Noritz
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Noritz was founded in 1951 in Kobe, Japan, where the company released its first bathwater heater that same year. Electronically controlled tankless water heaters followed in 1981, a development that positioned Noritz as an early manufacturer in that category. Noritz America Corporation was established in 2001 to bring the company's tankless gas water heating technology to the US market, where it now operates out of Fountain Valley, California.
Product Lines
Noritz's residential and light commercial catalog centers on the EZ Series of condensing tankless gas water heaters, designed to simplify replacing a storage tank water heater. The lineup includes the EZ71, rated for a maximum of 6.9 gallons per minute and intended for two to two-and-a-half bathroom homes, alongside the higher-capacity EZ98DV and EZ111DV models. All EZ Series units use primary and secondary stainless steel heat exchangers.
Why Contractors Specify Noritz
Installers replacing an aging storage tank water heater benefit from the EZ Series' top-mounted hot and cold water connections, which let the existing flexible water lines reconnect to the new unit without rerouting plumbing. Condensing models in the lineup reach a Uniform Energy Factor as high as 0.98, giving installers a clear efficiency figure to present alongside the gas savings a homeowner can expect. Coverage on the primary and secondary stainless steel heat exchangers runs 25 years, a point plumbers can raise when a homeowner is weighing tankless against another tank replacement.
How to Choose Noritz Products
Unit selection starts with the home's peak hot water demand, measured in gallons per minute against the number of bathrooms and fixtures running at once. The EZ71 fits smaller homes with two to two-and-a-half bathrooms, while the EZ98DV and EZ111DV scale up for larger households or light commercial applications with simultaneous high demand. Venting configuration and gas type, natural gas or propane, should be confirmed against the specific model before ordering.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a condensing tankless water heater?
A condensing tankless water heater extracts additional heat from exhaust gases using a secondary heat exchanger, which raises efficiency compared to a non-condensing unit and is reflected in models like Noritz's EZ Series with a Uniform Energy Factor up to 0.98.
Why are the EZ Series water connections located on top of the unit?
The top-mounted connections let the same flexible water lines used by a prior storage tank heater reconnect directly to the new tankless unit, which can reduce plumbing rework during a retrofit installation.
How many bathrooms can the EZ71 support?
The EZ71 is sized for homes with approximately two to two-and-a-half bathrooms, based on its maximum output of 6.9 gallons per minute.
What warranty coverage applies to Noritz heat exchangers?
Noritz EZ Series models carry 25-year coverage on both the primary and secondary stainless steel heat exchangers.
Are Noritz tankless water heaters available for propane systems?
Yes, EZ Series models are offered in natural gas and liquid propane versions, so the gas type available at the installation site should be confirmed when selecting a model.
