Descaling a Noritz tankless water heater

[@donaldgates8455]

Best how-to video ever. I use it every year to descale my Noritz water heater. Please keep it on KZbin.

[@joysteiger7297]

Great, clear instructions. Very detailed, and well-spoken!

[@Essanaye]

Thank you!

[@jackmiles52]

Steve; great step by step instructions and the detail on the "Kit" you need was great. I purchased the same pump you used from Amazon. I wrote down the instructions and placed them in a large zip lock and store the instructions, pump and hoses in the bucket I use for the job. I got my vinegar at Costco and used two of the 1.3 gallon bottles and that worked fine. You did a great job and enabled me to have the confidence to do this myself. GREAT. Thanks so much Steve!

[@johng815]

Todays project made simple. Now I have the kit made for next year. We all appreciate you taking the time to produce and post this for us.

[@donaldgates8455]

Great video! best step-by-step video I have seen. I used it to descale my Notitz heater without any problem. Please keep it available!

[@fredblumer4001]

Essanaye - you are a rock star! I've following your instructions faithfully three times now over the past few years. Always works like a charm. FYI - here in Atlanta, we need to descale annually - but, you've made it really simple. Thank you for taking the time to video and post this. You've saved my family hundreds of dollars (at least) over the years. I am grateful.

[@heppesg]

Then you NEED to install a whole house filter. Check them out.

[@dondrummerjazz]

Thanks for the EXCELLENT DIY video!! I own the Noritz NRC-83-DV Tankless Water Heater model. Very professional information, easy to follow steps and DIY build kit at the end was easy to assemble. I spent $65 gathering up the parts and $2.00 per gallon of vinegar from Smart & Final. I made a "flow-sheet" and now have helped my neighbors save $$. The only cost going forward is the vinegar and at $2.00 a gallon, you cannot afford to do it!

[@babsfrance6787]

I don't have precisely the same model, but I was able to follow your video and instructions easily. I already had two spare washing machine hoses and a submersible pump (the latter for my spa). The guy who installed my Noritz tankless water heater said he'd come every six months (!) and it would ONLY cost $100. I figure if I buy 8 gal of white vinegar I have $184 I save every year that I can spend on something else! I'm an octogenarian, and a lady, but this requires no brute strength! Thanks for rescuing me from the water heater wolves

[@jeremykahn1]

This video is the BOMB! It really made it all so painless..... and cut through all of the "noise"/misinformation out there. Thank you so much, Steve, for your invaluable help!!!!

[@tlhaze]

WOW!!! Great video Steve. Thanks for sharing the process to descale the Noritz tankless water heater.

[@hansgrubber5753]

Thank you Steve, for such an informational video. My professional installer recommended I view your video when doing maintenance on my system. Your video guided me step by step on how to descale my Noritz tankless water heater. I did do my research per your instructions on finding out the model number and manufactures recommendations for flushing my system. Once again thank you for the great video.

[@davida825]

I have watched this many times (every time I descale). Love this video. THANKS!

[@RDubzzz1]

Great, thorough instructions. Thank you for the important detail about keeping the unit ON considering everyone else says to turn it off. This is KZbin is all about!!

[@Amellifera]

Excellent video-very thorough! We're building right now and have been quoted on a Noritz NRC1111. The scale issue was a big factor since we know we've got significant calcium deposition from our well water. Thanks so much!

[@Flygal5]

OK thanks for taking the time to help strangers, really nice of you. I went to UW many moons ago, go Huskies.

[@richg13]

Thanks Steve and thanks Washington Water Heaters. Great video. Just got a NRC-1111-DV-NG installed and am loving it so far.

[@xJTWarhed]

My burner would not come on and after cleaning mine it now WORKS! Thank you

[@steveng8949]

Thank you for the video! You helped me save time and money from calling a plumber. Let's hope my Noritz holds up with regular descaling!

[@lisakayakstoo]

Thank you so much for this very detailed video! You included all the little steps others have forgotten. My water heater is now all clean and happy.

