Tankless water heaters offer up to 96% energy efficiency. According to Energy Star, certified tankless heaters can save a family of four up to $95 in annual energy costs. If you are in the market for one, you have most likely come across Navien and Noritz brands, and you may be wondering which one to go with.
Navien tankless water heaters are of premium quality and retail at higher prices than Noritz. In addition, Navien incorporates sophisticated features in their tankless water heaters, while Noritz has the basic features found in most tankless heaters.
Below is a detailed comparison between Navien and Noritz tankless water heaters.
About Navien
Navien was incorporated in Japan in 1978 as KyungDong Navien (KD Navien), a company that specializes in developing highly efficient and environmentally-friendly condensing boilers. It has since grown its geographical market and range of products. Navien’s product range includes tankless water heaters, combination boiler, and Navien boiler. They are sold across Asia, North America, Europe, Russia, Oceania, South America, and Mexico.
About Noritz
Noritz is also a Japanese company with an American Subsidiary. It manufactures products under the brand names Noritz and Sankuru. The Noritz American Corporation specializes in hot water heater technology and oversees distribution in the United States and Canada.
Below is a comparison of the Noritz vs Navien tankless water heaters.
Product Range
Both companies offer a wide range of tankless water heaters to choose from at different price points. Each product’s specifications vary according to fuel type, condensing vs. non-condensing, GPM, additional features, design, efficiency, and indoor vs. outdoor application.
Navien Tankless Water Heaters
The Navien tankless water heater catalog includes both a condensing tankless water heater and non-condensing water heaters. The condensing waters heaters fall into two categories: An advanced series (NPE-A2 series) and standard series (NPE-S2 series).
These models have similar features with slight variance in specifications. For example, their maximum GPM ranges between 6.8 and 11.2 while their prices range between $1100 and $1650, with the advanced series being slightly costlier.
The main difference between the advanced series and standard series of the Navien water heater is that the former comes with a built-in recirculation pump. At the same time, the latter has compatibility for a recirculation pump, but the pump kit is bought separately. All models support both natural gas and propane. They can be installed either indoors or outdoors.
The Navien non-condensing tanks also fall into two categories: NPN-U Series and NPN-E series. They also have sophisticated creatures, and premium quality build. Although they’re not as energy efficient as the condensing water heaters, they are more efficient than most other non-condensing tankless the market.
Noritz Tankless Water Heaters
Noritz tankless water heaters fall in the following categories: EZ series (standard), NRCR (Mid-efficiency), and NCRB (High efficiency). Indoor or outdoor applications vary from one product to another. While some, such as the NRCP1112 and NRCP982, are exclusively designed for indoor installation, NR662 and NR501 are designed for outdoor application, while EZ111, EZ98, and NRC98 among others can be installed either indoors or outdoors.
GPM rating for the various Noritz tankless heaters ranges between 5 and 11.1. All high-efficiency models are condensing, all mid-efficiency models are non-condensing, while all the EZ models except EZTR40 are non-condensing.
Product Quality and Design
All Navien tankless water heaters are built to be durable whether they are fitted indoors or outdoors. In addition, they have stainless steel heat exchangers, which provide a longer life span than copper heat exchangers.
The Navien unit offers a 15-year warranty on the steel heat exchangers, five years on other parts, and one year on labor. These heaters require minimal maintenance, although annual service is recommended.
The Navien tankless heater has an elegant, clean design compared to Noritz heaters with a rather old-fashioned design. In addition, they are fitted with an intuitive, easy-to-use control panel.
While the Noritz NRC98 series units are fitted with copper heat exchangers, the NRCP series models are fitted with steel heat exchangers, while the EZ111 and EZ98 are fitted with dual stainless steel heat exchangers. In addition, all Noritz waters are available in natural gas as well as propane options.
Efficiency
All Navien tankless water heaters are Energy Star compliant. Condensing heaters have an efficiency of up to 96%, while the non-condensing ones have an efficiency of up to 80%. All the models are made to the European standards for emissions they have very low exhaust gas emissions.
All Noritz EZ series and High-efficiency models meet the Energy Star standards, while the mid-range water heaters are not Energy Star certified. Their energy efficiency varies from unit to unit and depending on the type of fuel the unit uses. On average, the natural models have an 82% efficiency while the propane units have up to 88% efficiency. Noritz backs up their heaters with a 12-year warranty on the heat exchanger, a 5-year warranty on general parts, and a 1-year labor warranty.
Advanced Features
Navien tankless heaters incorporate a myriad of advanced features, including the optional NaviLink Wi-Fi control system, HotButton on-demand recirculation option, Cascading technology, and H2Air Kit option for space heating.
Noritz tankless water heaters have limited additional features. None of the models comes with a built-in Wi-Fi feature, but only a few in the EZ series have the capability through an adapter and the Noritz App. The NRCR 1112 and NRCP982 models come with a built-in recirculation pump.
Stand Out Features
The Navien tankless water heaters stand out for their premium quality build, clean and modern design, wide range of sophisticated features, and high level of efficiency. However, this comes at a premium price compared to Noritz tankless heaters with just the basic design and features but are sold affordably.
Conclusion
The choice between the Noritz water heater brand and the Navien water heater brand will depend on your budget and preference. Noritz is the best option if you want an efficient tankless water heater with basic features and is affordable. On the other hand, the Navien tankless system is the best option if you want a highly efficient tankless water heater with advanced features and are willing to pay a premium price for it.
