Common Tankless Water Heater Problems

Often common tankless water heater problems can be traced back to improper installation.

Unlike standard storage tank type water heaters tankless water heaters require much more care during installation.  Incorrect installation will in many cases invalidate the warranty. To validate the warranty  most manufacturers require that the units be installed by service people who have been trained in the installation of tankless water heaters.                

Common tankless water heater problems caused by improper installation

Problems with the Gas Supply

Tankless  water heaters require a substantially higher flow of gas than standard heaters. Both the gas pressure and the flow are important.  Since tankless units modulate the gas valves to obtain the set temperature with the flow of water that is occurring.  The heater may work fine at low flows, but at higher flows it may shut down or not work when you have several fixtures running at once.  The internal computer may sense an inadequate gas flow and turn off the heater.

Improper Exhaust venting

Among the things that the water heater monitors is the exhaust temperature to assure proper combustion.  The exhaust from tankless water heaters can get very hot very quickly and needs to be vented out just as quickly.  Improper venting can thus cause the heater to malfunction or shut down.

Internal Corrosion

The heart of the heater is the heat exchanger and it’s very expensive to replace.  Heat exchangers are made of special alloys or stainless steel to resist corrosion, but it can still occur.  Other parts are even more susceptible to corrosion.

The high efficiency of tankless water heaters results in condensation occurs from the exhaust gasses and the condensate is very corrosive. If the condensate is not properly collected and drained away it can drip on parts of the heater and severely damage them.  This damage will not be covered by the warranty.

Burner Corrosion

Burners on tankless water heaters are usually mounted below the heat exchanger and condensate that drips or falls on the heat exchanger can fall on the burner, fowling the burners many small gas holes. The computer monitors the burning process constantly and will shut down the unit if it cannot achieve desired clean burning or temperature. This is a problem that will not be covered under warranty.

Freezing Problems

Often tankless water heaters are installed outdoors. Most heaters will have an internal heater to protect the heat exchanger from freezing.   It’s good practice to insulate the pipes leading to and from the heater where temperatures drop below freezing.  The internal tankless heater won’t be able to protect the pipes from freezing… just heat exchanger and internal tankless parts.

Scale Buildup

If you have hard water it is important to either flush the unit periodically as recommended by the manufacturer or to treat your water to make it softer. Hard water causes scale build up in the heat exchanger and can be the cause of malfunctions and even premature failure.  It won’t be covered by the warranty.

Water Pressure

High water pressure puts unnecessary stress on the plumbing parts of the tankless water heater.   This can cause premature failure. If your water pressure is above what is called for in the owner’s manual for your tankless water heater you should install a pressure regulator on the water line.

Installed and sized and maintained properly, a tankless water heater can last for 20 or more years and operate flawlessly its entire life.

For great, perhaps even the best prices on tankless water heaters Just Tankless

Chilipepper Sales 1380 Greg St., # 221 Sparks Nevada,      89431       PH (775)-359-1223