[@rluna15]

@Essanaye Thanks for the reply. The SN is washed out as well. The nice people at Noritz couldn't really help without any numbers. Thanks again for the video- keep making more, your a natural teacher and a great resource for the DIY homeowner!

[@edwardyoung3846]

I’ve been using this tutorial for 3 years now and I just noticed that you never opened up the hot(red)water. It ran for 10 minutes without coding 11, until I realized. Great video anyways. Open up the red everyone!

[@revup67]

Top notch in every way. Excellent, many thanks.

[@PorscheCarreraS]

Thank you for posting this. I just did mine today and all went as planned. I used 2 gallons of vinegar after 35 minutes of flushing the vinegar had become a very dark grey color so my Noritz was obviously long overdue for this service. The screen also had a lot of gunk on it. Great post Essanye!

[@esquirejauchem7532]

Very helpful video, one addition: I would clean the filter before you flush.

[@katajolina]

Thank you. Your video is the best one! Grateful to you!

[@fredwalton5792]

Hey Steve, Great video. we installed a ton of these in the last year and havnt had any training on cleaning them. You are our new company Noritz trainer.

[@manthra2k]

Amazingly wonderful instructions. I just completed this task today and am really really thankful to you for all the small details. God bless.

[@MichaelGreer]

Hi Steve! THANK YOU for this excellent video. As a professional instructional designer for many years and a producer of instructional materials, I really appreciate clear, well-illustrated training. And you've done an excellent job here of covering all the bases. In fact you've provided some nice, practical tips that are not available in the manufacturer's PDF documentation. I just followed these instructions and it worked flawlessly. WELL DONE!

[@stevenmarchand5518]

In San Diego, we have some of the worst water, and I've discovered pulling a T&P very easily can lead to its death. If the unit is more than a few years old here it's likely to be a little or a lot crusted up at the valve seat. 'Testing' a valve in this condition can(and has) cause a little chunk to become locked in between the valve and seat never to fully close again, Which leads to problems. Those parts are designed for a one-time use not like a regular sturdy regular use valve. Thought I would just share that. Great vids btw. Good shots easy, to understand and overall informative. tfs

[@stevehyde2956]

Great point. Our water quality here in the greater Seattle area is excellent so we don’t experience the issue you mention. Manufacturers know that poor water conditions create exactly what you are pointing out, and by telling you to trip the relief valve annually, they are almost certainly guaranteeing that the relief valve will be replaced annually in the areas where water quality is poor. A properly functioning temperature and or pressure relief valve is a vital component in your hot water system. Thanks for your comment!

[@venicestu]

Thank You,real nice video, glad you took the time to teach, you should do more, your a natural teacher

[@MitchellHockey]

Very informative Steve and well done! In the process of descaling my unit now that you showed me the way.

[@56rollie]

Thanks a lot! We have the same Noritz brand and I followed exactly all the instructions and I was able to do it.. Thanks again it saves me a lot of money.

[@agustinobong5072]

Thank you sir for this Video. I have been doing it for 3 staight years following your advise.

[@Flygal5]

Awesome video! I am running it. Lots of blue in the vinegar so I am glad I did. I love my tankless and want to keep it running well. I have a Noritz N-0931M-OD my valves are slightly different (Jamar tankless heater valve kit, with one ball valve per line) but the process was the same. One thing I would recommend is to get SWIVEL HOSE FITTINGS, just about 2 dollars more but so much easier to work with. Written parts list would be a further help. Thanks for Sharing!

[@scsully]

Thank you, this is just what i needed to see before actually doing it. So with this demo & Noritz step by step, mission accomplished. Ran into an issue with the return flow of cleaner coming back into the bucket, it was more of a trickle and didn't seem right. Also i was not getting the error 11 to come up. Checked and cleaned the inlet filte (nasty build up), then went back to flushing the system. The flow out greatly increased and the error 11 came up.

