NORITZ BLOG

How to Use the QR Code in the Noritz PROCard Program

Whenever you go shopping or look through a magazine, you may notice, on a product or product ad, several dots clustered together in the shape of a square. If you have the correct scanning application on your smartphone, you can scan these dots using your phone’s camera and receive a wealth of information on the given product.

Known as a QR code, or Quick Response Code, this innovative technology connects users to relevant information in a fast and easy way. Recently, Noritz has placed QR codes on its products as part of its PROCard program for contractors in an effort to help them register tankless water heater installations and put product information right at their fingertips.

The new PROCard program allows contractors to receive and respond to consumer leads using the PROCard app. Although the QR code has multiple functions, it is used especially at the end of the installation process, when PROCard members scan it to record their completed job and product.

The QR code was incorporated into the PROCard program in an effort to:

• Speed and simplify product/installation registrations for contractors.
• Give contractors who are PROCard members points for their Noritz installations.
• Reward active PROCard members by connecting them with more consumer leads.
• Help Noritz keep track of its installations.

According to Andrew Tran, marketing supervisor at Noritz, “Under the old PROCard program, getting contractors to register their installations was more difficult and tedious because it required manually typing in a bunch of information.” The revamped PROCard app uses the built-in QR code scanner, which auto-populates much of this information, saving the contractor time and hassle.

“We wanted to make registering an installation so easy, that a contractor could do so right on site,” explains Tran.

Here’s how easy it is to use the QR code:

1. Register for the PROCard program and download the PROCard app for your smartphone. Click here to do so.
2. Use the QR code scanner on the PROCard app to scan the QR code on any Noritz product. This will give you all relevant information on the product (model & serial number, gas type, etc.).
3. When you complete an installation through the PROCard program, scan the QR code to get points for the job, as well as to register the unit’s warranty on behalf of the homeowner. Although you will still need to type in the homeowner’s information, the QR code will allow you to auto-populate all other information, from the serial number and model number to the particular gas type.

The QR code opens up endless possibilities. Future updates will include various kinds of service and support for Noritz products, and a simple scan will yield manuals, videos, etc. “It will continue to develop into a pass code for info on all things Noritz,” says Tran.

Noritz Combi Boiler Wins Design Award

Noritz is constantly striving to create the most effective, efficient and easy-to-install water heating solutions for our consumer, contractor and building owner-manager customers. It’s therefore extremely gratifying to be recognized as a leader in product innovation by winning an Excellence in Design (EID) Silver Award for the new CB Combination (Combi) Boiler.

Held annually by appliance DESIGN Magazine, the EID competition recognizes products that have been judged to be outstanding in the areas of innovation, design, and functionality. The CB boiler, which delivers hot water to both domestic hot water (DHW) and hydronic heating applications, earned the Silver Award because its efficient design and operation stood out from competing entries.

Able to convert 95 percent of the fuel it consumes into useable heat, the CB meets “Energy Star Most Efficient” standards, which represent the EPA’s highest efficiency rating and allow homeowners to qualify for various state energy rebates.

Other factors separating the CB from competing products include:

• The ability to deliver nearly twice as much hot water to both DHW and hydronic heating applications—up to 9.2 gallons per minute.
• A flow control valve, not offered by competitors, that allows the CB to deliver the maximum possible domestic hot water flow rate at a stable temperature, regardless of the incoming water temperature.
• An intuitive control panel that allows for flexible set temperature adjustment of both the heating loop and the domestic hot water.
• Compact construction (weighs only 90 pounds) that allows it to take up as much as 80 percent less space than a traditional floor-standing boiler or water heater.
• Black finish coating that gives the CB a unique, sleek look unlike many other similarly styled boilers on the market.

EID entries are evaluated by a prestigious panel of judges from respected industry associations and may receive Bronze, Silver, or Gold recognition. In 2015, Noritz won an EID Bronze Award for the EZTR40 residential water heater.

For more information on Appliance Design’s EID Awards, please visit https://www.appliancedesign.com/Excellence-in-Design

For more information on the Noritz CB Combi boiler, please visit https://www.noritz.com/combi/

It’s time for an upgrade, contractors. Get The Noritz PROCard App.

Noritz is revamping its 13-year-old PROCard trade incentive program to better connect qualified, professional tankless water heater installers with prospective customers.

