One of the lesser known, but well-respected manufacturers is Noritz. They specialize in gas tankless water heaters, and if you haven't heard of them, or you'd like to learn more, read on. We'll give you an overview of the Nortiz product line-up, as well as show you several of our favorite models.

Nortiz Company

Noritz is a Japanese company that has been around for over 60 years. They introduced their first electronically controlled tankless water heater back in 1981, and in 2002 they began their U.S. operation and established offices in California and Georgia. 

Noritz is active across all platforms of social media, including YouTube, and they have showrooms at each of their physical locations. The company can be contacted through their website's contact form or by phone at (714)433-2905 or (770)422-8120.

Noritz prides itself on having some of the most durable, longest-lasting tankless water heaters on the market, thus they boast of having some of the best warranties in the business. 

Nortiz Water Heater Products

Noritz is know for manufacturing high quality gas tankless water heaters. Here are a few things that set them apart from the rest: 

EZ Series - The EZ series is Noritz's most popular line of tankless water heaters. The series was designed to simplify the installation process for homeowners who wanted to swap out their tank-style water heater to a tankless. 

Wi-Fi Capability - Several of their newer models are designed to work with the Noritz Connect app. Just download the app, pair your tankless, and you'll be able to remotely control your heater. You can even set up diagnostic and maintenance reminders.

Low and Ultra-Low NOx - In their commitment to reducing pollution, Noritz offers a wide range of Low and Ultra-Low NOx tankless water heaters. 

Energy Star Certification - The majority of Noritz's tankless water heaters are Energy Star Certified. Purchasing an Energy Star appliance will not only reduce your utility bill, it is also better for the environment. Many of Noritz's units are eligible for rebates, check out their the  Noritz website to see which specific models qualify in your area.

Noritz Product Line

Noritz offers a wide-range of high performing  indoor and outdoor models within three main product lines: The popular EZ series; the NR series, which is their mid-efficiency line-up; and the high-efficiency NRC series. Let's take a quick look at each model line-up:

EZ Series

The EZ Series consists of 3 units and, as the name implies, it's designed to easily switch from a tank-style heater to a tankless.

EZ98 and EZ111- These two high-efficiency models vary only in their size. With a UEF rating of 0.96 UEF, the EZ98 can deliver a maximum of 9.8 GPM (gallons per minute) and the EZ111 can deliver up to 11.1 GPM. Built with dual stainless steel heat exchangers, the company proudly offers an impressive 25-year warranty and can be installed both indoors and outdoors.

EZTR40 - The EZTR40 is an indoor only model, and is designed to replace an existing 40-gallon tank water heater. It can deliver a maximum 6.6 GPM, and has a UEF rating of 0.87. 

Mid-Efficiency (NR Series)

There are seven models in the NR series, all of them achieving Energy Star certification with a UEF rating of 0.81. The maximum flow rate range varies between 5.0 GPM to 9.8 GPM, and there's a mix of indoor and outdoor models to choose between. 

Nortiz Tankless Water Heater Cost

The cost of a Noritz tankless water heater can range from around $550 up to several thousands of dollars. The cheaper options will be the mid-efficiency models (NR series), while as you might expect, the high-efficiency models will be more costly.

The high-efficiency models (NRC series) are more expensive because they not only operate more efficiently, but they also come with more bells-and-whistles.

Price also depends on capacity and power. Larger homes require units with more BTUs and a higher flow rate, measured in gallons per minute (GPM). Models that can deliver more hot water are simply more expensive.

The cost to install a tankless water heater is typically much higher than a tank-style water heater. Noritz requires professional installation and service by a licensed plumber in order to maintain a valid warranty.

Nortiz Warranties

All Noritz tankless water heaters come with a 12-year warranty. What that means is the heat exchanger is covered for 12-years for the standard residential application. Warranty on parts is 5-years, while the labor is covered under a 1-year warranty up to $120.

There are some exceptions to the 12-year warranty. Installations with recirculation will be 12-years or 6500 hours of burn. Certain models that fall under that category will only have a 3-year warranty on the heat exchanger. 

The exceptions also go in the other direction. Some of Noritz tankless water heaters come with a 25-year warranty, like the EZ111 and the EZ98. 

Maintenance and Life Expectancy

The life expectancy of any tankless water heater is heavily influenced by the maintenance it receives. Perform regular maintenance, and your tankless should live a long life. Many are still going strong 20+ years after their initial install!

