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Who's the Rinnai expert on this site?

4K views 14 replies 14 participants last post by  ZL700 
#1 ·
Have a customer with 5 kids, 2 adults.

Constant mayhem in the house, constant demand for hot water. They "are" a candidate for a tankless.


Went to Rinnai's website and it's a joke. Used to be so much better before but now it's geared right into the reps who are listed to install.

That's fine, but I'm not going to hustle my competition for a price/product just so these people have me do the work.


Requirements are 60+ degree rise requirement. 2.5 baths. I would figure maximum demand output with a shower(s) running, laundry, dishwasher and intermittent hot water use for whatever reason.


Meaning it will get used heavily during peak times, the only time that matters in gauging this unit's size.
 
#5 ·
Tell them $4900(after the tax credit) for a 120/80 solar IPG solar heater.

As many GPMs as your distribution system can handle and the heat is FREE.

Wanna add a recirc system later on? No problem.
 
#3 ·
A R75Lsi will give you 5 gpm @ a 60º rise. The R94Lsi only gives you another .5 gpm rise. The R98Hpi gives a whole 6 gpm flow rate.

I would for cost wise and demand wise I would install a pair of the R75Lsi units or go with a pair Noritz NR98-DVC (751DVC old model number) units at a 60º rise a single Noritz unit will give you 5.6 gpm. If you want to go to a single unit the Noritz NR111 will provide you with 7 gpm @ a 60º rise, which can be pushing it if they are running both showers and laundry.
 
#9 ·
The best thing I have found to do on tankless jobs is to look at the customer's peak hot water demand, then educate them on how a tankless works, and then give them options.

Up here in Michigan we figure a 70+ degree rise with hot being 75% of the water coming out of any fixture for bathing, hand washing, etc. Based on this a R75Lsi will give us 4.3 gpm. A 2.5 gpm shower head will use 1.75 gpm of hot water (2.5 x .70 = 1.75). 2 showers running and were using 3.75 gpm we still have room for a hand wash or some hot water to the kitchen sink, at a 60 degree rise you have more room yet.

So it goes something like this; Mrs Smith I can install a single unit for $***x and you can use 2 showers and 1 lavatory at the same time, if you turn on anything else you will experience a decrease in flow but not temperature. But remember you can run 2 showers back to back to back and then do laundry and dishes and never run out of hot water. The other option is two of these units for $***X and you can run the whole house at the same time on the RARE occassion that happens.

My experience has been that once you explain to the customer how it all works they will either choose option 1 which for the vast majority of families will work just fine, or they will stick with a tank type. One last thing I had a customer with a 10gpm tub faucet and told him installing a tankless would slow his tub faucet by 40% he bought it anyway:eek:. Point is do your homework and let the customer know how its all going to work and everything will be fine. :thumbup:
 
#11 ·
Have a customer with 5 kids, 2 adults.

Constant mayhem in the house, constant demand for hot water. They "are" a candidate for a tankless.


Went to Rinnai's website and it's a joke. Used to be so much better before but now it's geared right into the reps who are listed to install.

That's fine, but I'm not going to hustle my competition for a price/product just so these people have me do the work.

Requirements are 60+ degree rise requirement. 2.5 baths. I would figure maximum demand output with a shower(s) running, laundry, dishwasher and intermittent hot water use for whatever reason.

Meaning it will get used heavily during peak times, the only time that matters in gauging this unit's size.
Go with Rockstar on htis . The R-94 will satisfy your expectations.

I'm currently bidding Rinnai's newer 98i condensing unit to do a house with 3 baths and 6 kids. I have no fear. ;)
 
#12 ·
I linked this thread to my customer, that way they could read the results. Actually it isn't 7 occupants, there's 9.

7 kids and 2 adults.

Peak time is 5-9pm with showers *2 at a time* going on after dinner.

The 98 that SewerRatz mentioned is the one I linked for information for them to read.

6gpm flow, 199,000 BTU.

There's a 50 gallon PowerVent in there now that just cannot hold up to the demand, and a 75 gallon PowerVent would be the only option, aside from a tankless.

I "still" think they would go beyond capacity on a 75 gallon powervent, even with that higher recovery.

Gotta remember; still supplied with 1/2" gas line so it's not going to have those significant BTU's to alter those numbers.
 
#13 ·
Round here, gas meters are always too small to handle the additional 200k. Loads of paperwork to get a bigger meter.

Had several where the line from the street had to be increased.
 
#14 ·
Here all you hafta do is call the gas provider and tell them..."Hey I'd love to buy more gas from you but your meter is too small"....they JUMP right out there and replace it for FREE. I dont hafta do any paperwork....just make one call.
 
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