[@torquemate50]

Thank you for your info and great detail. I did it and my heater worked again. I will buy the remote control unit to make it easier to shut off power

[@Essanaye]

The recirculation pump doesn't create much velocity. I suspect that after "loosening" the scale with the vinegar, the much higher velocity of the full water pressure causes a better cleaning action when you are flushing. I have noticed this same thing, especially when I am descaling a tankless that is installed in a home with a well. Regardless of what is causing that, I am always happy to know that crap is gone from the heater!

[@strictlystreet1517]

Thanks a lot I keep coming back to your video for reference. Your video is the most helpful one out there

[@wadevinson]

Steve, Great video. My Noritz was installed in early 2005 and it didn't have a hot water shutoff valve or either of the boiler drain valves. The Noritz manual back then didn't even have descaling as a required maintenance task. In sub 50F weather in Houston, my N069M was shuting hot water off with a code 16, but runs fine when I turn a 2nd faucet on for about a minute. I bought and installed the 3 missing valves in less than 30 minutes. They had Sharkbite fittings on them since it wasn't in a great place to torch and sweat. Descaling it right now.... imagine what 10 years of scale looks like ... actually its not super "blue" so might go get a few more gallons of vinegar. My hope is that this will solve the code 16 vs having to start fidling with the manifold pressure adjustments.

[@heppesg]

Excellent video. Exactly what I needed. I didn't know I had to descale, but this was perfect. Great job.

[@propman07]

Steve Great video. Thanks for the list of parts to build your own kit. I plan on de scaling my NR98 soon using the instructions from Noritz and this video. Thanks again.

[@bts1500]

I know you did the video years ago...but I just saw it for the 1st time: Excellent video, good level of step-by-step detail. I do have a question for you though...when I hook up the hoses to the hot water and cold water sides and turn on the submersible pump, the pump runs but will not push the vinegar through the cold water valve into the main body of the Noritz (yes, I do have both cold and hot valves open)....i.e. no vinegar circulates through the Noritz and so nothing comes out the tube hooked to the hot water side (yes, the Noritz is turned 'on'). I am using a 1/2 horsepower pump which should be enough. Have you ever run across this problem..? The only thing I can thing of is possibly build-up on the ball joint itself is hindering the flow..?

[@stevehyde2956]

Different models may have different procedures or sequential steps to do the descaling correctly. I recommend that you contact Noritz Tech Support and request that they email you the procedure for your specific model. It sounds like the solenoid valve(s) aren’t opening if no water is flowing.

[@toddxr4ti]

You forgot to show the need to open the hot water valve before staring up the pump. Otherwise, nice job. The video was very helpful.

[@williampcoxjr198]

Thanks, Steve, for this clear and precise instructional video!

[@donnyjennytyler]

Thanks! It definitely was satisfying seeing that stuff come out of the heater.

[@laholly323]

I have a Noritz N0751M-OD, and the person who installed it did not say anything about flushing it...so it's been about three years and suddenly no hot water. Your video is so straight forward and clear that I'm going to give it a try. The position of the hot and cold water is different on my model, as well as the relief valve, but that should not make any difference to the procedure, right?

[@sonspot3]

great video, very informative from A-Z. Really gave me confidence to do it. Piece of cake... thanks to you.

[@larrygeromette4747]

Thank you Steve for sharing this info...Bless you.

[@6AM_YT]

I have had my tankless system in for 10 years and have relatively hard water in my area. I should probably get on this.

[@Essanaye]

You may want to go with CLR, at least initially and then vinegar annually after that (depending on your water quality) you can always get the most updated info by contacting Noritz Tech Support directly.

[@Essanaye]

Try unplugging (or turn the circuit breaker off if hard wired) and wait 30 seconds, then plug back in (reset circuit breaker) and try again. Then follow the procedure as outlined by Noritz. Most models require that you leave the unit powered on with the gas turned off. Start the recirculation and let the unit error code out. There is a solenoid valve that will close if you don't get the sequence right.

[@stevehyde2956]

mohammed lastman I recommend contacting Noritz Tech Support with that question. I’ve never used CLR here in the Pacific Northwest so I don’t have that answer.

