Frequently Ask Questions about Tankless Water Heaters

The utilization of tankless water heating technology has risen in recent years. By choosing a tankless water heater, homeowners and building occupants are able to have hot water whenever the situation demands it. With the heaters using less energy than conventional storage-tank water heaters by operating only on demand, adopters of tankless technology can save money on their monthly energy bills.

But even while more American home and business owners are transitioning to tankless solutions, questions about how these water heaters operate can arise.

To provide a better understanding of the Noritz technology, service technician lead Desiree Lovelady sat down with us to discuss several of the most common questions she hears from both professional installers and their homeowner customers.

Q: What type of venting material is the most acceptable for installing a Noritz heater?

A: The venting material can vary, depending on the type of installed heater. For condensing water heaters, installers can use plastic — PVC, polypropylene, or CPVC — piping for creating a proper vent connection. In the case of non-condensing water heaters, the venting material must be Category 3 stainless steel.

Q: What is the difference between condensing and non-condensing heaters?

A: The main difference between the two is their efficiency. A condensing heater uses a secondary heat exchanger to create a preheat cycle, so you capture more of the heat from the exhaust — that is, a higher percentage of the height from the gas burner is used to warm the water. A non-condensing heater does not use a secondary heat exchanger to provide this additional heating, so its energy efficiency rating is not as high.

The other major difference is the use of a drain line. A condensing unit, as its name indicates, will produce more condensate than a non condensing unit. The drain line is used to ensure the condensing unit can drain away the condensate to perform at peak efficiency. This condensate is acidic. Consequently, if not properly disposed of, it can damage a home’s or building’s plumbing system.

Q: Is a re-circulation pump compatible only with certain Noritz units?

A: People may think a re-circulation pump, or circulation, is compatible with only certain units, because competitors have pumps that can be used with just a few water heater models. Re-circulation pumps are compatible with all tankless water heaters at Noritz. The tricky part about these pumps is sizing. If you use a pump not properly sized for your tankless heater, it will create problems.

Q: Is water treatment necessary for tankless water heaters?

A: In most cases, water treatment is necessary, but it depends on your water quality. We determine the quality based on the grains per gallon. If there is a large amount of grains in the machine, it can damage the water heater. When you have hard water to this extent, you do need to undergo water treatment in order to maximize the longevity of your heater.

Q: What is the average lifespan of a tankless water heater?

A: The average lifespan is between 10 and 25 years, depending on how well it is maintained. We do recommend annual maintenance on a Noritz tankless water heater. As long as you make sure you provide it with proper care, it can last a long time.

To learn more about other common questions for Noritz tankless water heater, please visit our FAQ page here: https://www.noritz.com/about-noritz/faqs/

Learn more about the products offered by Noritz by clicking here: https://www.noritz.com/products/