Waterheat Info » Tankless Water Heaters

The 1st oil fired tankles water heater.

Mr. WaterHeatinginfo — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 17:20:28 +0000

The first oil fired tankless water heater is finally here. This product is made in Japan, the companies head quarters is in Brookfield CT, about an hour away from our Connecticut office. This is a great idea for your next oil fired water heater replacement, as it will use about half the oil as traditional products. Note: This product may not be for large family’s in colder climates as the flow rate isn’t high enough to cover more than two fixtures at a time while running in the winter.

Home owner note. Flow Rate= gallons of hot water produced per minute. Temperature Rise= how many degrees the unit can increase the water that is supplied to it.

For example if the water is 65 degrees entering your house, and the tankless water heater can provide (4.8 gallons, at 50 Rise) the unit will raise the 65 degree water, 50 degrees to 115. Increasing the temp 50 degrees to 115 is ok but a hot shower is about 120 degrees. If your water is 40 degrees entering your house in the winter, and the unit can produce 3.0 gallons at a 80 degree temp rise, and your average shower is using 2.3 – 2.5 gallons a minute, you can see there isn’t much left for other fixtures.
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THE OIL FIRED TANKLESS WATER HEATER
OM-148

Toyotomi oil fired tankless water heater

Instantaneous Oil Fired Water Heater

The Toyotomi/Oil Miser water heaters are on-demand, which means there is no costly storage of hot water until it is needed. Like all Toyotomi products they are safe, reliable, and easy to install. You’ll love the convenience…and you’ll love your new lifestyle

Shower yourself with savings year after year. Ask your local dealer about Toyotomi/Oil Miser water heaters, today.

o Economical: Some consumers have reduced hot water heating costs by up to 70%!
o Heats the water you need, when you need it…up to 240 gallons per hour!
o Consistent water temperature.
o Stainless steel heat exchanger!
o 88% efficient!
o Proven trouble-free performance
o Safe: UL, CUL, home and mobile home approved!
o Direct vent (as shown below) or chimney vent!
o Small, compact size
o Limited 10 YEAR WARRANTY*

Technical product info.

Type Combustion Type – Pressure Vapor
Flue Pipe – Forced Flue
Heating – Instantaneous
Source of Water – Direct Connection to Main Supply
Ignition High Voltage Discharge Spark
Fuel Type: ASTM D3699 K1 KEROSENE
ASTM D396 NO.1 FUEL OIL
ASTM D975 ULTRA LOW SULPHUR DEISEL (ULSD)
ASTM D396 No.2 Fuel OIL (HOME HEATING OIL)
Efficiency 88%(1)
Hot Water Output 148,000 BTU/h
Fuel Consumption 1.1 gal./h
Max. Hot Water Temperature 155°F (approximately)
Water Flow Rate/
Temperature Rise: 6.1 gal./min. (40°F rise)
4.8 gal./min. (50°F rise)
4.0 gal./min. (60°F rise)
3.5 gal./min. (70°F rise)
3.0 gal./min. (80°F rise)
Capacity of Heat Exchanger 5.10 gal.
Area of Heat Transmission 9.7 ft.2
Fuel System Tank(2)
Dimensions (W x H x D) 12-5/8″ x 27-3/4″ x 22-1/2″
Weight 86 lbs. Empty
Vent Pipe Hole 4-3/4″ diameter
Max. Length of Vent Pipe 10 ft., 3 bends or less
System
Electric Rating 120 Volts AC, 60 Hz
Ignition – 110W
Burning – 98W
Required Accessories Fuel Strainer, Temp. & Pressure Relief Valve
Exhaust Air Temperature Less than 500°F
Nozzle Quantity of Vapor – 1.1 GPH
Spraying Angle – 60°
Temperature Fuse 282°F
Electric Current Fuse 5A
(1) Heat and vaporized water are produced by the combustion process of this water heater. This rating does not take into account heat loss due to condensation of water vapor.
(2) Existing tank or purchase tank from local supplier.

If you like that you should take a look at the super efficient oil fired heater from Toyotomi.

DIRECT VENT
OIL HEATING SYSTEM
OM-22 OIL MISER

Oil Mister direct vent heater

Now you can heat your home for less – less money, in less space with less work than ever before.

The revolutionary Toyotomi Oil Miser provides all the comfort and convenience of a central heating system in one small, efficient unit at a fraction of the cost. The Oil Miser can be used as either a supplement to an existing system or as a primary heat source for additions, basements, garages, and even seasonal cottages. You’ll save a bundle year after year, thanks to the Oil Miser’s unbeatable 90% efficiency.

Toyotomi has been using direct-vent technology in its heating systems for over 30 Years. It has proven to be not only highly efficient, but also safe and reliable.

In addition, the Oil Miser operates on North America’s most popular oil product, #2 home heating oil, as well as #1 fuel oil and K-1 kerosene.

Convenient, Easy to Use
The Oil Miser combines the most advanced technology with the economy of kerosene heating. It features a simplified digital control panel that displays room temperature, temperature settings, time, and error codes. With its programmable thermostat, the unit can remain in operation for up to 24 hours in a reliable, fuel-saving mode.

Efficient and Economical
The Oil Miser is one of the most fuel-efficient heating systems in the world today. Its special stainless steel heat exchanger carries the highest efficiency code and an 90.0% efficiency rating. You get more heat for the money than with any other heating system. The cost to operate a Toyotomi oil heating system is so economical that many owners enjoy annual savings of up to 70% over electric heating, 60% over propane heating, and 40% over traditional oil and natural gas heating systems.
The Oil Miser pays for itself in fuel savings in just a few short years.

Clean and Safe
A permanent mesh filter protects the circulation fan and the inside components from dust. The unit is especially safe for children and pets as its cabinet is cool to the touch. Most noteworthy is the Laser’s “pipe-within-a-pipe” forced flue venting system, a unique advance in heating. The outside pipe of the venting system brings in outside air for combustion while the inner pipe exhausts all combustion by-products to the outside. The heat is distributed by a circulation fan. The result is smokeless, odorless and clean heating. The unit also features an electric surge protector and shut-off safety system.

Comfortable
The Oil Miser’s large circulation fan distributes clean heat quickly and evenly. The unit automatically regulates between low, medium and high burn modes. It turns itself off when the room temperature rises approximately 4 degrees above the desired set temperature. This maintains maximum comfort while increasing efficiency and extending the life of the unit.

