Raleigh Plumbers Review of Rinnai R75e Tankless Water Heater

A while ago  I reviewd the Noritz NR71 natural gas tankless water heater, after having installed quite a few of them. I claimed it the “best tankless under $800″! Well this week I installed a Rinnai R75e for the first time and I was acutually quite impressed. Noritz and Rinnai are direct competitors in the tankless water heater marketplace , and the competition is very fierce. Truth be told, I can’t really tell that much difference between the two as far as performance but I will tell you a few things about the Rinnai R75e that will make you consider both units before you purchase them.

Digital Control – Rinnai includes a digital controller with the R75e for close to the same price as the Noritz NR71. Now for me, I enjoy the simplicity of the NR71, not having a digital controller. It keeps the homeowner from messing around with the water heater itself. What, a triangle plumbing customer messes around with their water heater? Happens all the time, and while some raleigh plumbing customers can get it right, most just make the problem worse. With the Rinnai, at least you do have the advantage of providing the ability for the customer to get a digital display if they want one, for no extra cost.

Install Kit – Rinnai has really out done themselves by including the installation kit with the tankless heater. You get the brass shutoff valves and flush connections as well as a temperature and pressure relief (T&P) valve. This saves you $65 at your local supply house. I have not seen another company include the installation kit with the tankless water heater. Not Takagi, Navien or Noritz. Very helpful to customers and plumbers on a budget.

Cost Comparison – At around $800 for a Noritz NR71 and around $900 for a Rinnai R75e, there is not much difference to the casual observer. However, to my customer that I installed this unit for in Holly Springs plumbing in the Rinnai was the obvious choice. You get a flow rate of 7.5 gallons per minute with the Rinnai. Almost half a gallon more than the Noritz. My Holly Springs customer wanted that digital display for the safety of her kids and the ability to turn the water up some if she wanted to use her whirlpool tub. The digital control makes that easy. Finally, when you add in the install kit, she actually got a better bargain with the Rinnai. To the customer, $100 dollars did not matter much, better value did.

Now, I still love the Noritz, but if you are in Raleigh and need to get a tankless water heater do some research and get what You want, either unit will make you happy in the end. Also if you need a licensed Raleigh plumber to install a tankless heater for you, give me a call at 919-397-5777 and we will make that happen for you.