Deciding which brand of tankless water heater to install can be a difficult decision, as there are no consumer publications that provide brand recommendations and seemingly no sources of unbiased reviews. Hiring an established contractor that guarantees their work remains the best way to ensure you get a quality unit, as such a contractor will only install units that have a good reputation within the industry and have worked well for them in the past.
Bosch
Bosch offers a fairly complete line of tankless warer heaters. Their models have efficiency rating of 78-95%, and heating capacities of 75,000-225,000 BTUs. The larger units are capable of supplying 2 showers simultaneously. All systems include a 15 year heat exchanger warranty and a 2-5 year warrranty on other parts, depending on the model. We mainly install Bosch tankless systems when the homeowner does not wish to install a condensing (more efficient and expensive) model. We have been installing them for over 10 years and find them to be very dependable when installed correctly.
Rinnai
Rinnai also offers a complete range of tankless water heaters. Their systems range in efficiency from 82-98% efficiency, and have capacities of 120,000 to 199,000 BTUs. They claim their 199,000 BTU high efficiency model can supply up to 4 simultaneous showers, but we think this might be an overly optimistic claim (probably referring to light showers on a warmer day). Their 10-12 year heat exchanger warranties are shorter than Bosch’s, but all other parts are covered for 5 years for all models. We mainly install Rinnais when the homeowner wishes to replace an existing furnace and hot water tank with a tankless water heater and attached hydronic air handler. This is usually done when a new high efficiency furnace will be too difficult to install. Since we still have mid efficiency furnaces in stock, we don’t do this very often right now. However, we expect it to become a more popular option in the future.
Navien
Navien introduced the first condensing tankless water heater (“condensing” means “high efficiency” or over 90% efficient), and they currently make the most efficient systems on the market, with verified efficiency levels as high as 97%. Their heat exchangers are made from durable stainless steel and are warrantied for 15 years. Other parts are warrantied for 5 years. We usually install Naviens when a homeowner requires a very efficient high capacity system.
Tank or Tankless
Tankless systems offer advantages such as lower energy costs, an unlimited supply of hot water, and longer system life. But they are also much more expensive to install.
To learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of tankless water heaters, visit our water heaters page.
To schedule a quote on a tankless water heater, call 604 GOOD GUY (604 466 3489) or use our online form.