Easy Installation
You can easily install an Oil Miser in just an hour or two. The helpful owner’s manual provides complete, step-by-step instructions. Several installation options are available. The most common one is directly through the wall utilizing the wall venting kit. Another option is through a window opening with a window accessory kit. A full range of optional parts and accessories is available to make installation simple.

For the Features and Specification info on Oil Mister, click this link.

Company Info

TOYOTOMI U.S.A., INC.
604 Federal Road – P.O. Box 176
Brookfield, Connecticut 06804

Toyotomi USA Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Toyotomi Co. LTD of Japan (www.toyotomi.jp).

All Toyotomi products are manufactured in its state-of-the-art plants in Japan. The company has been in business since 1948. Toyotomi is one of the world’s largest producers of heating products and a leading producer of portable air conditioners.

Over 10 million Toyotomi heaters and air conditioners have been sold in the U.S. Our products are UL and CSA listed, in addition to meeting International Quality Control Standards IS09002 and ISO14001. Winner of the U.S. National Safety Council Award for Achievement in Product Safety, Toyotomi products are designed and built for Safety, efficiency and dependability and are recognized worldwide for their superior quality.

Inside Naviens training seminar: The new combi boiler.

Mr. WaterHeatinginfo — Fri, 28 May 2010 21:25:59 +0000

Reporting from inside an official training seminar: The Combie Boiler from Navien-

We were recently invited to attend Navien’s most recent training seminar to discuss the new addition to their product line. The new Combie tankless heater/boiler.

This product is amazing, and Navien’s product representative Rich gave us all the inside tips about the proper installation and operation of this product. We could have read the installation manual like everyone else before our next installation, (and we will) but going to these kinds of meetings give us the peace of mind that we know possibly everything we can know about these units. Their was a supplemental installation guide, and “a tips to remember chart” that won’t be included with the units, so we did acquire additional information that other installers will have. IMO All plumbers should be required to go to these kinds of seminars/know what they are doing before installing these things. This isn’t the case however, and only about 2 dozen plumbers out of many hundreds invited actually did attended this seminar.

We can now guarantee and provide the proper installations, and operation of this brand new device. The Navien combi boiler

I snapped a few pictures just for the sake of snapping a few pictures. Out of respect to the other guys attending the seminar i didn’t know I took them from the back.

Inside the training seminar.

Sneaky sneaky.

Bruce learning.

Taking a look inside the combie boiler.

Down to the Nitty Gritty-

DO NOT INSTALL A NAVIEN COMBI BOILER UNLESS YOU ARE A TRAINED PROFESSIONAL!!!

We are one of the very best plumbing companies in the business of installing tankless water heaters. For the simple fact that we install 2 – 3 a week, every single week. By installing so many of them we are usually able to install one, and remove the old tank within one day. We also get better prices that 95% of all the plumbers/ plumbing companies in our area because of the volume of units we purchase. By getting the units at lower prices, and installing them quickly, and being able to over come all if any obstacles we are able to offer prices that are regularly 500 – 1,000 lower than other local plumbing companies prices we “compete” with.

Please take a look at some of our past Navien tankless installations.

An amazing duel tankless water heater installation, with 20 pics.
http://www.waterheatinginfo.com/tankless-water-heaters/an-amazing-duel-tankless-water-heater-installation-with-20-pics/

Another high quality tankless water heater installation in Fairfeild, 8 pics
http://www.waterheatinginfo.com/tankless-water-heaters/another-high-quality-tankless-water-heater-installation-12-pics/

An perfect tankless installation in a condo.
http://www.waterheatinginfo.com/tankless-water-heaters/last-weeks-tankless-installation-at-harbor-close-townhouse/

Navien complaints & trouble shooting (Part 1)
http://www.waterheatinginfo.com/tankless-water-heaters/navien-complaints-trouble-shooting-part-1/

Navien troubleshooting guide (service manual)
http://www.waterheatinginfo.com/tankless-water-heaters/navien-troubleshooting-guide-service-manual/

Fixing a tankless water:
http://www.waterheatinginfo.com/category/tankless-water-heaters/

Price match guarantee.

We have never had to use it once yet, but we proudly offer a price match on any other licensed/ insured plumbing companies “realistic” written quote on the same tankless water heater, and installation.

We love Navien for many reasons, but also have access to many other brands of tankless water heaters, and are happy to install a brand other than Navien. However we will not install a low quality unit, (for example anything from home depot) because we won’t take the chance of having any call backs. We won’t risk our reputation on installing low quality products. We also don’t normally install electric tankless water heaters for a few reasons we can talk about over the phone.

We provide top quality plumbing information and, free estimates, installations and repairs on all Rheem, Ruud, Bradford white, State, and A.O. Smith electric, gas, propane, Bock, Thermaflow/Everhot oil fired hot water heaters, Navien, Rheem, Noritz, and Takagi tankless water heaters, Ruud, Bock, and lochinvar oil fired water heaters, SuperStor storage tanks, Peerless, Laars, and Crown tankless coils, and repairs on all hot water heater throughout the state of Connecticut including Bridgeport, CT- Bristol, CT- Cheshire, CT- Danbury,CT- Derby,CT- East Hartford,CT- East Haven,CT- Enfield,CT- Fairfield,CT- Hamden,CT- Hartford,CT- Meriden,CT- Orange,CT- Middletown,CT- Milford,CT- New Britain,CT- New Haven,CT- New London,CT- Norwalk,CT- East Norwalk,CT- Norwich,CT- Putnam,CT- Shelton,CT- Southington,CT- Stamford,CT- Stratford,CT- Southport,CT- Torrington,CT- Wallingford,CT- Watertown,CT- West Hartford,CT- West Haven,CT- Westport,CT- Wethersfield,CT- Willimantic,CT- all shore areas, and surrounding Connecticut areas. Contact us today for a professional plumbing experience. New tankless water heater installations aren’t cheep, but the return on investment is quick, and the installation process is painless. We are here to get your new tankless hot water heater installed as quickly, safely, and affordable as possible. Invite us over for a free estimate today.

Fixing a tankless water heater.

