The Noritz name repeatedly pops up as a major water heater manufacturer, but how good are Noritz products compared to the competition?
Noritz offers a number of gas tankless water heaters for both residential and commercial use, always emphasizing using high-end materials in all products.
To create this comprehensive review, we analyzed the Noritz tankless water heater lineup to identify the top 5 products, and we researched the market to gather data from reports and customer testimonies.
In this PlumbingNav review, we cover:
Different types of Noritz tankless water heaters
What are the pros and cons of Noritz tankless water heaters?
What are the key features of Noritz tankless water heaters?
What Are The Different Types Of Noritz Tankless Water Heaters?
Noritz offers several types of tankless water heaters, including natural gas water heaters and propane water heaters.
Noritz noticeably doesn’t offer an electric tankless water heater due to the fact that Noritz prefers to provide whole-home solutions compared to point-of-use models that electricity can support.
Noritz Natural Gas Tankless Water Heaters
More Americans use natural gas to heat their home’s water than any other fuel, potentially due to the convenience of using the main gas supply line. Natural gas costs less than both propane and electricity, but the prices fluctuate more drastically.
Natural gas water heaters produce more toxic emissions, such as carbon monoxide, into the air. It also creates more safety concerns, but accidents don’t happen often.
Noritz Propane Tankless Water Heaters
Propane provides a cleaner fuel option since it doesn’t produce pollutants. It also generates more power using less fuel, making it the more efficient option.
However, propane comes with a higher cost per therm and requires regular delivery. Plus, you need to regularly change the propane tanks.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Noritz Tankless Water Heaters?
Noritz tankless water heaters come with both advantages and disadvantages that can help you determine if Noritz makes the right products for you.
Pros of Noritz Tankless Water Heaters
Noritz tankless water heaters have a number of benefits, including durability, easy installation, and innovation.
Noritz makes a point to use high-quality components, such as commercial-grade copper cases and copper heat exchangers, that prolong the life of their devices, making them some of the longest-lasting tankless models on the market.
Noritz makes their products as easy to install as possible by placing connections on the top of the unit instead of the bottom. They also allow the plumber to customize ventilation to your specifications using different accessories.
Another benefit of Noritz products involves the devotion they put into tankless gas water heaters. Noritz only makes gas tankless water heaters, and they perfected the process, creating numerous innovative products throughout the years and continuing to put that innovative spirit into new models.
Cons of Noritz Tankless Water Heaters
Every company has room for improvement. Noritz tankless water heaters don’t offer wifi on many models, don’t offer electric tankless water heaters, and they tend to cost more than similar models.
One main issue consumers point out is that Noritz only offers gas tankless water heaters. Anyone interested in conventional tank gas water heaters or electric water heaters will not find an option through Noritz. They also don’t offer a distinct point of use water heater.
Noritz only offers wifi on a limited number of its water heaters. However, we can assume they intend to include it in most future models from now on. Finally, Noritz costs a little more than comparable items from other brands. To add to the cost, all models must get a professional installation that costs an average of $1144.00.
Overview Of Noritz As A Company
When you are making an important purchase for your home, you want to know you are buying from a company you can trust. Here is a look at what you can expect from Noritz.
Manufacturing Process:
Noritz prides itself on making high-end products, so they put each and every product through rigorous testing before allowing it to leave the factory.
To maintain additional control on quality, Noritz retains ownership over all manufacturing processes, including the creation of the components. Noritz does not outsource.
Ease of Use:
New tankless models come with a remote controller and/or wifi capabilities, making them as easy to use as an app on your phone.
However, older models don’t have the same technology, making them more complicated.
Safety Concerns:
Noritz tankless water heaters come with a number of safety features on all models to prevent excessive pressure, scalding temperatures, and gas leaks.
As part of their safety precautions, Noritz also requires all customers to get professional installation in order to make use of the warranty. This can cost more, but it eliminates safety hazards from improper installation.
