skip to main content

Navien/Rinnai Tankless Water Heater Questions

13 years ago

We need to replace our water heater. As a quick background, we have a two-story 3000 sq. ft. house (3 bathrooms) that is serviced by one 50-gallon water heater. The wonderful builder of our house decided to put the tank in the attic above the second floor on the west side of the house. Our master bedroom is on the first floor on the east side of the house. I donÂt think the water heater could be any further from our bedroom and yes it takes a couple of minutes to get hot water in our bathroom.

I have received some bids on both tank and tankless water heaters and I am trying to decide what I want to do. I am leaning towards tankless because we have 2 pre-teen children and I anticipate my hot water usage to be on the rise in the coming years.

We should be getting back some bids on a couple of tankless water heaters. I am looking at the Rinnai tankless water heater (R75LSiN) and it seems to rate well on the internet, but I understand that the hot water will have to still travel the distance to my bathroom. I asked about hooking up a recirculation pump to it and the installer said that would nullify the warranty, so that is not an option.

He also mentioned that he installs the Navien tankless water heater which has a built in recirculating pump, which would solve our delay in getting hot water, but I have not been able to find much information on the Navien in terms of review.

Sorry for the long post, but I am looking for opinions on tankless water heaters in general and specifically any feedback on Rinnai and Navien . It seems like the Navien would fit our needs the best, but I am willing to wait for hot water with the Rinnai if it is far superior. Thanks.

Comments (2)

jakethewonderdog
13 years ago
Hi,

I am a proponent of tankless heaters. That said, you may want to consider some things first:

One of the "features" of a tank water heater is that it limits the amount of time teens spend in the shower... a feature that will go away if you go tankless.

Rinnai has a good reputation. Navien is a company that I would like to see do well, but they've had some teething problems (circuit boards, sensors, etc).

Instead of a circ pump, consider a small electric tank under your master bath sink that was hooked in series to the main heater. That would give you immediate hot water for hand washing and such.

If you go tankless, try to locate it as close as possible to the points of use. Also insulate the hot water pipes.
rsbm_rhino
Original Author
13 years ago
jakethewonderdog, thank you for your response. I agree with the ability to limit teens shower length with a tank water heater, but as the only male in the house, I know who will probably get the short end of that deal! LOL!

