NORITZ BLOG

Get the latest in Noritz news and announcements.

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.

Noritz's  Fountain Valley Training Center has expanded and upgraded its tankless water heater training facilities to offer free courses to contractors interested in continuing education.

For decades, tankless water heaters have been accepted and installed the world over. In recent years, the technology, recognized for its on-demand technology that saves both energy and space, has gained a solid foothold in North America, where it continues to grow.

Now, plumbing contractors are welcome to get ahead of the game by bolstering their tankless water heating knowledge and skill sets at the newly renovated Noritz training center in the company’s Fountain Valley, CA, headquarters.

“We’ve remodeled our facility to better accommodate a classroom setting for our plumbers,” says Sammy Alvarado, marketing assistant at Noritz. The upgrades include an expanded training room that accommodates roughly 25 students, additional television sets for visual learners and a new projector.

Various free courses cover topics ranging from new customer training and residential installations to condensing technology and commercial troubleshooting. Each course lasts approximately 1-1/2 to 3 hours. “Contractors who have completed our standard course offerings can advance to more personalized, in-depth courses to help them truly master tankless technology,” says Alvarado.

Get a leg up on the competition

With the acceptance of tankless water heaters growing in the North American market, contractors who learn the technology’s ins and outs are bound to have a competitive advantage. What’s more, as part of the Noritz PROCard program, contractors earn credits that boost their Noritz Power Rankings, so that they appear higher on installer listings on the company’s website.

>> Learn more about Noritz’s PROCard program

“Contractor-attendees become certified to work on Noritz heaters, just like our in-house techs,” explains Alvarado. “The courses make contractors more marketable by demonstrating that they have the training and knowledge to work on Noritz heaters and are able to tackle almost any issue.”

For contractors unable to travel to Fountain Valley or to the company’s other training center in Marietta, GA, Noritz product trainers can come to them. These trainers will bring actual heaters and other training material to contractors’ local wholesalers or facilities, just as if they were at one of the training centers.

“Noritz makes professional development free and convenient for the forward-thinking contractor,” says Alvarado.

To learn more about Noritz training sessions and the next generation of water heater installations, visit https://training.noritz.com/.  

“They’ve Got Our Backs”: California Contractor Chooses Noritz EZ-Tankless Series Water Heaters.

Western Rooter Inc. in Arcadia, CA, has been a family-owned plumbing and drain-cleaning business for the past 35 years. For the past 10, it has been a heavy installer of tankless water heating technology — specifically Noritz, according to John Bottala, the general manager.

“Noritz has our backs,” says John. “There are many options out there, but we’ve found that Noritz can provide us with the most time-saving, efficient products and responsive customer support.”

New Noritz EZ units save installers time

One of the technologies that John is most thrilled about is the new EZ Series of high-efficiency, condensing tankless water heaters, consisting of the Energy Star-rated EZ98-DV and the EZ111-DV. Engineered expressly for the North American residential market, these ultra-high-efficiency units join the EZTR40 in providing a direct replacement solution for storage tank water heaters.

Top-mounted water connections, multiple venting options (including outdoor and indoor single-pipe or two-inch flex), and the option to reuse the same half-inch gas line as the tank units they are replacing all make installing the EZ units a quick, relatively painless process. Noritz recently staged a training session with the Western Rooter team to discuss this new offering.

>> Read Western Rooter Inc’s write-up of their recent Noritz training experience

“The EZ Series is a game-changer for us,” says John. “It makes it super easy to swap an old tank-type by saving roughly 50 percent on installation time since you don’t need to make new connections. The homeowner, of course, benefits by not needing to spend extra money to reconfigure the plumbing. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.”

Obviously, these installation benefits are in addition to those shared by all tankless water heaters; namely, hot water produced on-demand, space savings resulting from a smaller unit, and lower energy use stemming from a more efficient operation. “Noritz, in particular, backs its dual stainless steel heat exchangers with a 12-year warranty,” says John. “This tells us that they stand by their products and gives us strong confidence when installing them.”