[@Baseball89431]

Again, great video. You talk about water quality, what amount of TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) are we looking at that would indicate poor water quality? I live in Saskatchewan, Canada and out source water is from a lake. I believe the TDS is less than 900. Thanks in advance.

[@Zennofobic]

thanks for the video, watched a few others and the only thing that I might add is cleaning the filter plug before and after the descaling, might help to have a clean filter plug before you descale

[@waynecorrie8659]

Nice work and thanks. will put the kit together today and give it a go. But one more question, My installer put in an Aqua-Pure filter Mod AP430ss. That should be replaced also I would guess.

[@gr12321]

Nicely done but either this is out dated now or according to the manufacturer instructions on the internet for this model, you are missing the portion of the steps. What happened to the blue Flush connectors inside the front cover? I am guessing not much but just don’t know what would be missing following your steps vs the manufacturer’s. I mean, they went through all that trouble to design it that way for a reason, no?

[@Aldovargas87]

Thank you, this was very helpfull for us noritz users.

[@thatlisagirl71]

You rock, sir! Thank you for posting this video. I really had no idea this was a necessary maintenance step...kinda mad with my installer as he just said i needed to make sure the screen was clean....after my water would shut off with code 16. Now, it appears it will be on the right track :-)

[@123roxxy]

Very well done. Thanks for taking the time to post this.

[@PAplumber]

You're the only one I found that said to leave the unit powered on. I just had a class on Noritz and they said power needs to stay on and just gas off so that the bypass valve in the unit opens up so you flush the complete system.

[@geotech1099]

Helpful video! But I got a couple of questions. The scale removal is a chemical process, which requires vinegar to sit in the heater for some time. What is the need then to pour lots of vinegar into the bucket? Seems it should be enough to cover the pump and fill the heater, no need to have the bucket full. Also, why use a high rate pump, anything that will get the vinegar flowing through the heater with low velocity should work fine.

[@universalimprints1]

This is a great video. I currently have two Noritz installed in my house and four bathrooms. When one shower is on both water heaters turn on. I have one shower that randomly get very cold water when it is on. Our other showers do not seem to have this problem. Do you have any suggestions?

[@donnyjennytyler]

Thank you for the great video! When I started the flushing, the first gallon was brownish "dirty" water. The next 20 gallons were clear. Is this just some of the material the vinegar cleaned off or do you think it is something else?

[@outdoorlife5396]

Thanks, I both this one and know I know. I am very comfortable, with the instruction, you did a good job.

[@judy8504]

Very well done and informative video!

[@steveblue824]

Thanks Steve! I am getting my Noritz tankless (NRC98Dv) installed in my house this week. A very helpful video!👍😊 Do you recommend this type of Noritz tankless water heater?

[@jackb6130]

My Noritz light is blinking 5 times. A reset worked for couple day then it shuts down. I hope this will fix it. great video.

[@michaelstroud7347]

hi Steve, great video, I have a problem that I hope you can help me with. I cannot remove the water filter cap. I've tried channel locks with moderate pressure but it will not unscrew. Any suggestion on how I might remove the Cap. thanks, Michael

[@Essanaye]

They can be a bit difficult to get out, especially if they haven’t been taken out regularly, and also depending on the quality of your water. A large flat blade screwdriver tip will fit up inside the plug, and using channel locks in conjunction with the screwdriver trick will usually help break it free. A bit of advice… get yourself a replacement plug, filter and O-ring before you attempt it. I’ve damaged the plug and ripped the o-ring trying to get it out. If you don’t have spare parts on hand, you’re dead in the water until you can get them. Contact the manufacturer with your model and serial number to order the parts. Also, unless you’re experiencing restricted flow and suspect a clogged filter, running the descaling solution through the filter can also help break things loose. It all depends on the quality of your water. At some point the best bet is probably going to be to hire a professional if you can’t get things to break free with moderate force. Good luck with your project!

[@TheAmonsivais]

Great video! Thanks for posting it. Question- I have 1 Noritz unit in an out building that gets very little use; less than 1 hour of run-time a year. Do I need to descale annually like the ones that get regular use? Is there anything I should be doing to avoid problems since it does get so little use? Thanks!