Chief among the upgrades is the new PROCard app that will deliver customer leads to a contractor’s cell phone, tablet, etc. more quickly, so that he can respond with equal speed — both to Noritz and to the prospective customer.

How it works:

• If not already a PROCard member, a contractor must register on the program website.
• A customer contacting Noritz online or by phone will have the option of selecting one or more installers listed on the brand’s website. Contractors will be listed according to their Noritz Power Rankings, based on customer reviews, activity on the PROCard website, speed in responding to leads and level of training received through Noritz workshops and/or online courses.

>>Read more about how Noritz locates the optimal tankless installer

• The customer can also ask Noritz to recommend potential installers in his or her local area. Noritz will select up to five, based on their Power Rankings.
• Whether selected by the customer or Noritz, all of the chosen contractors will be immediately notified.
• A selected contractor will accept/reject the lead online or — more quickly — via the app.
• In this first-come/first-served program, a contractor’s accepting the lead will automatically foreclose that opportunity for the other selected contractors, but the consumer has the option of contacting multiple contractors to submit bids.
• Once the contractor who accepted the lead completes the installation or the service work, he registers the activity by going online or by scanning a QR code on the installed water heater with his smart phone. The QR code feature is new for Noritz.

The new app helps bring more leads to contractors, better enabling them to grow their tankless businesses. Concurrently, it helps ensure that customers interested in purchasing a tankless water heater are steered toward the most qualified and motivated installers in the industry.

For more information about the PROCard, please visit: https://procard.noritz.com/procard/

To download the PROCard app for Apple, please visit: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/procard/id1110311645?mt=8

There’s an aspect of your tankless water heater installation that you may not even realize exists. If you own a condensing tankless water heater, your installer should have included a drainage system to drain your water heater.

Wait a second. Drain your water heater? Why is it leaking? Don’t worry, it’s not leaking, but rather undergoing a normal process called condensation, and Noritz makes the removal process easy with its condensing tankless models.

What is condensation?

Think back to grade school science class and the three states of water—liquid, solid and gas. Water cycles through these different forms depending on the temperature. For example, when the temperature sinks to 32^○F, liquid water freezes into ice. At 212^○F, liquid water evaporates into a gas.

While in its gaseous state, water can turn back into a liquid when it cools to the dew point temperature, which varies depending on the saturation of water vapor in the air. Condensation is the physical process by which a gas turns into a liquid. This liquid is called condensate.

Inside a condensing tankless water heater, the combustion process superheats the water that enters your shower, sink, etc. Water vapor is a byproduct of combustion, although, in this case, the vapor contains elements such as methane, nitrogen and oxygen.

According to Randy Oshiro, Assistant Manager of Engineering at Noritz, when this vapor cools to the dew point temperature, it forms condensate, which must then be drained. This phenomenon is almost exclusive to high-efficiency condensing tankless water heaters.  “In condensing units, the second heat exchanger extracts heat from the combustion gas to enhance energy efficiency, so when the gas rises up the flue, it cools enough to form condensate inside the unit,” explains Oshiro.

Dealing with Condensate

If you have noticed condensate coming out of your condensing tankless unit, hopefully it’s already set up to drain in compliance with local plumbing codes. Contractors need to take condensate removal into account when installing a high-efficiency unit.

Noritz makes condensate removal easy with its condensing tankless models. Inside the unit, a special tray collects the condensate and feeds it to the bottom. At that point, there is a connection for the condensate to be ejected to a floor drain or pumped to an external pipe, depending on local codes.

Note: If improperly drained, the condensate will simply collect on the floor or carpet, so make sure your contractor addresses this. Although only a maximum of two gallons of liquid per hour is released, it will accumulate if improperly drained.

Another consideration when draining condensate is the liquid’s acidity. “Water-heater condensate usually has a pH of two or three,” says Oshiro. “This acid can corrode drain pipe walls over time, leading to permanent damage.” He says one solution is installing neutralizer agent that essentially removes the liquid’s acidity, protecting the pipes from damage. Noritz offers such an agent, the NC-1, as an accessory.

Thus, Noritz solves the condensation problem for you. For more information please visit www.noritz.com.

Setting the Time and Date

Want to save on energy costs and enjoy unlimited hot water when you need it? One of Noritz’s most high-efficiency and function-rich products is the NRCP line of residential tankless water heaters.