Mr. WaterHeatinginfo — Mon, 24 May 2010 12:41:09 +0000

We got a call from the website yesterday about a Navien tankless water heater not working properly. She admitted that she did not have a professional plumber install her unit, which we could tell when we looked over the installation, but it certainly wasn’t the worst installation we have encountered. The funny thing was, that it wasn’t until after one year of the unit operating normally did the unit start “acting up”.

Turns out there was no problem with the tankless water heater at all. That was with the gas service. She started renting out the 2nd floor apartment, and the tenets started using gas.

The gas meter supplied by the gas company was a 250 BTU meter. Which was the problem, the Navien draws 175K at full firing rate, and the furnace draws another 85K. Here we already exceed the Meters capacity! (175 + 85 + = 260) (not calculated is the 2 gas ovens, and dryers which also use gas when operating)

This installation was bad, but we got the unit working again after a few corrections.

We moved the gas line closer to the meter
We increased the size of the gas line supplying the unit.
We had the gas company install a larger gas meter.

a picture of a bad tankless water heater installation. We would have loved to rip this thing out and install it again, but the home owner had already wasted over 600 dollars on useless plumbers to "take a look" at her problem before she found us. Money was tight so we just got it working for her. Which was more than fine with us.

We took the cover off and started checking things out.

Cover off the Navien tankless water heater. It's very important to check the gas flow, electrical flow, and error codes while diagnosing a problem.

In this picture we have already corrected the problem. (my apologies for not getting a "before" picture)

We fixed the tankelss water heater and gained another client for life.

We solve problems. If you have a problem with your tankless water heater give us a call, and we’ll do our best to get it fixed as quickly as possible.

Why even deal with that in the first place if you don’t have to? Let one of our extremely qualified plumbers install it correctly the first time!
Spending money twice is always the toughest money to spend, don’t let that happen, let the best handle it the first time.

Price match guarantee.

New Tankless water heater installation @ Harbor Close Townhouses (14 pics)

Mr. WaterHeatinginfo — Fri, 14 May 2010 06:59:09 +0000

We installed a Navien 240A for our newest client Mrs. Butterworth last week in her beautiful condo- townhouse. (Never knew the difference). last week. This installation wasn’t easy, but it’s one of our best jobs yet.

If you have a townhouse, condo, or apartment and your old hot water heater needs to be replaced, a tankless water heater is even more practical for you!

Do you want to save money on your utility bills, protect yourself and neighbors from water damage, take advantage of huge federal & local tax credits, help the environment, and gaining a entire closet worth of space you never had before, -all wrapped in one?!?

Well then a tankless water heater is for you.

Well that’s what you get when you install a new tankless water heater instead of another old fashion energy & space wasting tank type water heater.

We have installed a few tankless water heaters in condo’s/ townhouses before but I’ve taken about a dozen high quality pictures during this installation process.

I’m also going to discuss the difficulties associated with such an installation, and why ONLY expert plumbers with experince installing these units should be allowed to install them!

Enjoy.

Our clients beautiful townhouse.

With the old tank type heater removed, an entire closet is now assessable for storage. When living in a townhouse extra storage is like this is nearly impossible to come by. A great feature of installing a tankless water heater in any condo, townhouse, or apartment.

Out with the old, and in with the new.

Installing the backing board, and mounting bracket.

The Navien is properly mounted to the wall. We kept is high of the floor in order to fit it over the washer & dryer.

We only use quality solid brass valve kits such as these. They have built in shut off valves, and extra hose connection on both the hot and cold side that allows for easy/mess free flushing during the yearly maintenance.

Bruce installing the tankless water heater.

relief valve, water lines, gas line, condensation lines & pump.

The tankless water heater is installed in a great location that was previously unused.

Time to get on the roof to finish the air intake, and ventilation lines. With a concentric vent kit, there is only 1 pipe going threw the roof.

Our friend, and great roofer Pat Taraintino is brought over to weather proof the concentric pipe for our client.

New view of the marina from the roof.

The home owners cute pup braving the rain.

A new Navien tankless water heater installed in the perfect location.

Price match guarantee.

Navien troubleshooting guide (service manual)

Mr. WaterHeatinginfo — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 23:29:10 +0000

If you are a regular visitor to this site, or have seen our RSS feed running on one of the few thousand home improvement sites that subscribe to our RSS feed you have already read our first (very popular) post about Navien troubleshooting. For those of you have haven’t yet, please do here. There’s some extremely valuable instructions in there.

For you first timers, Navien tankless water heaters are some of the best tankless water heaters on the market today, however they should not be installed by beginners, or “do it your selfers”! These units have many aspects to their proper installation. If it’s not installed correctly, you will NOT be happy with it’s performance.
You don’t just hang it on the wall, tie in the gas & water lines and turn it on like you do for the cheepo tankless water heaters you can get at the home depot. (Which you would want to return during the first week of winter, or during their next recall)
In my opinion these (Naviens’) shouldn’t even by installed by anyone (even a licensed plumber) unless he or she as installed a couple of them before, or has gone threw the official Navien training seminar.

Check out this link from a Duel unit installation we did last week. 20 pictures from the job are posted here for some quality visual simulation that this post is lacking.

(Most likely you already have a Navien, had it installed by someone that didn’t really know what they were doing. You’re in a mess and read this a bit to late, and that’s why you are here! but don’t worry we’re going to help you, and do it in 30 different languages) FYI- If English isn’t your first language just go to the top right of this site, and click on “your” flag for the language that makes you feel more comfortable.

Proper gas sizing, water lines, venting, condensation, special factory requirements, and local and state code requirements for ventilation piping, permits to increase/ run new gas lines!!! are just a few but the very most important “things to remember” (Which so many ” plumbers” for one reason or another aren’t doing these days.)
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Well what I have here in front of me is a service manual from Navien. First I’m going to list all the error codes that may be displayed on your unit’s digital thermostat or on the until itself (under the cover) and let you know what that means, and what your qualified plumber can do about it.

The Error Code Guide (1)

Error Code(s) – What is happening - Diagnostic & action.

E001- Water is boiling inside the heat exchanger
Self-diagnostic/Action -

Clean the inlet water filter.
Check the automatic flow adjustment valve.
Check the heat exchanger, remove and clean with a cleaning solution.

E003- Ignition failure
Self-diagnostic/Action -

Check to see if the main gas supply valve is open.
Check that the power is ON.
Check the igniter for spark.