Case in point: EZTR40 saves energy in firefighter’s home

John underlined his preference for Noritz by describing a recent tankless installation in West Covina, CA.

A firefighter’s residential storage-tank water heater had failed, and he was looking for a replacement. His work shifts meant he wasn’t home for much of the week. “Since a storage tank water heater fires up to warm the water — even when there’s zero demand — it meant that my customer was essentially wasting energy on the days he wasn’t home,” explains John.

After learning the benefits of going tank-free, John’s customer decided to install the EZTR40 as a direct replacement for his 40-gallon, storage-tank model. “As with the other EZ models, we were able to save installation time by not needing to make new plumbing and venting connections,” says John.

The unit was installed in under three hours without incident and immediately began generating a payback. “My customer is cutting about 20-30 percent on his gas bill because the unit fires only on-demand,” estimates John. “Meanwhile, the unit also qualified for a California energy rebate of $200. Finally, he also saved around 15 percent on space, since the compact unit is wall hung.

“Noritz and Western Rooter ultimately share the same values of product quality and customer satisfaction,” says John. “This was evident on the West Covina job, and I know it will be the case on countless other projects in the future.”

Besides providing the best in tankless, Noritz offers cutting-edge boiler

The boiler market is ever-changing. Builders, installers, and consumers are constantly seeking multifunctional products and technologies that are cost- and time-efficient while meeting and exceeding all current regulations.

Since Noritz believes that the key to survival is adaptation, we strive to be on the forefront of the evolving boiler market.

Noritz Innovates With Leading Edge Technology

To accomplish this, we have been adapting our boiler technology to provide end users and installers with systems designed with all of their needs in mind. For example, our CB Combination Boiler/Tankless Water Heater (Combi) provides not only space heating, but also domestic hot water on demand. Integration is the wave of the future, and the Combi houses two vital functions in a single, compact, wall-hung unit, saving the cost of an extra unit, as well as the floor space it would require.

That’s right—we’re finding that “less is more” in the boiler industry. Today’s homeowners want to address basic needs, such as heating, quickly, so they can spend more time on other home improvements. Similarly, contractors are seeking time-saving solutions with lower material and labor costs.

Our combination boilers are smaller than traditional cast iron boilers, which helps reduce installation costs. Their use of PVC or CPVC venting, instead of stainless steel, allows for further savings. Items we offer, such as isolator and manifold kits, make the plumbing easier and more time-efficient for the installer.

Noritz also includes an outdoor temperature reset with all CB units, which saves time and money spent on programming and operation. In fact, some regulations around the country actually require outdoor temperature gauges—we have incorporated them into our boiling system.

Noritz Responds to Customer Feedback

We also take our customers, and their recommendations, very seriously. After all, you are the ones either in the field installing the boilers or at home making use of them. One suggestion we took to heart and implemented in our combination boiler was the heating manifold.

The manifold is designed for the primary and secondary loops of the heating system. It allows the CB to distribute heat to the various zones much more quickly and efficiently.

Without this fully integrated component, installers would have to manufacture one themselves. That would raise costs and installation time. Including the manifold makes installation simpler and cost-efficient.

Noritz is excited to have entered the boiler market with its combination boiler—and we’re just getting started. We will be launching the WiFi-enabled NRCB unit in September, allowing simultaneous use of space and domestic water heating. Overall, we’re committed to discovering and implementing useful alternatives in the boiler market that will simplify life for installers and end users.

For more information about the Noritz boiler offering, please visit https://www.noritz.com/combi/

Minimizing installation time and costs on a job is the Holy Grail for contractors in any field. Plumbing is no exception. Noritz recognizes this and places a priority on developing superior, yet simple, water heating solutions that will make your life easier.

The latest such solution is the EZ Series of high-efficiency, condensing tankless water heaters, consisting of the Energy Star-rated EZ98-DV and EZ111-DV. Engineered expressly for the North American residential market, these ultra-high-efficiency tankless units offer faster, easier, less costly replacement of larger tank water heaters.

