Rinnai :
R94LSiN
Price :
$1,413.00
Offer Price :
$1,051.97
"Endless hot water for the patient" 2010-07-20
By dizaryl
This is not a direct replacement for a tank NG water heater. Disclaimer: I install elevators for a living.
Bad: I was originally going to exhaust it directly into my chimney until I learned the concentric vent actually provides it with fresh air for combustion ( O.K. in the summer months, but I didn't want it pulling in my existing NG furnace exhaust which exhaust thru my small chimney). I also was unaware of a flexible true 3/4 to 3/4 gas line; so that complicated things. They do exist for a premium, but I chose to mount the entire thing on a unistrut framework so I could move it left,right,up,down, according to the gasline (which I black piped and unioned) and also the expensive proprietary concentric vent.
Installation: With the whetstone valves and the proprietary ublink concentric vent installation was childsplay. If you know how to sweat copper and are prepared to cut a wall penetration of a minimum 5 1/2" you are a one man/woman operation. Luckily I only had to cut a hole through a sill plate; combination wood and aluminum siding. I used a blu-mol hole saw for $25 minus arbor which if you already have holesaws is interchangable with lenox over 1 1/4". Brick or any concrete could greatly increase installation w/o proper tools and bits. If any of that scared you WALK AWAY or HIRE SOMEONE. It took me 15 minutes after planning the vent route to cut the exterior penetration, but only 5 minutes to assemble a 9 foot run with 7 seperate couplings/ straight pipes (the dual 45's are a must for unforseen obstacles). Also the unit comes equipped with a condensate collecting vent piece at the top of the unit so if your run is short you don't need another one.
GOOD and able to live with: This units footprint is tiny. If your looking to decrease the size of existing utilities so you can add more creature comforts (especially on an older home) look no further. In the space I saved I was able to add a small deep freezer, a whole house dehumidifier, and a walkthrough to home theatre components. After adding central air my utility room is a whopping 28ft square. I originally had a 50 gallon NG water heater and with a combination of a centrally mounted pex manifold delivered hot water in about 10 seconds after a long cooling and no demand. THIS UNIT ACCELS AT LONG DEMAND USAGE. If you expect hot water at a 5 second hot water run to brush your teeth, wash your hands, etc: YOU WILL BE DISSAPOINTED. If you want to take a neverending shower while another person is enjoying a similar shower YOU WILL BE EXTATIC! I've heard a recirculator or inline loop/tank solves this standoff, but I feel it defeats the purpose of an on demand heater. This unit also offers an impressive 120 degree output. No wait: with the flip of one dip switch (#6) you can increase this at intervals of 5 to 140 degrees. If thats not good enough you can order a seperate controller ($65-$95) to go all the way to burn unit 180 degrees. Just think on a battery backup for emergency hot water in a blackout because this units ignition is electric.
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