Usually, no matter what kind of water heater you have, there is a wait for hot water as it travels through the pipes to the outlet, such as a shower head. The NRCP line of heaters, however, can couple with an external water recirculation system to bring you instant hot water.

In recirculation systems, a circulating pump that is external to the tankless water heater moves hot water through a pipe “loop” created in the plumbing system of a home or building. In addition to supply lines connecting the water heater to each outlet, a recirculation system also contains either a return line back to the heater from each hot-water outlet or from only the farthest fixture.

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

Below, we discuss the basics of setting the date and time on your NRCP.

Setting the Date and Time:

1. Lift open the window panel located towards the bottom of the unit.
2. Press the Power button to turn on the unit.
3. Press and hold the Function button for five seconds to enter the user mode.
4. The A:GA mode will appear. You’re now able to scroll through the different options by rotating the Dial button to the right.
5. Once you reach the L:TA mode, press the Dial button to select. This area will let you change the time and date, starting with the year.
6. Rotate the Dial and press to set the correct year. You will then be able to do the same to set the month, day, hour and minute. To skip past one of the time intervals, press the Dial (Note that the NRCP unit uses military time, meaning a 24-hour time frame; e.g., 1:00 p.m. is expressed as 13:00.)
7. Once you’ve set all of the options, you should automatically return to the L:TA mode. From here, press the Function button to return to the home screen where it will indicate the time of day.

An upcoming blog will examine how you can program your NRCP to recirculate water only at certain times of the day. For more information on the NRCP, please visit https://www.noritz.com/nrcp/.

Embed Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6mFLOLroOU

Get More Space With Tankless Water Heating 

Owning a home creates a constant struggle between buying more furnishings, appliances and other amenities, yet still having enough space to live. And the longer you reside in a home, the more amenities you are bound to accumulate.

Some of these necessities will take up a lot of space, and there’s little you can do—your washer and dryer, for example. Fortunately, there are items that you only think must be space killers, but not really. That large, hulking tank water heater in your basement or garage is a prime example. Tankless water heaters, like those from Noritz, are a space-saving alternative that is also more energy-efficient and accommodating than their tank counterparts.

No Tank

Instead of heating stored water in a large tank throughout the day, regardless of demand, tankless water heaters use a powerful burner to quickly super-heat water only when you turn on a faucet, shower or an appliance. No tank means a major burden is literally lifted off your home’s floor space. Because Noritz tankless water heaters are wall-hung, it's also easier to conceal them behind a partition or inside a closet, leaving more room for your car, a washer and dryer, an indoor gym, etc.

No Bursts

No tank also means minimal threat of water leakage. With tank-type water heaters, leaks and bursts can occur after a buildup of rust, scale and mineral deposits over time, depending upon the hardness of the water in your locale. Although a tankless system is susceptible to scale buildup, you'll never have to worry about the Great Flood making an encore appearance in your home because of a water-heater burst. Depending on the unit, a small amount of water will likely remain within the tankless heater after any shutdown, but not the 30 to 50 gallons found in a tank-type unit.

Learn how to descale your tankless water heater

No Waste

Unlike a tank water heater, which regularly burns energy to heat stored water, even when there's no demand, a tankless heater activates only as needed As a result, you don't waste precious energy all those hours when no one's home. The payoff? — a great deal of savings on the water heating portion of your utility bill. Tankless water heaters also last longer than tank heaters, with lifespans of 20 years.

So remember, by choosing to go tankless, you can have more freedom and space in your life. More space for living. More space for saving.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPlpYhArzOE&feature=youtu.be

Gas Manifold Replacement For Noritz Tankless Water Heaters 

Every Noritz tankless water heater has a gas manifold that controls how much gas enters the burner at any given time. The gas manifold ensures that your unit is using the correct amount of energy to heat incoming water, thereby preventing waste or underperformance.

It’s important then to ensure that the gas manifold operates properly. According to Randy Oshiro, Assistant Manager of Engineering at Noritz, the way to tell if the gas manifold needs changing is if the unit isn’t firing properly. “A malfunctioning gas manifold would bring up a combustion-related 11 or 12 error code on the unit,” he explains.

Learn about resolving the most common error codes on a tankless water heater

The following steps explain how to replace a gas manifold and adjust manifold gas pressures. These steps are meant as an educational overview for your plumbing or HVAC contractor, and Noritz recommends that you not try this yourself unless you are a licensed and trained professional.

