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Rinnai Tankless Water Heater Reviews

 
 

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Rinnai tankless water heaters are frequently considered the best water heating systems on the market, and they're a popular choice among homeowners and contractors. This article will give you the information you need to decide if purchasing a Rinnai tankless system is the right choice for your home.

About Rinnai Corporation


Established in 1920, Rinnai is celebrating it's 100th year in business. The company was founded in Japan by Hidejiro Naito and Kanekichi Hayashi with the manufacturing and selling of pressurized oil cooking stoves.

In the 1930's they expanded their product line and began selling gas appliances that included space heaters, ranges and cooking stoves. In 1964 Rinnai began building water heaters, and in 1999 they sold their first tankless water heater.

Today, Rinnai is one of the most sought after brands in the water heater industry. They've maintained their high standards and attention to quality and innovation, and have a wide range of heaters to meet every household need.

Contact Information

Rinnai can be contacted through their website contact form or by calling their Customer Care Team at 1-800-621-9419 Monday through Friday from 8am to 8pm eastern standard time.

 
 

Major Features of Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters

Rinnai makes some of the best tankless water heaters in the world, here are a few of the features that make them such a solid performing name in the industry. 

Energy Efficiency - A key metric to consider when buying a water heater is energy efficiency. Rinnai's heaters are synonymous with significant energy efficiency. They manufacture the High Efficiency (HE) tankless water heating series, as well as the Super High Efficiency (SE) series.

Both the HE and SE Series offer considerable savings in energy consumption. Efficiency is rated by the Uniform Energy Factor (UEF) which is a standard measurement used to help homeowners compare one model to another.

Rinnai's tankless water heaters have a UEF rating between 0.81 and 0.97. The higher the UEF rating, the more efficient the water heater.

Rinnai Circ-Logic - Homeowners can use this featue to set patterns that match their hot water usage. Rinnai's Circ-Logic is recirculation technology that makes hot water available when you need it; and during the hours when hot water isn't necessary, the circulating system is inactive. Saving you money.

Not all of Rinnai's models come Circ-Logic capable, but most of the SE, SE+ and HE+ Series are designed for the system. 

Wi-Fi Connectivity - Download the app and add a Control-R module and you can remotely control your tankless, check it's performance, and even troubleshoot problems. 

Many homeowners love that they can have the data sent directly to a Rinnai Professional. Before he even pulls into your driveway, he'll know the problem and what parts to bring!

The majority of Rinnai's tankless water heaters have Wi-Fi Connectivity.

 
 
 

Rinnai Tankless Water Heater Prices: How Much Do They Cost?

Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters are by no means inexpensive. They cost anywhere from $600 to $2,300 for the unit alone. Then you have installation, which can run another $600 to $1,500 depending on the type of unit you purchased and how much work needs to be done.

Although, some DIYer's may want to take on the installation project themselves, Rinnai all but requires professional installation, and failure to do so may void your warranty. Purchasing a tankless water heater is an investment, and having it properly installed is an important part of the process.

There's a number of factors that play into installation costs. Here are a few things to consider: 

  • Whether it's a condensing or non-condensing unit
  • Whether it's an indoor or outdoor unit
  • Whether it has a recirculation pump
  • The complexity of the setup
  • How much the unit weighs
 
 

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Where to Buy a Rinnai Tankless Water Heater

Rinnai has made it easy to purchase their water heaters. Many of their most popular units are available on Amazon, but most major box stores such as Home Depot and Lowes also sell them.

If you do choose to purchase your tankless heater from another online retailer, make sure that they are an Authorized Rinnai Dealer. If they are not, Rinnai will not validate the warranty.

Warranty

Rinnai offers one of the best warranties in the industry. All models come with 5-years parts and 1-year labor, with an option to add extended coverage on some of the higher-end models. However, you will need to register your heater within 30-days of purchase.

Although not required, Rinnai highly recommends professional installation by a trained and qualified technician who attended a Rinnai installation training class. The warranty will be void, if installation was done incorrectly.

The warranty period for the heat exchanger varies depending on the model. This chart shows the warranty coverage for the heat exchanger and which model line-ups are in each series:

HE Series

HE+ Series

SE Series

SE+ Series

RL & RLX

RUCS & RUS

RU & RUR

10 - years

12-years

12-years

15-years


Rinnai RL Series HE+ Tankless Hot Water Heater: Indoor Installation
 
 
 
 
 

Range of Products

Rinnai breaks their tankless water heaters into two main model line-ups. The High Efficiency Series (HE and HE+) and the Super High Efficiency (SE and SE+).