E004- False flame detection
Self-diagnostic/Action –

Ensure ground wire is connected.
Check the igniter for spark.

E007- Hot water outlet. (Thermistor- open)
Self-diagnostic/Action -

Check the thermistor.
Replace the thermistor

E008- Hot water outlet. (Thermistor – short)
Self-diagnostic/Action –

Check the thermistor.
Replace the thermistor

E009- Abnormal fan motor activity
Self-diagnostic/Action -

Check and clean the air filter.
Check and clean the fan motor.

E010- Abnormal air pressure.
Self-diagnostic/Action -

Check the vent pipe for obstructions.
Check and clan the air filter.

E012- Flame loss.
Self-diagnostic/Action -

Check the main gas line (valve open?)
Check the intake air pipe for obstructions.
Check the ground wire.
Check power supply.

E015- Abnormal control board.
Self-diagnostic/Action -

Check power supply
Check the GFI.

E016- Overheating of heat exchanger.
Self-diagnostic/Action -

Turn OFF the system for at least 30 minutes then restart.
Clean the inlet water filter.
Check the automatic flow adjustment valve.
check the heat exchanger, remove and clean with a cleaning solution.

E021- Cold water inlet. (Thermistor 1- open)
Self-diagnosable/Action -

Check Thermistor.
Replace Thermistor.

E022- Cold water inlet. (Thermistor 1- short)
Self-diagnostic/ Action -

Check Thermistor.
Replace Thermistor.

E027- Abnormal activity of the air pressure sensor.
Self-diagnostic/ Action –

Check the vent pip for obstructions.
Check and clean air filter.

E030- Exhaust Overheat: The Exhaust high limit switch shuts down the unit when the flue temperatures exceed 149 Fahrenheit, (65 C)
Self-diagnostic/ Action –

Clean the inlet water filter
Check the automatic flow adjustment valve.
Check the heat exchanger; remove and clean with a cleaning solution.

E032- Cold water inlet. (Thermistor 2- Open)
Self-diagnostic/ Action –

Check the thermistor
Replace the thermistor

E033- Cold water inlet. (Thermistor 2- Short)
Self-diagnostic/ Action –

Check the thermistor
Replace the thermistor

E035- Abnormal activity of the gas pressure sensor.
Self-diagnostic/ Action –

Check gas line for gas, (with gas supply “ON”)
Check for debris. (with gas supply “OFF” )

E036- Communication failure.
Self-diagnostic/ Action –

Contact Navien tech dept.

E037- water leak inside unit.
Self-diagnostic/ Action –

Close cold water main.
Replace leaking parts.

If any of the above solutions do not resolve the problem with the water heater, contact Navien’s Technical department at 1-800-519-8794.

If you’re in Fairfield, or New Haven counties in Connecticut you’re in luck. We are not quite official factory representatives yet, but we do have experience fixing these units. (Mostly due to poor installations) 9 out of 10 problems we encounter has to do with bad installations installed by bad, or better stated under qualified plumbers. The problems that we do find with the units are mostly clogged water filters, and internal valves. If their is a problem not easily fixed, it usually has to do with the computer board, and even those are fixed quickly by a Navien factory rep. Navien tankless water heaters are engineered in such a manner that replacing parts (once you know which one to replace) is quick and painless, meaning nearly every part inside and out of the unit can be fixed/ replaced.

Navien tankless water heaters are some of the best tankless water heaters on the market today. When properly installed they will save space, water, energy, money, and work as designed for 25 – 30 years with very little maintenance.

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I’ve got a few emails asking basically asking me the same thing over the past few weeks that were all somewhat asking me this.
Jay, why are you always talking about Navien, and not really much about other manufactures?

It may seem like I’m always going on and on about Navien and it’s true to some extent, but let me be clear. waterheatinginfo.com has not received 1 dollar from Navien. (Although I honestly do wish they would spend a few bucks on some banner ads, or to put up one of their commercials on the side bar some day soon) (Dear Navien, this page is being read at least 250- 750 times a day- the site is getting 2,500 – 4,500 visits every single day)

Anyways… The real reason is we talk about them so much, is because

(1st All tankless water heaters pretty much work the same way) However Navien’s…
They produce the most hot water GPM (at the lowest temp rise)
They can handle the huge demand
They have the highest efficiency rating on the market 98%
We install at least 2 of them every week, and everyone of them is working correctly
We have dozens of very happy clients with Naviens
Exhaust pipe is PVC which is inexpensive and easy to work with. (Unlike nearly every other brand that requires very expensive double walled, Fasenseal, or B vent.) Which just one 90 degree bend cost 53 dollars!
THE NUMBER 1 REASON (We don’t want call backs!) We don’t want to go back and “fix” anything after we have installed it, as that has an extreme negative effect on our profits and our free time. We install Naviens because we feel they are the best, and we want to install it and never see you again. (or until your next plumbing task)

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I feel that we are one of the very best plumbing companies in the business of installing tankless water heaters. For the simple fact that we install 2 – 5 a week, every week. By installing so many of them we are able to install one, and remove the old tank in one day. We also get better prices than 95% of all plumbers/ plumbing companies in our area because of the volume of units we purchase. By getting the units at lower prices, and installing them quickly, and being able to over come all if any obstacles we are able to offer prices that are regularly 500 – 1,000 lower than other local plumbing companies prices we “compete” with.

Price match guarantee.

Realistic- Meaning a professional installation meeting all local & state plumbing codes.

Another high quality tankless water heater installation in Fairfeild, 8 pics

Mr. WaterHeatinginfo — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:33:22 +0000

I bought a new camera last week so I’ve been snapping some before and after pics for the world, and our future clients to see so here we go again. It’s easy for plumbers to tell you they know how to install tankless water heaters, but we would rather show you.

The enemy. The days of wasting space, energy, and running out of hot water are over.

The old tank is out, and the new 1inch gas line is brought around the back of the room to make it neat, and safe.

We recycle 100% of all the old water heaters & card board, and as much of the other trash as possible.

Installing these things require almost every tool in the truck. Pipe wrenches for the Gas pipe work, special tools for the water lines, large drills for the ventilation and to mount the board for the unit on cement. small drills, saws, hammers, torch, etc..