Overall Effectiveness:
Noritz tankless water heaters rank highly in overall effectiveness.
You can expect your Noritz tankless water heater to work as expected for over 20 years. If something does go wrong, they have one of the best warranties in the industry.
High Efficiency
Noritz products range from .80 UEF to .98 UEF, making them much more efficient than traditional water heaters. Condensing tankless water heaters run more efficiently than non-condensing tankless water heaters.
Endless Hot Water
You won’t have to worry about running out of hot water ever again!
Tank-style units stop providing hot water once you use up the water in the tank. After that, you need to wait for the device to heat up the new water that enters the tank. With tankless water heaters, you get on-demand hot water until you shut the faucet off.
Best Noritz Tankless Water Heaters Reviewed
Now let’s explore our favorite units so you can decide on the perfect choice for your situation.
This indoor natural gas tankless water heater has a high production of 9.8 GPM, enough for four showers. It also comes with high-quality copper heat exchangers that are 25% thicker than average. You can buy two and connect them to get even more hot water.
This product comes with a 12-year warranty on the heat exchanger.
With a flow rate up to 7.1, you can supply hot water for up to three showers at a time with this indoor tankless natural gas direct-vent water heater. The condensing technology and direct low noX electric ignition contribute to the high 89% efficiency rating.
This product comes with a 12-year warranty on the heat exchanger.
This tankless propane water heater works well as an introductory transition from tank-style to tankless devices and provides the perfect replacement for a 40 – 50 gallon tank with a flow rate of 6.6 GPM and 87% efficiency.
Commercial applications require more power than most, so this propane tankless water heater produces 12.3 GPM of hot water at 300,000 BTUs with 97% efficiency. The heat exchanger is made out of commercial-grade copper.
It can link up to 24 other devices if necessary to provide additional hot water production and also connects to Wi-Fi. This device comes with a 5-year warranty.
Pros
13.2 GPM
Versatile installation
97% efficiency
Cons
Low 5-year warranty
Expensive
Bulky at 108 lbs.
How Does Noritz Compare Against Competitors?
Noritz vs. Rinnai
Noritz and Rinnai both manufacture tankless water heaters in Japan that come with a 12-year warranty and similar efficiency ratings.
Noritz uses better quality materials in product construction and provides more options for ventilation.
Rinnai water heaters cost slightly less than Noritz water heaters and come with a condensation trap to catch the water.
Noritz vs. Takagi
Another Japanese tankless water heater company, Takagi, attempts to provide a low-cost option compared to Noritz who established a name synonymous with high quality.
Takagi water heaters won’t last quite as long or run quite as smoothly. However, Takagi provides some of the best customer service in the industry.
Noritz, on the other hand, makes a point to keep products eco-friendly and also has more high-flow options.
The Bottom Line On Noritz Tankless Water Heaters
Noritz tankless water heaters stand up to the competition in numerous ways. New models provide advanced features, but all models heat water effectively and efficiently. You can also trust Noritz tankless water heaters to run properly for up to 20 years.
As long as you like gas-powered tankless water heaters, you can’t go wrong with Noritz.
FAQs on Noritz Tankless Water Heaters
Are Noritz tankless water heaters good?
Yes! Noritz tankless water heaters are one of the best options in the market.
How much does it cost to install a Noritz tankless water heater?
The average installation cost for gas tankless water heaters comes to $1,144.
What is the best brand for tankless water heaters?
While many great brands provide heavy competition, Noritz stands out as one of the best brands for tankless water heaters for their dedication to making high-end products that last.
Who makes Noritz water heaters?
Noritz Corporation makes their own tankless water heaters, including the components.
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About Plumbing Navigator
We write about "all things plumbing," helping you navigate common questions, repairs, and the best plumbing products on the market.
About Plumbing Navigator
We write about “all things plumbing,” helping you navigate common questions, repairs, and the best plumbing products on the market.