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Replies: 21
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CU Guru [1593]
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Gas tankless water heaters
Dec 4, 2017, 7:46 PM
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I just bought a house built in 2014 with a tankless water heater.
I was on line and came across something about flushing them out with vinegar.
Is this really necessary and how often does it need to be done.
It has all the lines and cut off valves to hook up for this.
The only thing I need is a pump
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All-Pro [697]
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Re: Gas tankless water heaters
Dec 4, 2017, 7:56 PM
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If it's a Rinnai it has a copper heat exchanger that can corrode, which is also the only part never under warranty (I think) and is also like 95% of the unit. Naviens have stainless steel exchangers that don't corrode but are more expensive so if a builder put it in it's probably a Rinnai.
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CU Guru [1593]
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Re: Gas tankless water heaters
Dec 4, 2017, 8:49 PM
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It is a Naviens
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Legend [15967]
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We've owned two homes with Rinnai (?) tankless...
Dec 4, 2017, 7:56 PM
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gas water heaters. One built in 2000, the next in 2012. Never had an issue, and never heard of cleaning them out with vinegar. I guess that advice is geared toward cleaning out any mineral deposits that may get in the body/valves over time (such as using vinegar to clean out a coffee maker). Maybe someone with more knowledge than I knows if this is necessary? I hope not, cause I was under the impression they are pretty much maintenance free.
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Legend [16470]
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I think it depends on your water quality. If you have a well
Dec 4, 2017, 8:13 PM
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with high hardness or other minerals, you may need to clean it out frequently. May just have to drain it periodically, like you do with a regular water heater to get the sediment out of the bottom. Nice clean water on a city system you may not have these issues. All this is my understanding anyway.
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110%er [8866]
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Re: I think it depends on your water quality. If you have a well
Dec 4, 2017, 8:16 PM
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A good water filter will work well too
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CU Guru [1593]
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Re: I think it depends on your water quality. If you have a well
Dec 4, 2017, 8:53 PM
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It has a filter on it that should be washed out after flushing
I just called the customer care number
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CU Guru [1593]
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Re: I think it depends on your water quality. If you have a well
Dec 4, 2017, 8:51 PM
[ in reply to I think it depends on your water quality. If you have a well ] |
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I am on city water and they suggest doing it every 2 years.
If I had hard water every 8-12 months
I just called and they said if I do this every 2 years this unit should last 30 years
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All-TigerNet [13693]
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Re: I think it depends on your water quality. If you have a well
Dec 4, 2017, 11:36 PM
[ in reply to I think it depends on your water quality. If you have a well ] |
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Also, heating hard water in itself will cause precipitants to fall out of solution typically foiling the coils shortly after the heating process occurs. You should analyze you water supply and determine if there's an available upstream treatment prior to heating.
Best advice I can give you from a Clemson ChE. ??
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All-TigerNet [13693]
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Re: I think it depends on your water quality. If you have a well
Dec 4, 2017, 11:36 PM
[ in reply to I think it depends on your water quality. If you have a well ] |
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Also, heating hard water in itself will cause precipitants to fall out of solution typically foiling the coils shortly after the heating process occurs. You should analyze you water supply and determine if there's an available upstream treatment prior to heating.
Best advice I can give you from a Clemson ChE. ??
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1st Rounder [646]
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Depends on water quality
Dec 4, 2017, 8:25 PM
[ in reply to We've owned two homes with Rinnai (?) tankless... ] |
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Our main home is on city water and has Rinnai water heaters. We have never flushed them and have had no issues. We have a beach house that has terribly hard water with a lot of calcium. We have a Noritz gas heater there that I had it flushed when we bought the house in 2012. I was there when the guy did it and there was a lot of chalky stuff that came out. Haven't had it done since and have had no issues. May need to have it done again soon I suppose.
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CU Guru [1534]
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Did I login to a YouTube help video?***
Dec 4, 2017, 8:11 PM
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110%er [5476]
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Re: Did I login to a YouTube help video?***
Dec 4, 2017, 8:28 PM
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Call Richard Trethewey the plumber on Ask This Old House.
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110%er [8866]
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Re: Gas tankless water heaters
Dec 4, 2017, 8:37 PM
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Checked for you. My daughter works at gas company that sells, installs etc. she said you don’t personally flush them. Every two years you should have your gas company come out and do maintenance. They just charge labor.. about 120.00
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CU Guru [1593]
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Re: Gas tankless water heaters
Dec 4, 2017, 8:56 PM
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I have watched videos today and it's a simple thing.
Shut the gass off and open the drain valves using a pump to flush it out for an hr.
I'm going to do it tomorrow because it can't hurt .
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Rock Defender [65]
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Re: Gas tankless water heaters
Dec 4, 2017, 8:47 PM
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I live in Chs and I built a house in 2005 and our Gas Rinnai lasted almost 11 years with 0 maintenance (no flushing). My plumber told me that an annual or bi-annual flushing wouldn’t have necessarily given us any more time. We’re 100 yards from the Ashley River as well. Think you probably get more time away from the coast.
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CU Guru [1593]
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Re: Gas tankless water heaters
Dec 4, 2017, 8:58 PM
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I was told today if done every 2 years my Heater should last 25-30 years
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All-In [25850]
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Re: Gas tankless water heaters
Dec 4, 2017, 8:59 PM
[ in reply to Re: Gas tankless water heaters ] |
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Good point. The quality of your water is the key as many have said. We have had no trouble with ours.
Don't know where you live but if you have to deal with hurricane power outages like we do, you will lose your water heater even though it is propane powered. The lighting mechanism is electrical.
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CU Guru [1593]
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Re: Gas tankless water heaters
Dec 4, 2017, 9:01 PM
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Yeah I live in Florence so we get hit pretty hard most every time
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Starter [383]
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Re: Gas tankless water heaters
Dec 5, 2017, 6:57 PM
[ in reply to Re: Gas tankless water heaters ] |
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Clemson ChE who worked 15 years in Water filtration and treatment company. Filters do next to nothing for hard water (contaminants are dissolved in solution) but help a lot with sediment. Depends on your water. If low hardness water or you use a softener, and a filter, can run for a long time with minimal maintenance. If you have hard water those deposits are going to build up like crazy and removal is a must. I have seen steam boilers where people used city water untreated and there were inches, plural, of deposits on interior of heat exchanger. Boilers are worst case but imagining a tankless hot water heater is close.
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Orange Blooded [2763]
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Set the thermostat to 34 C
Dec 4, 2017, 9:39 PM
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and the extrostat to 10.
Then order a chicken dinner to go.
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Freshman [10]
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Re: Set the thermostat to 34 C
Apr 20, 2018, 1:07 PM
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Hey,
So what the rinnai heater? model are you use for that?Of this list.
I need it for my future experience with that brand.
Thanks in advance
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Replies: 21
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