We had to move the heating line over to the corner of the wall to get it away from the tankless unit. Extra work like happens, and easy to correct. However the seemly small task, required more than an hour to the installation time. The entire heating system had to be shut down, one loop drained, then corrected, then refilled,purged. All together the small task really added an an hour to the installation.

The Navien is mounted on the wall.

Water,Condensation,Gas, and Thermostat,

All done. Another high quality installation by Bruce Somers Plumbing, and www.waterheatinginfo.com

We are one of the very best plumbing companies in the business of installing tankless water heaters. For the simple fact that we install 2 – 3 a week, every single week. By installing so many of them we are able to install one, and remove the old tank in one day. We also get better prices that 95% of all plumbers/ plumbing companies in our area because of the volume of units we purchase. By getting the units at lower prices, and installing them quickly, and being able to over come all if any obstacles we are able to offer prices that are regularly 500 – 1,000 lower than other local plumbing companies prices we “compete” with.

Price match guarantee.

We love Navien for many reasons, but also have access to many other brands of tankless water heaters, and are happy to install a brand other than Navien. However we will not install a low quality unit, (anything from home depot) because we won’t take the chance of having any call backs. We won’t risk our reputation on installing junk products. We also don’t normally install electric tankless water heaters for a few reasons we can talk about over the phone.

We provide top quality plumbing information and, free estimates, installations and repairs on all Rheem, Ruud, Bradford white, State, and A.O. Smith electric, gas, propane, Bock, Thermaflow/Everhot oil fired hot water heaters, Navien, Rheem, Noritz, and Takagi tankless water heaters, Ruud, Bock, and lochinvar oil fired water heaters, SuperStor storage tanks, Peerless, Laars, and Crown tankless coils, and repairs on all hot water heater throughout the state of Connecticut including Bridgeport, CT- Bristol, CT- Cheshire, CT- Danbury,CT- Derby,CT- East Hartford,CT- East Haven,CT- Enfield,CT- Fairfield,CT- Hamden,CT- Hartford,CT- Meriden,CT- Orange,CT- Middletown,CT- Milford,CT- New Britain,CT- New Haven,CT- New London,CT- Norwalk,CT- East Norwalk,CT- Norwich,CT- Putnam,CT- Shelton,CT- Southington,CT- Stamford,CT- Stratford,CT- Southport,CT- Torrington,CT- Wallingford,CT- Watertown,CT- West Hartford,CT- West Haven,CT- Westport,CT- Wethersfield,CT- Willimantic,CT- all shore areas, and surrounding Connecticut areas. Contact us today for a professional plumbing experience. New tankless water heaters aren’t cheep, but we are here to get your new tankless water heater installed as quickly, safely, and affordable as possible. Invite us over for a free estimate and see why we are one of the best in the business. 203-556-6449

An amazing duel tankless water heater installation, with 20 pics.

Mr. WaterHeatinginfo — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 23:20:54 +0000

We have talked about tankless water heaters on this site many times in the past, about how they work, how they save you money, how to find an installer, what you can expect to pay, shown you a few pictures, and much more. This post is going to be a bit different. This is going to be a installation “walk threw” with/in pictures. It should be enjoyable and will provide you with some great info, as well as so visual stimulation.

What we have here are 20 high quality pictures of one of our latest Navien tankless water heater installations.

Home owner price note: Our price was about a thousand dollars higher than the other 3 estimates our client got on his own. However we were installing two (2) Navien tankless water heaters which truly will provide endless hot water, where as every other company was just installing one which may not have met demand of this large and growing family. The home owner wanted to “go green”, and also wanted to increase the living space in his basement. A tankless water heater is the only way to go for accomplishing both needs. This job wasn’t easy by any means, having two units means we had to pull a full 1.25″ gas line from the meter to the units. Also working in tight places makes the installation longer just for the simple fact that one guy is always getting in the other guys way. We work very well as a team, and the installation speaks for it’s self. Enjoy.

Here is our clients house.

Our clients house

Ready to work

The installation area

The wall for the installation site.

Securing the backing board

Ready for the mounting brackets.

The Tankless heaters are hung

We removed/ relocated the furnace vent pipes so the cover could be removed easier.

one unit requires a 3/4 inch gas line, we installed a 1-1/4" line from the meter right to the 2 units.

The gas pipe passed inspection, and is tied into the meter.

New gas lines being installed.

Our new pipe cutting tool makes black pipe the way to go, (again)

Gas lines are brought to the each unit.

Fresh air intake, and exhaust lines piped out of the basement.

Vent lines on the exterior of the house

Water lines brought in.

Hooking up the digital thermostat.

With the old huge power vented tank heater gone, there is about 35 square feet freed up for other use.

All done. An Amazing installation, I think any plumber would agree.

It’s not polite to brag but….

We are one of the very best plumbing companies in the business of installing tankless water heaters. For the simple fact that we install 2 – 3 a week, every single week. By installing so many of them we are able to install one, and remove the old tank in one day. We also get better prices than 95% of all plumbers/ plumbing companies in our area because of the volume of units we purchase. By getting the units at lower prices, and installing them quickly, and by being able to over come all if any obstacles we are able to offer prices that are regularly 500 – 1,000 lower than other local plumbing companies estimate/ prices we “compete” with.

Price match guarantee.

The tankless water heater we used for this installation was a Navien 210 & Navien 240a

We love Navien for many reasons, but also have access to many other brands of tankless water heaters, and are happy to install a brand other than Navien. However we will not install a low quality unit, (anything from home depot) because we won’t take the chance of having any call backs. We won’t risk our reputation on installing junk products. We also don’t normally install electric tankless water heaters for a few reasons we can talk about over the phone.

Please take a look at a few of our past Navien tankless water heater installations, and repairs.

