Rinnai vs Noritz – A Complete Comparison

Rinnai vs Noritz

Rinnai vs Noritz – A Complete Comparison

If you are here you probably thinking about installing a new tankless water heater at your home. While reaching this intent you might have come across good brand names featuring some up-to-the-mark tankless water heaters. So I have decided to make the selection process a bit easier for you by doing a detailed Rinnai vs Noritz comparison review.

Both the brands, Rinnai and Noritz, have a range of promising models offering energy efficiency, uninterrupted hot water supply, and good design. This comparison review is based on their features, quality, price, and user feedback.

I am going to walk you through all the other information you need to know about making that decision. Everything from installation cost, operational cost, best model and even get down and dirty how to size that.

Rinnai vs Noritz – An Overview

Rinnai and Noritz, both are great water heater manufacturers using Japanese tankless water heating technology. They bear the same 12 – 15 years warranty while all the units are qualified by Energy Star. Burner’s quality is equally good in both brands having a low emission rate.

Said that the comparison would be mostly scenario based acknowledging that each model has its own individual advantages and disadvantages. Having an in-depth breakdown of each will let you decide what best satisfy your desire.

While Noritz has value for durability, green technology, variety in size, and dual flame burner, Rinnai stands out in high efficiency, smart control, best venting options, and environmentally friendly designs.

For a full review of the entire Noritz lineup, check out this article.

Noritz vs Rinnai: Whole House Tankless Water Heater

These models are equipped to facilitate the hot water demand of a whole house at once without any interruption. Having a supply of 10 GPM (and above) is enough to run all your home fixtures altogether and never see a shortage. See other distinctions here:

  Models / SpecsRinnai RU199iPNoritz NRC111DVLP
Gas input (BTU)199000199,900
Water flow (GPM)11 GPM11.1
Energy Factor0.93.94
Temp. settings (F)98 – 140100 – 140
Weight (lbs)74.1 lbs.74 lbs.
RemoteYesYes
Ultra-Low NOx20 ppm 
WiFi readyNoNo
RecirculationYesYes
Warranty15-Years Limited Residential, 5 Year Parts, 1 Year Labor12-Years Limited Residential, 5 Year Parts, 1 Year Labor

Other features

Sale
Rinnai RU199iP Condensing Tankless Hot Water Heater, 11 GPM, Propane, Indoor Installation
606 Reviews
Rinnai RU199iP Condensing Tankless Hot Water Heater, 11 GPM, Propane, Indoor Installation
  • Endless Hot Water: Our tankless hot water heaters offer unlimited...
  • Energy and Space Efficient: The tankless design of this small hot water...
  • Optimal Water Pressure: With a hot water flow rate of up to 11 GPM, this...
  • Professional Installation Recommended: Visit the Find a Rinnai PRO page on...
  • Guaranteed to Last: 15-, 5-, and 1-year residential for heat exchanger,...
  • Has multiple venting options, where you can go with concentric venting or you can go with PVC.
  • Has a recirculating pump to instantly have the hot water whenever you need it. There is no waiting and wasting gallons of water.
  • Has the controller unit set timers for the recirculation system and to set the water heater itself.
  • Enhance safety features added with a digital display for maximum control.

Noritz NRC111DVLP
3 Reviews
Noritz NRC111DVLP
  • Flow rates up to 11.1 GPM
  • Heat Exchanger manufactured from commercial grade copper, 25% thicker...
  • Vents easily with Schedule 40 PVC , CPVC or Polypropylene
  • Link two units with QC-2, Quick Connect Cord
  • Remote thermostat & 6' power cord included

  • This model is a 94% efficient condensing residential unit meaning that it can achieve the highest efficiency by utilizing its primary heat exchange along with a secondary100% stainless steel heat exchanger.
  • This model is capable of vaping with PVC that has zero clearance which lowers the cost and simplifies the installation.
  • It is also remote controlled which allows you to adjust the temperature anywhere between 100 – 180 Degrees.

Verdict

It is a close call. As you can see both models have higher efficiency and cut-to-cut features. The concern may arise in the price department. If you are tight on a budget I would suggest the Rinnai, having a Limited 15-year or 12,000 hrs. on heat exchanger, 5-year on parts, 1-year on labor but a professional installation is required. Besides, it has got some cool safety features like a flame failure, Combustion fan RPM check, over current – glass fuse, and automatic frost protection which is enviable in a gas tankless water heater.

Noritz vs Rinnai: Outside Natural Gas Models

These two listed models are highly energy-efficient and prove to be a good replacement to any conventional storage water heater models suitable for outside installation.

