Trying to Choose a Tankless Heater Brand

KAB_2

We're a distributor in the NE kicking the tires on a tankless line. We're down to Noritz, Navien & Rheem. The other lines such as Bosch, Rinnai etc are off the table for a variety of reasons. We'd love to get some feedback on how you feel about these three brands, how well they work, ease of installation, manufacturer dealing with problems, you get the picture. Thanks guys.

Jimbo_8

TanklessHotWaterHeaters

I have installed all brands talked about.Except for Noritz. Allways pick the brand by the sitiuation, chimney requirements. The one taht workes best in any chimney sitiuation,is Naivian. It is vented with sch. 40 PVC. Great equip. you can even add a product called the heating box(which they make)for space heating,baseboard or radiant.Great equip! Jimbo

Alan(OnVacationInOregon)Forbes

Noritz

We've done many Noritz installs and they've always been excellent. What makes them better than the others? The pressure drop through the heat exchanger is low and you don't have to use an expensive pump for recirculating hot water systems. AND the category III flue materials that my supplier stocks is way cheaper than the others.

Unknown

I like

The Navien, 98% eff., 12 year warranty and you can get it with the tank and circ built in so there is no minimum flow rate. I installed one in my own home last september, it is piped with the solar tank as a prefeed directly through. It has worked flawlessly. Now that you ask I bet I end up in a cold shower tonight!

EJ hoffman

Installed them all

Navien hands down beats all the others. I have one doing 13 gpm at 100 degree rise, i did not think they could do that but it is. Navien is easier to vent, and install. My back up is the noritz condensing unit, but it is not as easy to install, the pvc is 4" on the noritz but 3" on Navien. The recirc option is the best. Effeciency's well my tester says 92 on the navien and 91 on the noritz.

Rich Kontny_3

Navien America

Would be my choice simply because you can probaly carve out a good size market area with them. The others are doing a great deal of crossover. Bosch is on every box stores shelves and Takagi loves to sell over the internet.

Navien was the first with the PVC venting and integrel buffer tank. Quality and innovation is there with Navien also.

Let us know who you choose and way.

Ross_7

Rinnai

What about Rinnai?

kpc_73

I second that...

KAB_2

The Rinnia is carried by my competitor - I'd prefer to differentiate ourselves.

Thanks for the responses, I'll keep you posted KAB

Ron Huber_2

Navien & solar

Can the Navien take the preheated solar water without a mixing valve?

bruce_21

Which model does 13 gpm or is this a multi unit install?

Mad Dog_2

I can appreciate that

that is always a major factor in which line we choose...especially when the "competition" has a bad rep any WHO. Mad Dog

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EJ hoffman

cc240

Using it on a closed loop for heating. We have it dialed in perfectly, I have not been able to replicate it with other's and I am still suprised, I didn't think they could do that. I also took out all the filters which brought the gpm up from 10 to 13.

Seattle Ron

Navien

I put a Rinnai in my house and the wait for hot water is annoying. In the morning I fire up the shower and the sink faucet to get the water up to temp faster.I am trying the Laing recirc pump this weekend and I hope that helps.


I put the Navien in my friends house and he loves it. The built in recirc pump and small storage tank makes the difference.

Unknown

Mixing valve

I use a mixing valve after the solar storage tank and deliver the water to the navien at slightly higher temp. I was originally going to use the motorized 3 way bypass as shown in the Caleffi Idronics but after looking at the drawings it appeared the 3 way could shift position in the middle of a shower with no warning, this would send cold water to the shower.Although this wouldn't happen if I had the navien with the buffer tank, that's not the one I installed. I figured before I moved the Navien to the shop and installed a buffer tank model I would pipe it directly from the thermostatic mixing valve into the Navien.I was concerned that when the water coming from the solar dropped a couple of degrees below the Navien set point the flow rate wouldn't be high enough for the minimum 15000 btu fire rate, But I was wrong and it has worked excellent. Since that time I have installed both models for customers. I like the idea that when no water is being used it doesn't run but the model with the buffer tank really doesn't use much energy at all and it does eliminate that cold water sandwich at start up. For me, I understand how these tank less work but when a customer pays a premium for a high tech water heater the last thing they expect is some type of inconvenience so I install the buffer tank model.

Wayco Wayne_2

I was looking at the Navien, myself.

How long of an installation time do you plan and price for? WW

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Seattle Ron

Navien

The install that I did was on an outside wall in a garage with plenty of room and took about 4 hours.

bruce_21

What pump do you have on it? Their specs show a big head loss at those gpms.

Home Depot Employee

Beyond 9 GPM, the unit exceeds over 100' of head, so I doubt the numbers you are sharing unless this is a big circ and the heater will last about 5 days.

When using a CC Navien, primary/secondry is in order, and flow through unit shouldnt exceed 5-6 GPM.

Rich Kontny_3

Need

Adequate gas supply. Sometimes this adds 2-3 hours to the job. Many times you even have to upsize the meter. water quality and also constant water pressure are important.

sunstuff

Preheating tankless

Which mixing valve did you use and which Navian are you using AND that temperature are you feeding to the Navian?  Thanks in advance :-)

smklin

friction loss

what is the head through a navien 4.5 gpm. is a 26-99 big enough