Installing the New Manifold

1. Remove the water heater’s front cover, using a Philips screwdriver. Turn off the gas valve and unplug the unit.
2. Remove the C-clamp on the bottom right-hand corner of the unit and slide the gas pipe up, so it disconnects from the gas inlet fitting.
3. Follow the wires protruding from the manifold to the connected wire harness. Disconnect by pressing and holding the middle tab of the harness and pulling apart at the same time.
4. Remove the manifold by unscrewing the four screws. (Do not use power tools.) Once inside, separate the gas pipe entirely from the manifold.
5. Insert the gas pipe into the new manifold. Push down until it bottoms out.
6. Install the new manifold into the unit by inserting the attached gas pipe into the inlet fitting, pushing down until the washer is perfectly resting on top of the fitting. Reinstall the C-clamp and make sure it can rotate with ease.
7. Reconnect the wire harness by pushing the two ends back together until you hear a click. Reattach the manifold, using the four main screws.

Adjusting Manifold Gas Pressures

For these next steps, you will need a manometer and a gas manifold chart found here. Adjusting the pressure ensures that the proper amount of gas enters the unit.

1. Turn on the gas valve and inspect the unit for any gas leaks before closing the water valve and reconnecting the power to the unit.
2. To test the gas pressures, turn on the manometer and wait until it displays 0.00. Then take the manometer tube and attach it to the manifold testing port. Turn the water inlet valve back on and open several faucets to create enough hot-water demand for the manifold adjustment.
3. Locate the burner glass window and confirm there is a flame.
4. Remove the manometer tube from the manometer and block the end of the tube with your finger. Zero out the manometer and then reattach the tube to purge any residual air.
5. Locate the manifold pressure adjustment buttons on the circuit board. Press and hold the top and third button from the top until “S_P” pops up, meaning “special unit.” (See image on right for button meanings).
6. Use the chart to find the listed minimum and maximum pressures for the unit. Press the minimum and maximum buttons before using the up and down buttons to adjust their respective pressures.
7. Turn off the water inlet and gas valves. Remove the tube from the manifold testing port and insert a new pre-coded screw.
8. Turn the water inlet and gas valves back on and replace the unit’s front cover.

For a detailed instruction video on manifold replacement and gas pressure adjustment, please view the video below, or contact Noritz at 1-866-766-7489.

The Noritz Outbound Sales Team Can Help You Find The Right Installer 

It’s not always easy finding the right plumbing contractor to install your appliance. Some plumbers do stellar work and make sure you won’t have any flushing, washing or soaking problems, while others may not. Unfortunately, it’s often hard to know “who’s who” going in.

Obviously, you want all your plumbing jobs to be done correctly and affordably. When it comes to installing tankless water heaters, Noritz has you covered with its new outbound sales team. Designed to do all the difficult work of finding and coordinating an installer for you, the outbound sales team saves you time and hassle.

It works like this: You the homeowner contact Noritz about installing a tankless water heater. You can do this directly online through the Contact Us page, or get general information through the live chat service on www.noritz.com.

Noritz’s friendly and helpful Customer Care Department locates various installers in your area and lets you pick one. Criteria used to find the right plumber include proximity to your home, scheduling and ranking in Noritz’s points-based PROCard program, which takes a potential installer’s tankless training into account. Note that another great tool Noritz offers is the Find an Installer page on its website.

Once you pick a plumber, Noritz coordinates an installation date and that’s it! As you can see, it takes minimal effort on your part. When the installation is complete, Noritz will call you to follow up on warranty and rebate information.

The follow-up is also your opportunity to let Noritz know how the installation went. If you experienced any sort of problem, Noritz will work with you until it’s resolved. Since plumber rankings in the PROCard points program are impacted by customer satisfaction, members are encouraged to put forth their best effort on each installation job.

“Our new outbound sales team eliminates the pain points often experienced by customers when they try to coordinate a tankless installation on their own,” explains Andrew Tran, marketing supervisor at Noritz. “Let us handle the often time-consuming task of finding and coordinating the right installer for you.”

Indeed, Noritz’s new outbound sales team gives you another reason to go tankless.

Noritz Combi Unit At Work

Stanwood, Wash., resident Brian Fleming had a serious heating problem in his two-story home. The 10-year-old, split-level structure had lacked effective space heating since day one.