One of the most critical maintnenace tasks is flushing. Tankless water heaters need to be flushed regularly to remove limescale build-up within the heat exchanger.

If you live in an area with hard water this is especially critical. Flushing frequency depends on the overall hardness of the water, we recommend contacting a professional plumber to ask their frequency recommendations for you specific area.

If you live in an area with hard water you'll want to pay particular attention, because Noritz requires that water be conditioned or treated if levels exceed amounts listed in the owner's manual in order to have full warranty coverage.

You can purchase a water test kit from Amazon for a few dollars. But regardless of the results, we highly recommend using a filter such as the Aqua-Pure Scale Inhibitor from 3M to help reduce scale build-up and protect your water heater. Noritz does offer one specially designed for their heaters, but it is significantly more expensive.

Noritz provides all of the maintenance tasks in their owners manual, but they also provide many DIY videos, such as the one below which covers performing general maintenance. You'll be able to review the video and decide if it's a task you feel comfortable tackling yourself or you'd prefer to call a professional.

Watch the Video

Common Problems

The most common problem with tankless water heaters is purchasing a unit that is too small for your hot water needs. This is a common mistake by homeowners trying to save money or not understanding how to properly size a tankless to your home.

Most problems with Noritz tankless water heaters tend to be with improper installation. Problems with installations have mainly been with the electronic monitoring that comes with certain models and throws constant error codes, particularly when it comes to the draining of condensate.

We highly recommend calling a professional plumber to help you select the right tankless model for your home. Not only can you have peace of mind that you won't run out of hot water, but you'll also know it was installed correctly and your warranty won't be jeopardised.

Noritz Tankless Manuals

The owner's manual for all Nortiz water heaters are easily accessible and very easy to read. They even come complete with diagrams and illustrations. 

Along with the user manual are installation guides, warranty information, and even an ebook that can be downloaded! Noritz goes to great efforts to educate their customers, the more you know about your tankless, the better you'll be able to care for it, and the happier you'll be in the long run. 

Best Noritz Tankless Water Heaters

With so many choices, it's easy to get overwhelmed. Below, we've listed a few of what we feel are the best Noritz tankless water heaters to help you determine the right heater for your household needs.

Nortiz EZ111

The Noritz EZ series has been a customer favorite. It's designed to easily replace a tank-style water heater, yet once in place, it has plenty of bells-and-whistles and functionality to compete with some of the best tankless water heaters on the market.

Delivering 11.1 GPM of hot water, the EZ111 is designed to replace a 75-gallon hot water tank. But if you don't need quite that much hot water, the EZ98 is a great choice as it replaces a 50-gallon tank. And with the purchase of an adapter kit, they can even be installed outside. 

Noritz NRC111ODLP

The Noritz NRC111ODLP is a high-efficiency outdoor tankless water heater that's capable of delivering enough hot water to service up to 4-1/2 bathrooms depending upon where you live. This unit burns liquid propane, but there's also a natural gas and indoor model.

The heat exchanger is manufactured with commercial grade copper, and the piping is 25% thicker than standard models. Noritz backs this gas tankless with a 12-year warranty.

Nortiz NRCP111

Nortiz offers two high-efficiency condensing tankless water heaters in their NRCP line-up, and other than size and flow rate, they are both the same. The NRCP98 can deliver a maximum flow rate of 10.1 GPM and the NRCP111 can deliver 11.1 GPM.

What sets the NRCP heaters apart from the NRC models is that they have a build-in recirculation pump to provide preheated water through a dedicated return line. The user can program the unit to recirculate the hot water at designated times, or the unit can be set to "auto-learn" to adjust to the owner's habits and automatically recirculate the water.

Noritz vs. Other Brands

Other brands that compare to the Noritz include Rheem and Rinnai tankless water heaters. Rheem and Rinnai are both well-known and well respected companies that produce top-notch tankless water heaters. They also tend to have better name recognition than Noritz.

Noritz Vs Rinnai

But that doesn't mean that Nortiz offers an inferior product. In fact, Nortiz's appliances compete quite well. Where they really excel is their EZ line. Simplifying the transition for homeowners who want to replace their tank-style water heater with a tankless has been a huge success for Nortiz. Not to mention, the 25-year warranty offered on some models is the best in the market.