Tips for Performing Tankless Water Heater External Maintenance
If you own a Noritz tankless water heater, you know the convenience and water-saving benefits it yields by providing hot water on demand. To keep that hot water flowing as long as possible, it is important to perform regular tankless water heater external maintenance.
In this post, we will look at how to perform external maintenance of your tankless water heater. The following is based on an instructional video called How to Perform Noritz Periodic Maintenance.
- Start by doing a visual inspection around the heater, looking for combustible materials that could be a future hazard.
- Listen closely to the heater to detect abnormal sounds during operation.
- Check for abnormalities in the external appearance, like discoloration. Wipe the outside surface of the water heater and remote control with a wet cloth, then dry. Use a neutral detergent to clean any stains. Do not use benzene, oil or fatty detergents to clean the remote. Although the unit is water-resistant, it is not water-proof.
- For DV condensing models, remove the SV conversion kit piece from the intake valve and check for dust and soot in the exhaust. Use the end of a screwdriver to pop out and remove the screen, checking for dirt and debris. It’s always best to clean both sides of the screen with water and a brush to ensure that air can properly flow into the system. Cleaning the screen is important to avoid an Error Code 90. Make sure the screen is dry before returning the conversion kit to the intake.
- Check the pressure relief valve to ensure it does not have any leaks. Continue to check all other connections and make sure that everything is fitted correctly.
- Open the pressure relief valve to ensure that everything is in working order and that it turns off. If the pressure relief valve is leaking or dripping, it will need to be replaced.
- To replace the pressure relief valve, close the inlet supply valve by turning it to the right. Next, turn on a few hot-water fixtures in your home or building. With a bucket ready to catch draining water, remove the inlet and outlet drain caps on the water heater’s isolator kits. Then open up both drain valves. Take the water drain valve with filter out of the inlet port. Clean the filter thoroughly with your fingers under running water to remove any debris. Dry it and put it back into the inlet port, close the drain plugs, and replace the caps. Close the water fixtures you opened in the beginning. Open the water supply valve and check for any water leaks from the drain plug or water drain valve.
- In our next post, we will explore how to perform internal maintenance on your tankless water heater.