Another high quality tankless water heater installation in Fairfeild, 8 pics
http://www.waterheatinginfo.com/tankless-water-heaters/another-high-quality-tankless-water-heater-installation-12-pics/

An perfect tankless installation in a condo.
http://www.waterheatinginfo.com/tankless-water-heaters/last-weeks-tankless-installation-at-harbor-close-townhouse/

Fixing a tankless water:
http://www.waterheatinginfo.com/category/tankless-water-heaters/

We provide top quality plumbing information and, free estimates, installations and repairs on all Rheem, Ruud, Bradford white, State, and A.O. Smith electric, gas, propane, Bock, Thermaflow/Everhot oil fired hot water heaters, Navien, Rheem, Noritz, and Takagi tankless water heaters, Ruud, Bock, and lochinvar oil fired water heaters, SuperStor storage tanks, Peerless, Laars, and Crown tankless coils, and repairs on all hot water heater throughout the state of Connecticut including Bridgeport, CT- Bristol, CT- Cheshire, CT- Danbury,CT- Derby,CT- East Hartford,CT- East Haven,CT- Enfield,CT- Fairfield,CT- Hamden,CT- Hartford,CT- Meriden,CT- Orange,CT- Middletown,CT- Milford,CT- New Britain,CT- New Haven,CT- New London,CT- Norwalk,CT- East Norwalk,CT- Norwich,CT- Putnam,CT- Shelton,CT- Southington,CT- Stamford,CT- Stratford,CT- Southport,CT- Torrington,CT- Wallingford,CT- Watertown,CT- West Hartford,CT- West Haven,CT- Westport,CT- Wethersfield,CT- Willimantic,CT- all shore areas, and surrounding Connecticut areas. Contact us today for a one of a kind professional plumbing experience. New tankless water heater installations aren’t cheep, but we are here to get your new tankless water heater installed as quickly, safely, and affordable as possible. Invite us over to better educate you, and provide a free estimate for your next tankless water heater installation in Connecticut.

Got questions? Get them answered here, Call us directly at 203-556-6449

Why does my hot water take so long to get where I want it?

Mr. WaterHeatinginfo — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:55:56 +0000

Heat rises, and the hot water in your water heater will push some water up there the pipes, so if you’re hot water heater is directly under your kitchen for instance, the hot water will only need to travel a short distance to get to the faucet, thus the hot water only takes only a few seconds or so to come out of the faucet. On the other hand (for another example) if you hot water heater is in the corner your basement, and your master bath room is on the second floor opposite side of the house from the water heater, the hot water will need to travel a much further distance to get to your fixtures, the result is it’s takes a minute or two for hot water to start flowing.

Another reason, concern, and even complaint is that after a “high efficiency” upgrade to the domestic water heating system, (a tankless water heater for example) the hot water takes much longer than it did with the old system.

The reason is. Lets say for example you had a tank type water heater (most people do have those un-efficient things), you have been used to hot water almost instantly coming out of your faucets, and now with your tankless water heater the water takes a minute or longer to get hot.

Why does my tankless water heater takes so long to make hot water? I thought it made water hot instantly!

Back to the example above. The tank type water heater was making hot water all day long, whether it was needed or not and some of the hot water forces it’s way threw a great deal of your houses plumbing. (which is a total waste of energy) The result is the water seemed to be produced faster, but in reality the hot water was just there in the pipes near the fixture the whole time.

The tankless water heater is much different. It does in fact produce hot water instantly, BUT the water in the “hot” pipes within the house are no longer filled with hot water all day long (like it was with the un-effiecnt tank type heater) , and now the hot water (tho it’s created instantly) has to make it’s way through all the plumbing (push all the cold water out) before the hot water gets to the desired fixture!

It’s common sense if you think about it. But like everything else, you don’t know until you know.

My hot water takes to long, what can I do about it?

Some plumbers are just out for the quickest buck and don’t think about the client ever again a few minutes after the get a check from a client, and some guys like our own Bruce and Jay perform every installation like we would want performed in our own homes. If you think installing a tankless water heater is slapping the unit on the wall, and tying in the gas and water lines, you are greatly mistaken. There is A LOT of thought and consideration that has to be taken before even considering a tankless water heater installation. Leave it to the experts!

Tankless water heaters can have a long delay, which is natural, but there are some things that can be done.

For example. If you have half inch water lines threw out the house change all the 1/2 inch water lines to 3/4 lines.
You can also have a recirculating line and recirculating pump installed on the domestic water line near the water heater which will keep most of the hot water flowing thew the domestic hot water lines.

Things to note:

*WELL SYSTEMS- If you have well water with out a storage tank, you should install a storage tank (if you want to use a tankless water heater) the reason is the tankless water heater wants to get the hot water to the fixture fast, but it will only be able to push out the hot water as fast as the well’s pump is able to supply the unit with water. (which usually isn’t fast enough) A storage tank would increase water flow.

*LOW FLOW- If you have a low flow show head that uses less than 2 gallons of water per minute there could be a problem. The tankless unit has a flow sensor in it, which won’t allow it to turn on until enough “flow” hot water, is called for. To fix this simply waste more water, (get a different shower head)

* What the heck is wrong with my washing machine? If you have a fancy energy star washing machine, and a tankless water heater, you may have a situation with the washing machine not cleaning the clothes properly, or the machine may be making strange noises, or you may even see some kind of blinking code on the display pad.
The reason most likely, the washing machine only uses a small amount of hot water, and if the hot water takes a couple minutes to get there, the washing machine isn’t going to be happy. (it’s not getting hot water fast enough).
This can cause the tankless water heater to “sandwich” which basically means turns on and off. Those front end loading high efficiency washing machine are wonderful, but don’t work very well with tankless water heaters.

To fix the problem, you could install a point of use hot water heater right next to the washing machine, or you can run a dedicated hot water line from the water heater to the washing machine. (this is called installing a “home run” line)

More water heating info to come…….

Navien complaints & trouble shooting (Part 1)

Mr. WaterHeatinginfo — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:36:00 +0000

The search term “Navien Complaints” unfortunately has been getting searched here over the past month or so.

We have created this post to discuss possible issues with your Navien tankless water heater, but before we get into the problems and solutions I want to talk a little more about the Navien tankless water heater in a positive manner, because most of these complaints are not the fault of the company, but bad installations by untrained/ under qualified plumbers.

For those of you that don’t know Navien tankless water heater are the most efficient tankless water heaters on Earth with a 98% efficiency rating, most tankless heaters such as Nortiz are at 92 -96% efficiency, and Rinnai is only around 88% efficient.

Navien is one of the ”newer” tankless water heating companies today, but their engineers and management team have been in the tankelss water heating business for a long time. Navien’s engineer’s originally had worked for a competitor. After a few ground breaking improvements a handful of engineers, upper management, and some sales force left the company, and acquired funding they needed to start their own company“Navien” a few years ago. You can say the company has an old soul.

