Getting enough hot water, precisely when it’s needed, isn’t an easy task, even if you’re using a traditional tank. This difficulty is only amplified when you’re working in a cold environment or with a large number of bathrooms where the water might be needed all at once and in a more significant amount than a tank could provide, while still ensuring its temperature.
In these situations, a tankless water heater is the only way to ensure that you can keep a constant stream of hot water flowing to all of the bathrooms in the building. If you’re at home and you can’t get hot water, it sucks. But imagine paying for a hotel or an office and not getting hot water in the morning, that’s even worse.
Tankless water heaters aren’t typical in homes, although many large homeowners use them, they are very prevalent in larger buildings like hotels. In these buildings, it would be nearly impossible to have enough hot water stored up at all times to ensure that everybody is always happy with the water that they get.
It’s necessary to heat the water at the source as it’s flowing to the endpoint to prevent issues. This system allows it always to be hot and prevents it from cooling down on the way to the bathroom where it’s needed. Overall, tankless water systems can be far superior in a large number of situations.
What is the Noritz Tankless Water Heater?
Noritz is one of the most famous brands in the water heating industry, perhaps an obscure award, but one that lets them know the quality of the product that you’re getting. For many years they have been producing a vast range of different products, including their popular indoor condensing direct tankless heaters.
That’s a lot of words, but all it means is that there isn’t a tanker of water that stores and heats water in the traditional manner. This heater is extremely efficient, reducing the amount of energy that is needed to heat the water and therefore saving you money every month of your power bill.
Each of these tankers is capable of heating enough water for two bathrooms in a southern climate and 1.5 bathrooms in a northern climate. For a homeowner that’s great. But as a hotel owner that might not sound like a lot. Fortunately, the cost of these devices is tiny when compared to many large-scale boilers and heaters.The heater itself is capable of heating up to 6.5 gallons of water every single minute, plenty if you’re using the shower or even filling up a huge bath. This device ensures that you and your guests are constantly getting a supply of newly heated water so that you can wake up happy, rather than cold water.
Noritz has been innovating in the industry for over 60 years, and these heaters are their latest venture into ensuring that we can use our homes with less effort than ever before. As the original creator of the modern electronically controlled tankless heater, you can be confident that you’re buying from an industry leader.
How Does it Work?
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Tankless water heaters work uniquely when compared to the traditional tank systems that you are probably accustomed to. These older devices store a tremendous amount of water which is then heated to a high temperature and insulated in a large container for hours at a time.
This system is incredibly inefficient because most of the time you are not using hot water, but it’s still being kept ready for you. While this does have one advantage, you get your hot water a few seconds faster, the cost can be considerably higher, and it’s a waste of energy.
On the other hand, a tankless water system works by pushing regular water through an intense heating device where it increases to the precise temperature that you need. From there it’s pumped through to your bathroom for you to enjoy, albeit it might take a few seconds for the water at the faucet to heat up.
These tankless systems have a few advantages, primarily that they can reduce your energy usage by minimizing unnecessary heating of water in a tank. But they can also ensure that you have a constant supply of hot water.
While a tank system gives you hot water instantly when it runs out you need to wait hours for it to heat back up. Whereas a tankless system might require a few seconds to warm up, it will never run out because the water is heated on its way to your bathroom, therefore giving you a limitless supply.
Depending on whether you’re living in a small home by yourself, or with a large family or running a hotel, one system might be superior for you. If you find that your water is often cold, particularly when others are using it, you should highly consider switching to a tankless system which can fix this issue for you.
Whereas if you’re living by yourself, you might find that your hot water never runs out and your power bill is manageable. In this circumstance, you might not need a tankless system, particularly if you don’t foresee your water usage increasing in the future.
What Makes the Noritz Tankless Water Heater Unique?
The Noritz Tankless Water Heater was the first of its kind. As the industry leader, they have developed a specialized product that is capable of pumping a large amount of water to your bathroom while keeping it at the perfect temperature at all times.
Perhaps what separates this heater in particular from some other on the market is that it’s capable of producing 6.5 gallons of hot water every minute.
Whereas many alternatives might only reach half this number, this ensures that you and other people can also enjoy steaming hot water at any time. Here are its main selling points:
- Capable of 6.5 gallons of hot water per minute
- Unlimited supply of heated water on demand
- Affordable compared to large tanks
- Can reduce gas costs over time
Even if you’re living by yourself or in a small house, this flow of water is critical. If you’re using the dishwasher or the washing machine, you might find that smaller heaters cause the shower to go cold, while this more powerful device can guarantee you a constant flow of hot water for up to 6.5 gallons per minute.