You may have heard of the EZTR40 and how it revolutionized the water heating industry with its top-mount water connections and ability to use the same venting and gas line as the 40-gallon storage tank water heater it’s replacing. The EZ98 and EZ111 are the EZTR40’s bigger cousins, containing those same time-saving features and able to directly replace 50- and 75-gallon tank water heaters, respectively. Now, you can simply and quickly replace virtually any size residential tank water heater with a corresponding EZ tankless unit.

Take a closer look at these two new water heaters:

• The EZ98-DV has a maximum input of 180,000 BTUs per hour (BTU/hr) and a maximum flow rate of 9.8 gallons per minute (gpm), making it generally suitable for homes with up to three baths.
• The EZ111-DV, with inputs up to 199,900 BTU/hr and flow rates to 11.1 gpm, is intended for homes with up to four baths.

Here are some of the flexible, time-saving features of these heaters:

• Top-mounted water connections that 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 it also gives the final application a cleaner look.
• Multiple venting options that include outdoor, dual- or single-pipe (made of PVC or CPVC), as well as two-inch Flex, which can be fed through the existing B-Vent — again saving time and material.
• The capability to use the same half-inch gas line as the tank units they are replacing, depending on incoming gas pressure and the distance of the water heater from the gas meter.

Other useful features include WiFi-capability, dual stainless steel heat exchangers that are resistant to corrosion, and a nitrogen-oxide emissions level of only 14 parts per million (ppm) — far exceeding the South Coast Air Quality Management District requirement of 20 ppm.

Individual or Combo Meal?

To better meet contractors’ and end users’ needs, the new EZ models can be purchased individually as the EZ98 and EZ111 for indoor or outdoor installation, or as part of a bundle package that includes most everything you need for an indoor installation.

The bundle packages are called EZTR50, for the EZ98; and EZTR75, for the EZ111. Besides the water heater, each package contains a flex vent conversion kit (25 feet of two-inch flex), an isolation valve kit, and a startup guide.

In short, it’s a win-win scenario, no matter how you purchase the EZ models. By themselves, the units offer contractors total flexibility in venting and indoor/outdoor installation. The bundle allows for direct indoor replacement without having to even think about sizing — just buy and replace.

For a fuller explanation of all the EZ Series’ features, please visit https://www.ezseries.noritz.com/

Both units will become available for shipment in May 2017.

When plumber Sam Crandall got the call for the 4th Street Market job, he knew a challenge lay ahead. “We were turning the first level of a 30-year-old, two-story building into something totally modern and different, making it impossible to anticipate every little thing,” he says.

According to Ryan Chase, S&A principal and owner, Fourth Street Market--a 30,000 square-foot, street-level emporium--was designed to attract a young clientele seeking groundbreaking cuisine from talented young chefs lacking the wherewithal to go solo.

Now fully operational, Fourth Street consists of 15 different “artisan” food vendors occupying roughly 300 square feet apiece and with funky names like Electric City Butcher, Radical Botanicals, Chunk-N-Chip and Noodle Tramp.

Combining all of these food venues into a single, 44-foot x 31-foot space on one level – while meeting all the special, mechanical requirements that resulted – are what drove the plumbing design and installation challenges for the Crandall’s Plumbing crew. This was especially true for the building’s domestic hot water system, an obviously critical need for all 22 foodservice tenants in the 4th Street Market.

The Tankless Advantage

The currently installed 22 Noritz units at 4th Street are all Model No. NC1991-OD-NG, with a thermal efficiency of 84 percent; a maximum flow rate of 11.1 gallons per minute; and gas consumption from 16,000 to 199,900 BTU/hour. Measuring only 23.6 inches high x 13.8 inches wide x 9.4 inches deep, up to 24 of these heaters can be “quick-connected” into a “multi-system.” Beyond their diminutive size and weight (54 pounds apiece) versus a boiler and storage tank system, tankless also offers the key advantage of delivering hot water only when needed, that is, “on demand,” thus saving on storage fuel costs.