Navien is great to work with from a professional level, they are sending our very own master plumber Bruce Somers through a trouble shooting seminar this year as soon as their new training facility is completed in New Jersey, and very soon there after we will most likely be one of Naviens’ factory representatives/ repair men for Connecticut. If the time arises when we are called to a tankless water heater problem we can’t figure out, all we do is call the Navien tech support, or our area rep, and an actual human being from Navien will come to fix the problem. This is not the case with some other tankless water heating companies we have worked with in the past.

When there is a problem it’s not easy to figure out the problem unless you’re a trained factory representative like our very own (Bruce Somers, of Bruce Somers Plumbing) will be. The first thing you need to figure out is; is there a problem with the unit, or is there a problem with the installation.

About 90% of the problems have to do with improper installation. 10% or less of the “complaints” has to do with actual problems with the unit its self. Meaning if you had a professional plumber install your Navien tankless water heater, and that plumber has installed a few of them before you most likely have a problem with the unit its self, and should call the factory rep. However if you tried to do it yourself, or hired a under-qualified plumber that improperly installed the unit an entire host of problems can develop such as; problems with not enough heat, not hot water all together, error messages on the key pad, turning off for no apparent reason, water taking forever to heat up, strange noises, and about a dozen more possible issues..

Most installation problems that we are seeing and repairing are done by under qualified plumbers, under sizing the gas lines, under sizing the makeup air needed, forgetting about exhaust restrictions, under sizing the unit size altogether, installing them in wrong locations, and hooking heating components up to them. Everything you can imagine we are seeing. Why is this? Most un quilified “plumbers” have no clue how these things work, or care to, and these days many licensed plumbers are willing to do things they wouldn’t normally do because they don’t want to miss out on any jobs in this economy. I’d say in general 40% of our business is fixing other plumbers mistakes, but lately we are getting hundreds of hits a month from people who are Google searching the Navien tankless water heater problem, Navien tankless water heater trouble shooting tips, and what is wrong with my Navien tankless water heater. Whether it’s guys not taking pride in their work, or not taking the time to look at the installation manual, or real issues with unit’s having a bad computer board, or internal valves need to be replaced we are ready willing and able to help you solve your problem as quickly as possible.

Of the less than 10% of “issues” with the actual unit usually have to do with two things, and after the proper fix the Navien will again provide endless hot water. The two components that sometimes “go bad” have been improved since the company first began selling the units are. 1. a new computer board. 2. internal valves. Both take about 30- 45 minutes to complete by swapping out the old parts for new ones.

To avoid problems associated with poor installations Navien tankless water heaters are only allowed to be sold to licensed plumbers, the company mandates this to avoid most problems in the first place, (unlike many other tankless water heating companies). Surely they are missing out on millions of dollars with this rule, but they do it for the homeowner’s protection. However there are always ways around rules, and unfortunately home owners wanting to so badly to save money try, and manage to buy one themselves, and install the tankless water heaters themselves, or the classic “we let our father-in-law install it” (we hear that one once a week) There are hundreds of things you can DYI , but installing tankless water heaters is NOT one of them.
Why can’t I get a plumber to fix my tankless water heater problem?

Not to many plumbers are willing to “patch up” a hacked up job because we don’t want the responsibility of other problems down the line, or have our names attached to bad installations. The other thing is 99% of your “normal” plumbers out there have absolutely no clue how to fix them. Installing them is one thing, I’d say most plumbers could install them correctly, but less than 0.05% of licensed plumbers in America have any training on how to fix tankless water heaters.

Warranty warning!

Also if a licensed plumber didn’t buy the unit the home owner will have warranty issues because the company will say. “What seems to be the problem with your unit”, and you’ll say whatever the problem is, and their very next question will be “who was your installer”. They will want to know if a licensed plumber did the job or not. You must call us before you make this call! Or you may not get covered under the warranty at all. The tankless company will still help you correct the problem, but you will be paying full price which will be at least 100- 200 for parts, then the labor for a real plumber to make the corrections isn’t cheap. If you are covered under warranty, they will ship the new parts if needed at no cost and will also kick in 200 – 300 hundred dollars to cover a plumbers labor charges to make the corrections. If a qualified plumber can not be found in your area, you will need to have the factory send someone out, which could take a couple days.

To wrap this up. If you had a professional installation and don’t have hot water.

You most likely called your plumber to tell him about the problem, and he will say that he can’t help you because he doesn’t know how to fix them, only install them. At that point you became frustrated, and searched the web for information/ finding this site.

Next step is to… Call Navien and tell them you had a licensed plumber install the water heater, but he doesn’t or will not try to fix it.

When you get a hold of Navien, tell them you need someone to come out to fix your unit. Hopefully you live in a populated area an they can get someone out that day. If you are in a lightly populated area Navien I have no idea what the process/ wait time is like. (Hopefull someone from Navien will get involved with waterheatinginfo.com so we can shed more light on this matter)

If you didn’t have a professional installation and don’t have hot water.

With no question you have an issue due to one or more installation mistakes.

You most likely called a plumber to fix the problem and after many calls to different plumbers you realized that there aren’t to many plumbers that can fix these things. You get frustrated searched the web, found us.

Next step is to call us. I will try to figure out the problem, and give you some direction over the phone, or come over in person if you’re in Connecticut. Other than that you’re going to have to bite the bullet, call Navien, get prepared to spend some money to have it fixed, and be prepared for no hot water for a day maybe two. Attempting to save will cost you more money, no hot water for a couple days, and a pissed off wife. Why risk it?

Leave installing tankless water heaters to professional and experienced installations only!

Ps. If you’re looking for quotes for new tankless water heaters and a “plumber” says anything less than 2k for the entire job parts & labor, watch out!!! It’s just to good to be true, and the guy most likely has no idea what he Is doing, and there’s a good chance your asking to be one of the next countless victims of “To good to be true pricing.” by under qualified plumbers!!! If you do have a problem it will cost you twice as much to correct the problem than it would have if you had if you had the unit installed correctly the first time.