“The builders had not designed my forced-air heating system to handle two floors, so the downstairs portion was always cold,” explains Fleming, who used his furnace system for less than 25 cycles annually, instead relying on a gas-powered fireplace to heat his upper floor. He was therefore forced to sometimes run two to three space heaters on the lower floor for several hours just to maintain comfort levels. “I was spending a significant amount on my electricity bill to heat this space,” he recalls.

Water heating, though less of a problem, was still noticeably difficult whenever he and his family needed to run multiple fixtures simultaneously. “We had a 40-gallon tank water heater, so whenever somebody tried to shower while the laundry was running, the warm water would run out very quickly,” he says.

A Two-in-One Solution

Fortunately, Fleming, who works for Reid Pacific Company and serves as manufacturer’s representative for Noritz America, had the opportunity to beta-test the new combination boiler/tankless water heater (Combi) from Noritz, allowing him to kill two birds with one stone. The Noritz Combi CB, which meets “Energy Star Most Efficient” standards, is a year-round, whole-home solution that utilizes high-efficiency condensing technology to deliver hot water to both domestic hot water and hydronic space-heating applications. It made the forced-air furnace system and tank water heater completely unnecessary.

Whidbey Island Plumbing (Oak Harbor, Wash.) undertook the installation, situating the 90-lb. wall-hung Combi CB unit in Fleming’s garage. Radiant tubing was stapled up underneath in a serpentine fashion between stud bays. Venting the unit was accomplished through the garage wall, using concentric PVC pipe that handled both intake and exhaust.

Chasing Out the Cold

Since the installation, Fleming has observed a marked improvement in energy savings and indoor comfort. “You can actually feel the heat on everything in the room, from the table to the couch,” he notes.He has also seen a total cost reduction of around $60 on his monthly gas and electricity bills. “Not having to run those space heaters all the time saves a lot of energy,” he explains, also noting that the first floor-slab remains warm long after the Combi system cycles off after meeting the setpoint temperature. On the water heating side, Fleming and his family can now take showers and do the dishes for as long as they like, because the condensing tankless technology provides as much hot water as needed for as long as needed with an efficiency of 95 percent. “Once that tankless unit fires up, it provides endless hot water and a consistently enjoyable heating experience,” he affirms.

The combination boiler proved to be a highly workable heating solution for Fleming, who no longer needs to deal with cold spots in his room space or shower. “I see no reason to ever go back to forced air or tank water heaters,” he states.

We all want the latest and greatest in modern technology and the conveniences it provides—from that newest smartphone that recharges in less than an hour, to that wristwatch that plays video.  So, why not think the same way when it comes to tankless water heating technologies?

Tank-style water heaters are the equivalent of a car phone when you compare them to a tankless water heater from Noritz. As you probably know, conventional water heaters use a bulky storage tank to keep the water inside at a set temperature, whether it’s needed or not. Unfortunately, constantly heating and reheating water, even when it’s not being used, leads to wasted energy. That’s not much different from leaving your lights or stove on throughout the day while not in use.

The other downside—if the tank runs out of hot water, and you do need it for a shower, you have to wait…in the cold…for the water to warm up again. Brrrr.

Tankless water heaters solve all of these issues. First, the absence of a tank, in conjunction with the water heater’s wall-hung nature, means it takes up less space and makes it easier to keep the surrounding area clean. Its lighter weight means a single professional can handle the installation without the need for a helper, lowering the cost. Additionally, no tank means no flooded basement if there’s a leak.

The key benefit, however, is the constant flow of hot water that tankless provides on demand. When you turn on your tap, the water flow ignites the heater’s burner, which quickly flash-heats the water and gives you the green light to wash the dishes, do laundry or take a shower when you want to.

Even better, the hot water will continue flowing for as long as you need it, unlike when you take a shower using hot water from a tank, which can run out midway through.

Since tankless water heaters operate only when you need them, you can cut energy consumption up to 60 percent, making them environmentally friendly and cost-efficient. Add to that a 20-year lifespan and 12-year warranty, and you will realize that you cannot afford not to switch.

Not sure how to go about switching from tank to tankless? No worries. Our Noritz Homeowners site will walk you through the process of choosing the right unit and finding the right installer. It will be one of the best plumbing decisions of your life.

Check out our latest video below for more information about tankless water heaters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2h1p3DaLqo&feature=youtu.be