Crandall’s team found its greatest design/installation challenges in two areas: 1) developing a way to mount the 22 units on the rooftop; and 2) building the pipe runs from those units through the building’s top level, where a small college had been located (the space is now vacant), to the kitchens and shops at ground level. Crandall says that the installation, including the rooftop lines, took his team roughly a week to complete. “In the end, it all came together nicely,” he noted.

A Happy Ending

The 22 water heaters at 4th Street Market have performed “without any problem” since the renovated facility reopened in early 2015, according to S&A’s Beddow. In fact, because of the reliable experience the company has enjoyed at 4th Street, it has opted for the Noritz solution at two other Santa Ana properties, both restaurants.

.

Crandall sees the space-saving benefits and the energy savings of tankless as prime attractions. “The technology is ideal for point-of-use delivery of hot water and individualized monitoring of that usage, as was the case at 4th Street,” he says. “But its smaller size and zero footprint is just as important.”

New Noritz Training Center Offers Free Tankless Education for Contractors

Located roughly 20 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta, Noritz’s new Marietta, GA, training center is nearly complete and will offer regional plumbing contractors 10 tankless water heater courses, ranging from beginner to advanced levels.

The 20 x 20-square-foot location is Noritz’s second training center, joining the main facility in Fountain Valley, CA.

All courses are free of charge and serve groups of up to 25 contractors, who call in advance to request the particular course they would like to take. Topics covered include residential tankless installation, preventative maintenance, and commercial troubleshooting (see table).

Taking Noritz courses will give contractors the edge when it comes to earning business. Not only are both builders and consumers recognizing the benefits of no-tank technology (on-demand hot water, energy efficiency, and space savings) and requesting these products in their homes and businesses, but contractors can directly receive customer leads through the Noritz ProCard program. By completing program courses, contractors earn credits that boost their Noritz Power Rankings, so that they appear higher in installer listings on the company website. The goal of the live training courses is to enable a contractor to competently and confidently install Noritz water heaters.

>> Learn more about Noritz’s ProCard program

“Contractor attendees become certified to work on Noritz heaters, just like our in-house techs,” explains Sammy Alvarado, marketing assistant at Noritz. “The courses make contractors more marketable by demonstrating that they have the training and knowledge to work on Noritz heaters and are able to tackle almost any issue.”

While other water heater manufacturers offer similar training, Alvarado explains that Noritz offers greater flexibility for contractors. “In addition to giving live lectures at our two training centers, Noritz product trainers can travel to companies that cannot make the trip to Fountain Valley or Marietta themselves. The trainers will bring actual heaters to train and teach the classes, just as if they were at the home location.”

Ultimately, adding the training center benefits the end user as much as the attendees. “By providing opportunities that allow contractors to engage more with our products, we are raising the industry’s knowledge of tankless. This, in turn, provides more installation options for end users,” concludes Alvarado.

For more information on Noritz training, please visit https://training.noritz.com/

To request a class at the Marietta location, please call 770-422-8120.

Pollinate Media Founders choose Noritz Tankless Water Heater for Home Usage 

When the oven broke down in their nearly 60-year-old Costa Mesa, CA, home, Kyle Circle and his wife Alissa had a gradual epiphany. “After we set out to install a larger oven, we realized we wanted to update the kitchen, then the bathroom; before we knew it, we had decided to remodel the entire home,” he recalls.

As founders of the successful, Pollinate Media Company, the Circles decided to turn this into a media project. “We envisioned an energy-efficient home, with smart technology, that would meet our needs for the next 50 years,” explains Circle.

Since the project began in September 2015, the home has nearly doubled in size. Structurally, 945 square feet were added to the original 1,268 square foot building, which now includes two new bathrooms and a new bedroom. Every interior wall was either moved or removed except for three, and entirely new plumbing and HVAC systems were installed.

Most importantly for the couple, the home has become an eco- lover's dream. Energy-efficient appliances and low-flow plumbing fixtures save electricity and water, as does solar-powered technology and LED lighting installed throughout. A reverse osmosis system reuses water while charging stations recharge electric cars.