Don’t forget about the extra costs, high quality whole house tankless water heaters cost about 1,000 bucks, but you have other costs also you need to remember.
valve kit, gas line, exhaust piping, condensate pump, gas termination plates, strap hangers, water piping, electrical outlet near by (or outlet installed), black pipe, brass, and copper fittings etc.. Then you have the labor.

If you make less than 215,000 dollars a year, you most likely qualify for the federal 30% up to $1,500 tax credit, and another 300 dollars from your local gas company. Together it’s almost crazy not to do it. (From a return on investment, future saving in your pocket, space saving, and environmental stand points)

*My 2 pennies.*

*If someone/even a friend tells you they will install one for “a few hundred bucks”, run away/ do not let that person in your house!
*If your father was a plumber in the Navy 40 years ago, don’t let him install your tankless water heater!
*If your nephew just got out of plumbing school, do not let him install your tankless water heater!
*If your getting estimates for a new tankless water heater, and the plumber can not show you at least one picture of a previous tankless water heater installation he or she did, do not let that person install your tankless water heater!
*Do not buy or install an electric tankless/instantaneous hot water heater, unless you have a one bathroom house or less! Unless you are preparid to do major electrical upgrades to you house.
*If the plumber shows up at your house and doesn’t bother to look around to make sure the installation will work out at all by (checking gas lines, venting areas, installation site) do not let that person install your new tankless water heater!
Note: Tankless water heaters can not be installed in every home/ building due to Connecticut plumbing codes, and manufacturing requirements.
*If someone tells you they will install one for less that 2,000 dollars do not let that person install your tankless water heater!

*DO NOT BUY A TANKLESS WATER HEATER FROM HOME DEPOT OR LOWES!!!
(They provide the least hot water on the market, and had a massive recall a couple years ago)
2008 – 2009 figures that Home D doesn’t want you to know about. About 65% of all tankless water heater bought were returned. People thought they were getting a “good deal” but they got major head aches. Leave tankelss water heaters to the pros! and tankelss water heating companies like Navien.

If you stick to my 2 cent worth of advice, 99.% of these tankless water heater problems and issues would never arise. Your natural gas or propane tankless water heater will provide 20-30 years of hot water, and save you a small fortune in the process.

Note: I have not seen/ installed every brand of tankless water heater on the planet, but I have seen and installed many. I go to every trade show there is in the water heating industry I can get to. I talk to dozens of plumbers threw my travels every week, and read everything there is to read about them. I’d say Navien tankless water heaters are definitely one of the best talkless water heaters on Earth, and personally I think they will be industry leaders in the business of heating water within the next few years. *Navien is launching a new modulating, condensing, combination boiler which will be taking the country by storm at the end of Feb 2010. It will be able to provide hot water for all your domestic water & hydronic heating system needs from one small wall hung unit, at a price no other company is near currently.

If you have a complaint about Navien make sure ur directing your anger in the right place. (The plumber that promised you the world, but didn’t know what he was doing.) most likely

Stay tuned for part two, an in depth look at real tankless water heater problems from the inside out with pictures.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to let us know how we can be better, more accurate, or help you out by leaving a comment below. (It’s free and we will swear not to email u any junk, we ask for your email for spamming prevention tactics)

Jarrell Sullivan aka Dr. water heaters
Bruce Somes - Bruce Somers plumbing
& the behind the scenes team-

An AMNindustries company-

We provide top quality plumbing information about services, free estimates, installations and repairs on all Rheem, Ruud, Bradford white, State, and A.O. Smith electric, gas, propane, Bock, Thermaflow/Everhot oil fired hot water heaters, Navien, Rheem, Noritz, and Takagi tankless water heaters, Ruud, Bock, and lochinvar oil fired water heaters, SuperStor storage tanks, Peerless, Laars, and Crown tankless coils, and repairs on all hot water heater throughout the state of Connecticut including Bridgeport, CT- Bristol, CT- Cheshire, CT- Danbury,CT- Derby,CT- East Hartford,CT- East Haven,CT- Enfield,CT- Fairfield,CT- Hamden,CT- Hartford,CT- Meriden,CT- Orange,CT- Middletown,CT- Milford,CT- New Britain,CT- New Haven,CT- New London,CT- Norwalk,CT- East Norwalk,CT- Norwich,CT- Putnam,CT- Shelton,CT- Southington,CT- Stamford,CT- Stratford,CT- Southport,CT- Torrington,CT- Wallingford,CT- Watertown,CT- West Hartford,CT- West Haven,CT- Westport,CT- Wethersfield,CT- Willimantic,CT- all shore areas, and surrounding Connecticut areas.

How to Maintain a tankless water heater.

Mr. WaterHeatinginfo — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:03:19 +0000

Tankless water heaters are now designed to last 20- 30 years. This is done by 1 owning a high quality tankless water heater, and 2 preforming a little maintenance on it. Without maintaining your tankless water heater investment you might only get half that time, so be sure to protect your investment by having a plumber thoroughly flush the tank out at least once per year.

Water qualities are different all over the country, and even “good” water has minerals in it that over time will build up on the interior walls of the tanks heating chambers. The industry standard recommendations are Once per year (twice per year with well water) the tankless water heater should be turned off, and flushed out for 45 minutes.

For you do it yourselfers!

What you need:

5 gallon bucket
2 small hoses
2.5 gallons of white vinegar
sump pump
electrical extension cord.

Shut gas, and or electric power off.
Turn off the water valves, both entering into the tank, and the other valve going into the house.
Relieve pressure that’s in the tank by pulling tap open on pressure relief valve, which is made of brass
Hook 1 small hose from the sump pump discharge hose hook up to the inlit side (cold water side) of your tankless water heater.
Hook the 2nd small hose to the out “side” (hot water side), and put the other end of the hose in the bucket with the sump pump. Hooking the hoses up in this matter creates a “loop”, and can that point you.
Put the vinegar in the bucket with the sump pump.
Plug in the sump pump, and if you have all the shut off valves positioned correctly (2 open, 2 closed) to allow the vinegar to flow threw the tankless water heater, and back into the bucket continuously, (not into the house). you got it. Let the pump flush out the tank with white vinegar for about 45 minutes.

That’s it. Their isn’t any other maintenance that needs to be done with your tankless water heater.

If a picture is worth a hundred words, this video is worth that at least. It’s not as through as I’d like, but until I up load my own video this will do nicely.

Maintaining a Tankless Water Heater: video