 Rinnai RL94eN  Noritz NR98ODNG  
PriceyesNo
GMPYesYes
RemoteNoYes
EfficiencyYesYes
InstallationNoYes
WarrantyYesYes
CondensingNoNo

Other Features

Rinnai RL94EN
721 Reviews
Rinnai RL94EN
  • Original Design: Tankless hot water heater's Circ-Logic technology offers...
  • Never Run Out of Hot Water with this Compact Tankless Gas Water Heater:...
  • Smart, Durable Design: Includes 12-, 5-, and 1-year residential guarantee...
  • Professional Installation Recommended: Visit the Find a Rinnai PRO page on...
  • Find Your Rinnai: See our product guides, manuals, energy guide, warranty...
  • This high energy-efficient water heater conserves energy by up to 40% by heating the water only when needed.
    • With a capacity of 9.4 GPM, it is designed to provide a hot water stream to at least 5 faucets in the house at the same time.
    • It is a long-lasting and space-saving unit having brilliant wall-mounted hardware.
    • There are no venting needs. Mounted outside of the house it blows the exhaust gas out right there.
Noritz NR98
2 Reviews
Noritz NR98
  • 199,000 BTU
  • .05 GPM activation flow rate
  • Self-diagnostic onboard computer system
  • 84% thermal efficiency
  • For outdoor installation only. No venting required
  • Running on natural gas, this model saves the cost of energy compared with electric heaters
    • Has a capacity of 9.8 GPM, it provides sufficient hot water for multiple fixtures in a house.
    • It offers a hard water treatment system by Noritz which saves your cost on frequent maintenance due to scaling.

Verdict

Putting both models and their features side by side there is hardly any difference but again Rinnai has decent pricing while Noritz is costing more by offering the same energy efficiency and compact design without any added benefits.

Also, there is no Isolation Valve Kit included in the Noritz model that even increases its installation cost. My vote for this segment goes to Rinnai having all theneeded features at a good price.  

Where Noritz Beats Rinnai

Most of the Noritz water heaters including NR98ODNG and Noritz NRC111DVLP have a built-in pump control mechanism for recirculation while Rinnai doesn’t.

They are also equipped with dual-flame burners for maximum output, maintained temperature, and a low emission rate.

Noritz uses high-quality stainless steel and commercial grade copper in all its manufacturing units and there is no outsourcing of a single piece down to screw.

Where Rinnai Beats Noritz

Rinnai has introduced advanced recirculating models with stainless steel heat exchangers and smart condensing heating technology and all of these in a bracket of affordable price.

Rinnai offers an excellent warranty that can include 5 years of labor and very supportive tech support that is available 24×7 and for 365 days.

Their new models are easy to service and operate, though you need a plumber to install first.

There is one good thing about Rinnai, they have a built-in condensing set-up. Not having a condensing setup can significantly shorten the life of the heat exchanger of a water heater so yes Rinnai wins in that.

Their state-of-the-art designs units make the interaction between user and unit most convenient by using Wi-Fi connections and remote monitoring through smartphones and voice commands. 

Rinnai has been voted #1 among all the HVAC manufacturers in a builder Magazine, based on customers’ reviews.

Wondering how Rinnai stacks up against Rheem? Read this article to learn more.

Common Problems of a Tankless Water Heater

No Hot Water

  • Make sure you are not exceeding your water heater gallon capacity. If multiple fixtures are open at multiple locations at the house then it is definitely going to affect the per minute gallon output.
  • Frozen weather can prevent hot water from coming to the taps. It may go dead due to cold weather and it may cause your gallon per minute to drop. You should pay attention to its defrosting.
  • If you are getting an error code the first thing to check is its vents. Make sure they are not blocked up because if they are not getting enough fresh air they cannot fire correctly.

Too much hot water

  • If you are getting way too much hot water the first thing to check is your temperature settings. It is easier to gauge with e digital display.
  • If the issue is in the specific area of the house that can be to do something with the circulation or the specific fixture as well.

Final Verdict

Noritz and Rinnai are technically very much the same. They both deliver about the same amount of hot water efficiently using gas fuel. The warranties are also fairly alike. What really matters is reliability and support in case something goes wrong which also depends on the installation part.

As mentioned earlier, Rinnai has a better reputation and amazing customer service. Plus their rates are comparatively reasonable in contrast with Noritz.

But you really can’t go wrong with either Rinnai or Noritz- they are two of the most popular brands for a reason.

If you want to know how Rinnai stacks up against Navien, check out this article.

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