HE Series - Rinnai's HE Series consists of the model line-up V Series. These are non-condensing, budget friendly water heaters. They are not ENERGY STAR qualified and achieve UEF ratings between 0.79 to 0.82. 

There are both indoor and outdoor models in the V Series, and models that burn either natural gas or propane. The top performing models in this line-up can achieve a maximum flow rate of 9.8 gpm (gallons per minute). 

HE+ Series - This series consists of two model lines: The RL and the RLX models. HE+ tankless water heaters are also non-condensing and have UEF ratings between 0.81 and 0.82.

To simplify maintenance, HE+ models come with isolation valves, and they are also Wi-Fi and Circ-Logic ready, should you choose to purchase the accessories.

SE Series - The Super High Efficiency (SE) series consists of two model line-ups: The RUCS and the RUS. These are condensing tankless water heaters, and without going into a lot of detail, condensing units are more expensive to purchase, but less expensive to install. We highly recommend purchasing condensing units.

Although, not ENERGY STAR qualified, the SE Series line-up achieves UEF ratings between 0.85 to 0.90. Both the RUCS and RUS heaters have models available to burn either natural gas or propane, but the RUCS units are designed to be used indoors, where the RUS is for outdoors.

SE+ Series - This line-up is called Sensei Super High Efficiency Plus and each of the units are condensing tankless water heaters. There are two models in the SE+ line-up: The RU and RUR models. 

These heaters are ENERGY STAR qualified, achieve UEF ratings between 0.91 and 0.93. They are also both Wi-Fi ready. However, they differ in recirculation technology. The RU models are Circ-Logic capable, but the RUR models have an entirely different system called 360 Recirculation.

Both the RU and RUR line-up consists of indoor and outdoor models, as well as a choice of natural gas or propane. The most powerful units in the SE+ Series can produce a maximum of 11.0 gpm of hot water.

 
 

Top 3 Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters

With so many different Rinnai tankless models to choose between it's easy to get lost along the way. We've selected three of our favorite heaters to help get you started:

 
 

HE+ Indoor RL75iN

The RL75iN may be Rinnai's most popular unit, especially if you're looking for a non-condensing tankless water heater. This particular model operates on natural gas, although they do offer a similar model for propane.

Capable of achieving a maximum 7.5 gpm of hot water, this heater is designed to service 2 to 4 fixtures simultaneously. The unit has a UEF rating of 0.81 and is Ultra Low NOx. The heat exchanger comes with a 12-year warranty.

 
 

RL75iN

Rinnai RL Series HE+ Tankless Hot Water Heater: Indoor Installation

 

SE Indoor RUCS75iN

The RUCS75iN is part of Rinnai's Super High Efficiency (SE) line-up. The unit is an indoor, natural gas, condensing tankless water heater that has a maximum hot water output of 7.5gpm.

It is ENERGY STAR certified has a UEF rating of 0.90. This heater is Wi-Fi and recirculation pump capable and meets Ultra Low NOx requirements. The heat exchanger comes with a 12-year warranty.

 

RUCS75iN

Rinnai RUCS Series SE Tankless Hot Water Heater: Indoor Installation

SE+ Indoor RU199iN

If you're looking for a powerful tankless water heater the RU199iN is the one for you. It's capable of delivering a maximum of 11.0 gpm of hot water, enough to operate 3 to 6 fixtures at the same time!

This heater is ENERGY STAR certified and has a UEF rating of 0.93. Built for indoor use, it's designed to burn natural gas, although you can purchase a propane model.

The heat exchanger has a 15-year warranty, and the RU199iN comes Wi-Fi capable, as well as recirculation capable. If your household demands high amounts of hot water, this tankless water heater is an excellent choice.

 

RU199iN

Rinnai RU Series Sensei SE+ Tankless Hot Water Heater: Indoor Installation, RU199in - Natural Gas/11 GPM

 
 

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Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters vs Other Brands

There's a lot of competition in the tankless water heater industry, and as arguably one of the leaders, Rinnai has its fair share of challengers. Let's take a look at two other solid performers:

Rinnai vs Rheem - Rheem's unique advantage is in their pricing. They're considerably less expensive than Rinnai. Another selling point is Rheem's heaters come with condenser neutralizers.

However, what they gain in cheaper prices, they lose in the ease of operation and efficiency which has always been a strong point for Rinnai. Also, Rinnai manufacturers models that can deliver more hot water (gpm), making them perfect for large households.

Rinnai vs Navien - Navien is a lessor known brand, but they deliver solid, quality tankless water heaters. Rinnai's water heaters are better suited to residential apartments and dwellings, while Navien functions better with commercial properties.

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