The device itself is also relatively small, especially when you compare it to the size of a traditional tank boiler. While this might not be important for some people, if you live in a very small house then every foot counts. By reducing the size of your heater, you can regain space for you and your family.
Pricing
Noritz NR83ODLP Hot Water Heater
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The pricing of these tankless heaters from Noritz can vary greatly depending on the supply at the time of purchase. At the time of writing, these heaters are available for slightly over $$$ each, making them very affordable when compared to tank system but more expensive than some other tankless devices.
This system should last you for years to come, and many homeowners will find that they can save themselves money by reducing their power bill by not constantly heating water that they aren’t using.With little to no upkeep required, the device should last you for years to come without the need for maintenance of any kind. However, it’s likely that you will need to pay a professional to install the heater for you and to purchase some PVC piping and brass pipes for the water to flow through.
These expenses can differ drastically depending on what you are buying and how large your house is and therefore it’s unfair for us to unpack the cost and to include it in this pricing. However, keep in mind that it’s likely that you’ll be out of pocket more than the sticker price for the heater itself.
Noritz Tankless Water Heater Reviews
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During our extensive research we found that while many of the lower cost alternatives had solid reviews, many problems came with them including the need for expensive stainless-steel venting and hot exhausts.
On the other hand, the Noritz heaters are high-efficiency and therefore can be used only with simple PVC venting while reducing the cost of your energy bill. Over time the expensive upfront cost of these more efficient systems pays itself off, leaving you with a lower price throughout decades.
One reviewer wrote an extremely detailed account of his experience with the system and found that it “fit [his] needs perfectly, especially considering the smaller size” of the device. Similarly, he was able to install it himself because it’s “not too difficult,” meaning that you might be able to save money on the cost of installation cost.But the primary reason for consumers to opt for this tankless heater over some of the cheaper alternatives is that it will save you money over time. According to him, his “natural gas consumption is about 10-20 percent lower” meaning that he can reduce his yearly bill by a fifth and therefore save money.
If you’re looking at a tankless system as a long-term investment, which you should be given it lasts for decades, it can be worth investing in a more expensive system upfront to save you money in the long run.
How it Compares
TAKAGI T-KJR2-IN-NG INDOOR TANKLESS WATER HEATER
The most popular alternative to the Noritz tankless system is the Takagi T-KJr2-IN-NG which is a similarly powered and sized system which gives you instant hot water. The systems work in almost an identical fashion, but the difference is that the Takagi is a fraction of the price at around $$.
For this reason, many consumers choose to opt for the cheaper system because it requires them to spend less money upfront. However, it’s important to consider that it’s not a high-efficiency condensing system and therefore it will require more natural gas to produce the same results.
The effect of this is that while you may pay less money upfront, you’ll find that your bills are higher than they would have been otherwise. As a result, over a decade the cost to yourself will be higher with the Takagi than it could be with this heater.
Therefore, if you find yourself strapped for cash, then we would recommend opting for the Takagi heater which is a fantastic and durable product. However, if you can afford the extra few hundred dollars up front, then you’ll be able to save yourself money in the long run by using a high-efficiency water heater.
What We Think
It’s our opinion that the Noritz Indoor Condensing Direct Tankless Hot Water Heater is one of the best on the market, especially if you’re looking for a high-efficiency device that can reduce your energy costs over time. The reason for this is because the system is made of durable materials, is high efficiency and lasts for years.
Plus, during our research, we found many happy customers who had a fantastic experience with the product, including finding it surprisingly easy for them to install without any professional help. These added benefits can help to reduce your upfront cost, bringing it inline with a competitor while saving you money on gas.
It does have some small downsides, including the high upfront cost and by using plastic piping, which saves you money, it’s possible that there could be an increased chance of them breaking. However, these downsides are tiny in comparison to the huge flow of 6.5 gallons of hot water per minute.
This speed of water flow means that you can be using your shower on the maximum temperature and still utilizing the washing machine or dishwasher and not run out of hot water.
Plus, you get all of the standard benefits that come with a tankless heater including an unlimited supply of hot water because it passes a heating element on the way to your bathroom, rather than being pre-heated in a large tanker in a closet. Similarly, this can give you greater control over the water temperature, making it hot rather than just warm.
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