On the Navien, I have read about the "teething problems", but that seems to be on the CR model. I am hoping to hear if anyone has any experience with the new NR series. I should get the bid for both hopefully by tomorrow. It will be nice to compare the costs.
Related Discussions
Rinnai Natural Gas Tankless Water Heaters
Q
Comments (8)
dan i have two rinnai LP gas units that are ganged together in series. the two digital controllers are linked and when i set the control on one unit, the other automatically updates. the only negative i have with the rinnai's is that the controller can only adjust temps in increments of 5 degrees - i wish it was in 1 degree increments. for us, it was more efficient to have two small units installed rather than 1 large one. this was done for efficiency - most of the time we only need one unit running but there are cases where the second will kick in. gas tankless is great and the rinnai's look to be well built. 3200 sounds very high to me. I don't know the exact dollar number for ours , but the 2 rinnai's we had cost us an additional 1200 dollars over what a hot water tank would have cost (we just paid for the upgrade). my guess is that a hot water tank installed would run around 800 dollars max - so I am having a hard time seeing where the 3200 price tag came from. is there is a lot of plumbing and venting work required to install your unit? i do know that the ducts for the tankless units are very expensive, so if you have a long run for the vent - that might be where the extra cost is.
...See More
Tankless Water Heater Inlet Size Question
Q
Comments (24)
I realize this is a late post, but if your builder didn't know that a tankless almost always needs a 3/4" gas line, I would get a new builder. That's a very bad sign of ignorance, and builders should be the experts--you shouldn't have to ask anybody else. Especially if he didn't know you had a 1" line that could EASILY be tapped into with a 3/4" extension to the unit. Especially if he is not familiar with tankless units. Takagi and Rinnai are the best, followed closely by Rheem. Condensing models put out more bang for the buck with less btus, and use less energy. (And btw, there are new models of tankless that do indeed use 1/2" gas lines, but the unit usually needs to be within 20-25 feet of the gas meter (not likely) and often doesn't put out the hot water that the other units do.)
...See More
Rinnai or Noritz Tankless Water Heater Problems?
Q
Comments (6)
We have had a Noritz (N-069M) for 2 years now w/o problems. Next-door neighbor has a Rinnai. I'd look at the costs and see if the payback is worth it to you. Potential extra costs include running a new/bigger gas line (sounds like you may be doing that anyway) and venting. You could potentially locate your unit on an outside wall to eliminate the venting cost. For as infrequently as it gets below freezing there, I doubt you'd have problems. Personally, I think for most people it won't make economic sense over a better gas-fired tank heater. But there are other drivers- saving space in a small home, locating the heater nearer to point of use, etc. The one drawback that may affect you in FL like it does us in GA is the low-flow cutoff. Our thermostatic shower valve this time of year (when incoming water temp is at peak) can cut back flow enough that the burner on the Noritz turns off. We set our heater at 105F to mitigate this (showers are still plenty hot). Hasn't happened this summer except when I tried to take a lukewarm shower to cool off after exercising. We'll see how we do in August. Oh, and make sure you get the flushing valve kit so that you can periodically clean the heater by running vinegar through it. Soft water here, but lots of FL water is from wells and has higher hardness.
...See More
Navien tankless boiler/water heater for small home...good idea?
Q
Comments (0)
We are converting a 3 season cabin into our year round home and in the process will need to add all plumbing and heating systems. The home is only 1200sqft and is tubed for radiant in floor heat. This along with a gas fireplace will be our only heat source...hopefully this will be adequate for northern Wisconsin! Our plumber is highly recommending we go with a Navien combination boiler and water heater to run on propane. Any thoughts out there on this system? We have only 1 bathroom and it's just my wife and I but we will run other appliances (shower, washing machine, dishwasher, radiant heating, etc.). I'm overwhelming myself with research into the different options available so any insight is very much appreciated!
...See More

Sign Up to Comment

Related Stories

GREAT HOME PROJECTS How to Switch to a Tankless Water Heater

By Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

New project for a new year: Swap your conventional heater for an energy-saving model — and don’t be fooled by misinformation

BATHROOM DESIGN Water Damage Spawns a Space-Saving Bathroom Remodel

By Mitchell Parker

A game of inches saved this small New York City bathroom from becoming too cramped and limited

SAVING WATER 11 Ways to Save Water at Home

By Carol Crotta

Whether you live in a drought-stricken area or just want to help preserve a precious resource, here are things you can do to use less water

GREEN BUILDING Water Sense for Big Savings

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

Keep dollars in your pocket and preserve a precious resource with these easy DIY strategies

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 10 Ideas for a Creative, Water-Conscious Yard

By Laura Gaskill

Check out these tips for a great-looking outdoor area that needs less water

FLOORS Is Radiant Heating or Cooling Right for You?

By Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

Questions to ask before you go for one of these temperature systems in your floors or walls (yes, walls)

EARTH DAY Grow a Beautiful Garden With Ecofriendly Greywater

By Greywater Corps

Reducing home water waste means lower bills and a healthier planet. Here's how to set up a greywater home irrigation system that can help

FLOORS What to Ask When Considering Heated Floors

By Toronto Interior Design Group

These questions can help you decide if radiant floor heating is right for you — and what your options are

BATHROOM DESIGN Dreaming of a Spa Tub at Home? Read This Pro Advice First

By By Any Design Ltd.

Before you float away on visions of jets and bubbles and the steamiest water around, consider these very real spa tub issues

FLOORS Floors Warm Up to Radiant Heat

By Lindsey M. Roberts

Toasty toes and money saved are just two benefits of radiant heat under your concrete, wood or tile floors

Sponsored

More Discussions

Help! My hair is green :(

12

Kitchen Apron sink.... WHERE can I see one on Display?

4

Can you show me an Apron Kitchen sink with 1cm thick countertop?

4

kitchen Faucet Opinions Please

2

Separate shower head and hand-held shower controls

15