The Noritz  NRCP 1112-DV Was Quick to Show It's Green Efficiency In The Circle's Home

Fitting right into this green home is a Noritz NRCP1112-DV-NG tankless water heater from Noritz. “With its ability to provide hot water on demand without the need to use energy constantly to heat a large storage tank, this technology perfectly fits into our eco-friendly vision,” says Circle.

He first encountered Noritz technology at the International Builders’ Show the year before he began his project. “I was impressed with what I saw at their booth in terms of tankless’ energy-saving benefits. After that, I heard nothing but praise from plumbers, who called it the ‘creme of the crop for reliability.’ That, plus Noritz’s convenient proximity to my home, made choosing them a no-brainer for my project, and they were gracious enough to donate the unit.”

In particular, the NRCP1112 was chosen for its built-in recirculation function. A hot-water recirculation system operates through a “loop” created in a home’s plumbing system. In addition to supply lines connecting the water heater to each hot-water outlet, a standard recirculation system also contains either a return line back to the heater from each 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. “This will literally allow my family to have immediate, hot water on demand,” says Circle.

His plumbing contractor completed the installation in less than one hour without complications. Due to living in a hard water area, Circle had a water softener installed adjacent to the water
heater, which is wall-hung in the garage. “We put it right where our old, tank-style water heater had been,” says Circle.

Since the installation, the unit has performed optimally, according to the homeowners. “The ability to get instant, on-demand hot water is amazing, especially for my wife, who makes ample use of the soaking tub.”

Energy savings have been particularly impressive. Circle reports that his gas bill shrank from a monthly average of $40 to $10. Similarly, his electricity bill dropped 27 percent. “The energy savings are truly amazing, and they will pay for the unit many times over,” he states.

Tankless water heaters are increasingly proving themselves in high-efficiency homes across the country with their superior, green performance. More and more homeowners, like the Circles, are realizing that this technology is the wave of the future. “We definitely plan to use it on future media projects,” predicts Circle.

ProCard App Now Offers Contractors On-Demand Technical Resources

Contractors, Noritz has enriched its ProCard app to make your job easier when installing a tankless water heater. Several new capabilities provide the technical assistance you need when you’re on the job site and not necessarily connected to the internet.

First, in case you forgot or are unfamiliar, here’s a brief refresher on the ProCard program in general:

ProCard connects the most qualified Noritz installers with customers in need of a contractor. Either online or through the smartphone app, contractors can accept leads from customers who chose them for the job. Become a ProCard member by clicking here.

Once the contractor completes the installation in the customer’s home, he or she scans the QR code on the heater by using the ProCard app’s QR code reader. This registers the product's warranty and earns the contractor points. The more points earned, the higher the contractor’s ProCard ranking will be, resulting in greater visibility to possible leads.

>> Read more about how the QR code works

Those are the basics. Now, here are the recent upgrades to the app.

• Interactive Troubleshooting Tools: You’ve probably had computer problems in the past that you used a troubleshooting tool to fix. It asked you a series of questions about your particular problem and offered solutions. A similar tool can now be found on the ProCard app, so if you are called in to repair a malfunctioning heater or are having trouble with an installation, simply open the troubleshooter on your phone and follow the interactive wizard to resolve the problem.
• Service History: When you visit the dentist, your entire patient history is logged into a database. Now, the ProCard app provides the same for Noritz tankless water heaters. Simply scan the heater’s QR code for a history of maintenance work it has undergone.
• Technical Literature: Gone are the days of having to find hard copies of technical information on a water heater. In fact, you don’t even need an internet connection now that the ProCard app contains a full resource library of technical material on Noritz products.
• Other Tools: The ProCard app also now contains various other tools that simplify installation and maintenance of Noritz water heaters. One such tool is the new gas pipe-sizing calculator. Properly sizing the gas line is crucial to ensuring the water heater gets enough fuel. The app will determine how many BTUs are being used by other appliances to determine the correct pipe size range.

These features improve the ProCard app’s utilization for ProCard Members with a faster and more reliable field tool option to help field techs on the toughest job sites.

To download the free app on Android, click here.

To download the free app on iOS, click here.