From soothing showers to cleaning dishes, hot water finds its place. The need for hot water is as crucial as cold water. Hot water can easily clean the dishes and do your laundry more efficiently.
There are two convenient ways to get hot water, and either use thanked water heaters or tankless water heaters. The trend nowadays is to go with the tankless water heater as it has many things to offer compared to the tank water heaters.
In this article, we will discuss a tankless water heater from a ‘ Value‘ series of renowned, Japan-based company Rinnai. The ‘ V ‘ letter in the name suggests the obvious, the first letter of ‘ Value Series. ‘
There are four variants of the value series, but our discussion will be limited to a natural gas-operated tankless heater, which is designed to be installed indoors.
Rinnai V65iN tankless heater is packed with many advanced features and is designed while keeping the increasing demands of consumers firmly in sight. Moreover, it is available at a reasonable price which makes it a solid consideration when selecting the best tankless water heater for your house.
Table of Contents
Overview
Design and Dimensions
It has compact and easy-on eyes, milky-white metallic design; the outer casing is made out of steel which makes it sturdy and durable. Thanks to its compactness, due to the absence of a tank, it can be placed in the smallest places in your house. It won’t take up much space as it has dimensions of 13.9 x 8.8 x 23.6 inches. This tankless water heater weighs about 65 pounds.
The unit is designed for indoor installation, so the crisp look will not stain the aesthetics of your house. You will admire the elegant and intuitive control interface on the front panel. It has an LED display, temperature control buttons, and LED indicators, which will glow if an error occurs.
Performance
Besides the design, it offers excellent performance. The unit will use 10,300 to 150000 BTU of its fuel, which is natural gas. With that fact, the unit is capable of producing an uninterrupted hot water supply of 6.6 GPM. This is more than enough flow rate for small to medium houses. The flow rate is enough to run two hot water showers and two water taps simultaneously, that too without any drop in flow rate.
Rinnai V65iN works on natural gas; however, the ignition relies on a 60-Hz electricity supply. Other than that, the maximum temperature limit it has is 140° F, but from the factory, it has been set to 120°F, which can be changed by a professional during the installation. Besides, regardless of water temperature, the unit works quietly, without a sound.
Durability and Safety Features
As earlier mentioned, the outer cover of the unit is crafted from heavy-duty steel, and other materials are of good quality as well. It will keep serving your hot water needs as the years passes by. But, to ensure a long lifespan, regular maintenance is in order.
Moving on to safety features, it has many to keep the unit as well as your family members safe. The first is its temperature lock, and it will cap the higher temperature limit from 140 to 120°F; this way, there will be no accidental increment in water temperature when it is not intended.
Moreover, there is a pressure relief valve, isolation valves, hot and cold water shut-off valves, and drain valve. These valves will aid during the maintenance and troubleshooting of the unit. The major problem with the heater is the build-up of scale layers, one atop another, which may even block the pipe if it keeps building up.
To tackle this problem, there is advanced scale detection technology incorporated inside the unit. And also a leak detection feature. They will turn off the unit.
Hot water is essential in cold areas, and if the temperature falls below a certain limit, then the water in the heater pipe starts frosting. Automatic anti-frost protection will keep the tubes from freezing, which in turn will increase the lifespan of the water heater.
Ease of Use and Installation
Rinnai V65iN heater is small and easy to handle; the control on the front panel and its place inside the house makes it much more convenient to use than the outdoor unit. The unit can be placed inside the garage or basement, where there are water lines flowing to your showers and faucets.
The unit is durable and will see more than 20 years about to come. Before that, it will need to be installed. The installation procedure is not that simple, and it involves much plumbing work, maneuvering of different pipes, and an installation of a venting system.
So, you will be better off calling a plumber than dwelling yourself in it. It needs a 3/4 inch pipe for venting.
Efficiency
A tankless water heater will be inherently more efficient than those big tanked units because there will be no standby losses; they will be 40% more efficient. When it comes to the efficiency of the unit, then it is described in terms of an Energy factor; the higher it is, the better will be the efficiency of the unit.
This Rinnai V65iN heater has an energy factor of 0.80, which it will maintain all along its working period. 0.8 energy factor means that 80% of total energy consumed heats the water, and the remaining are lost.
The high energy factor is a result of the use of two stainless steel heat exchangers. They don’t corrode, and they have superior thermal conductive, making them a nearly ideal choice.
That is why Rinnai tankless water heaters are Energy Star qualified; they are recognized officially as the most efficient tankless water heaters.
Advanced Features
1. Low NOx Emissions
The concerning thing about the gas water heater is their environment harming toxic exhaust; a major portion of that exhaust is NOx. This nitrogen oxide is responsible for the degradation of the ozone layer.
That is why many people find it convenient to spend more and invest in electrical water heaters rather than gas water heaters, just to keep the guilt of damaging the environment from their consciousness.
The cards for this water heater are different from other gas heaters, and the unit has a unique burner that limits the NOx emissions to a bare minimum which makes it a bit more environmentally friendly, it ensures good health for the people around you and of the globe.
2. Low-flow Activation
Any water heater will have a threshold of water flow; when the water flow reaches a certain flow rate, then only the burner ignites. Rinnai V65iN has a limit close to 0.4 GPM, which is less than many units out there. So, if your water need is very minimal, then also this unit will provide hot water with a constant temperature.
3. Control through Mobile App
The remote control increases convenience; with the ability of this unit to be controlled through a mobile app, you can set the temperature from a couch in your living room. You can set a schedule for the day impressively, even by voice command.
A temperature lock can also be executed from the remote mobile app. You can also keep an eye on different parameters and solve any issues beforehand.
4. Customer Support and Warranty
This Japanese manufacturer has solid customer service, and they will always be ready to help you out. They have certified engineers all around the globe to help you with installation and any other problems if you may face.
There are many ways to contact customer support, and you can reach out to them through the mail, landline, mobile, or through the website. And you will get a friendly response from their staff who will help you with your queries.
Other than that, the unit is built to last; how can you say that? By looking at their warranty program. 10 years on heat exchangers, 5 years on parts, and 1 year on labor. This shows how serious they are about the quality of their product.
What we didn’t like
As you know by now that the maximum temperature of the unit is capped at 120°F, if you are not comfortable with that and want to increase it to its maximum, to 140°F, then you will need to buy a separate accessory to do that. You have to spend more.
The flow rate of this unit is good for small to medium houses, but if you are considering it for a large house, then you will be disappointed. It can’t provide hot water to more than a few outlets simultaneously.
Other than that, it is a bit costlier and will require a ventilation system to be installed.
Conclusion
Rinnai V65iN Natural Gas Tankless Water Heater has everything that a good water heater should have; it provides constant hot water at a set temperature, is compact, comes with more than enough warranty, and has many safety features. It boasts the performance which the company claims and promises.
The minor drawbacks we discussed are common, and you will most likely find them in every other tankless water heater. This is a perfect unit that provides the best value for money.
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