of course, Schmitz knew that none of this would be possible without hot water. To that end, he set himself the task of finding the highest-performing water heater possible.

Tankless water heating technology was necessary due to the water capacity and storage truck capabilities.  

From the start, Schmitz recognized that only one water heating solution would be practical for his application. “Our truck does not have water storage capability, so a storage tank water heater wouldn’t have worked,” he explains. “Plus, its heavy weight and large size would have used a sizable amount of space. We had to go tankless.”

Lee Company, Schmitz’s general contractor, recommended a Noritz water heater. “Noritz makes some of the most reliable, installer- and maintenance-friendly water heaters on the market,” says Robert Cox, Manufacturing Supervisor at Lee Company, which handled the installation.

“We wanted a best-in-class water heater,” says Schmitz. “I’m never a fan of serving the homeless with second-rate products.” Noritz donated an NRC98-DV propane-fired water heater that was installed inside the mobile shower station.

Schmitz calls hot water the “key element in ShowerUp’s goal of showing people love, compassion and care.” He praises the following benefits of tankless:

Energy efficiency: Since they don’t store water, tankless water heaters don’t constantly fire on and off; instead, they heat water precisely when needed, for as long as needed. This is particularly beneficial to Schmitz’s efforts, since he’s limited in the number of propane tanks he can transport at any one time.

“We have two propane tanks that power everything on board, including the generator, air conditioning and hot water heater,” he says. “I can attest that the water heater’s energy efficiency significantly contributes to our ability to run three showers at a time for up to 10 hours, along with everything else.” Installer Cox echoes Schmitz’s estimation. “We wouldn’t have been able to add a third propane tank to the bus, so the efficiency element was crucial,” says Cox.

Unlimited hot water: Most important for a mobile shower application is reliable access to hot water at all times. “On-demand hot water is crucial to being able to provide uninterrupted, comfortable showers over the course of an entire day,” emphasizes Schmitz. As long as the fire hydrant keeps supplying water and the propane lasts, the NRC98 will continue producing hot water at the desired temperature.

So simple, yet so necessary, a hot shower can make or break a person’s future. Schmitz cites the example of a homeless husband and wife who visited his showering unit. “Jamie and his wife came in one day for a shower. Not only did they leave happy and refreshed, but I found out they were able to get a job in hospitality the very next day. That’s the power of a shower.”

Schmitz’s goal is for this initiative to grow into the future, not only in Nashville, but in other U.S. cities as well. To that end, he encourages volunteers to sign up and use ShowerUp as an “on-ramp” for developing a passion for humanitarian work. “Ultimately, we want to rebuild dignity and hope in the homeless community and instill a feeling of being loved and cared for in each and every individual who showers with us,” he concludes.