[@tonychen8935]

You helped me saved over $100!!!! Thanks!

[@Essanaye]

It depends on where you live. In the Pacific Northwest, we find that every 3-4 years is fine. Our water quality is as high as it gets. In other areas, the manufacturers recommend at least once a year.

[@HeatherNaturaly]

Wow I need to get some of those inlets. We have well water and I have to descale my shower heads weekly. I have never done the water heater (or known I needed to) but we are having serious trouble with temp fluctuation (20deg in 20 seconds) so I suspect this is our problem. We've had the heater since June 2010. There is NO filter attached to the little black plug, unless it is detached and stuck in the valve My heater is all of 1 foot off the floor so its a tad hard to look in there.

[@alexking1950]

excellent video, very clear and informative .thank you

[@esar3195]

Very fab instructions. Thank you.

[@rluna15]

Great video Steve! Good clear and straightforward instructions. We bought a home with the noritz TWH already installed and the label has been washed by the sun so I am unable to determine my model number. Is there a secondary way to get this info?

[@karlcole3632]

Great video Steve. For a Noritz NRC1111-DV, would a 1/4 hp pump with a 1050 gal/hr flow rate be ok to use?

[@Essanaye]

I believe that pump will work just fine. I have switched to a pond pump that I got at Lowe’s.

[@tlin592]

Thank you greatly for a nice video. My tankless system has two identical Noritz units connected, with one as a spare. Would really appreciate your explanation about descaling the entire system with both units.

[@armaan97]

Nice work, Steve. Thanks for taking the time to post. Noritz should send you a nice check.

[@Essanaye]

The manufacturers in general recommend at least 2 gallons of vinegar. As for my pump, I wouldn't call it high flow at all. You need enough flow to get the solution to work through the bends of the heat exchanger. I have tried lower volume pond pumps, and was not impressed with the performance. I've done hundreds of de-scalings, and find the pump I recommend to be the best for me. Your mileage may vary though!

[@Clayphish]

This is a great video! Thanks for making it! I do have one question though.. I'm about to do this with my Noritz heater and I have everything together except I couldn't find distilled vinegar at my Costco. They only seem to sell pure white vinegar. Would this be ok to use or is distilled an absolute? Thanks again!!

[@Essanaye]

Clayton Turner Sorry for the late reply. Plain white vinegar is fine. I believe Noritz is now recommending CLR.

[@mebcool]

Thanks for the video. Just what I was looking for. Have a great day Essanaye.

[@thejerkofalltrades3862]

Good video sir.

[@jelie2k]

This video was excellent

[@randymarcell]

Good job. I love the baby cry @ 11:43

[@keithl6480]

Thanks for the tip. Power on. Dooh. Plumber and I both tried to flush with power off and no water flow. My installation does not have the remote display. With power on I finally got water flow. Q - Is there a reason to go one direction of the other. In on the hot side or In on the cold side. Doesn't back flow clean better?

[@Essanaye]

Keith L Good question Keith. I have never done it that way. I'm not sure if it will work. We always just connect to the cold inlet.

[@briangreenhalgh3830]

Thanks for this. Really useful video.

[@sdgreenguy]

Hi there. Good video. I have done this before with success, but last wknd, the hot water just stopped. Now, when I try to flush it, nothing comes out. it seems that suddenly there is a huge blockage that won't let anything go thru! Thursday it was fine, Friday it stopped. Any ideas? I've done hours worth of vinegar and CLR. Noritz isn't responding. :( I appreciate your help!

[@klausifyme]

excellent video, thank you. The bottom of the NR71-SV looks very similar to this. This model does not have a controller. Would this procedure work on the NR71-SV? Thanks again.

[@Essanaye]

klausifyme A quick call to Noritz will usually get you the answer on any model. They will also email you printed details of the task.

[@jau4000]

I watch this every year before i descale my Noritz!

[@DuncanCunningham]

Thanks for sharing this process.

[@davidh4921]

This worked great! Thank you.

[@davealbert4316]

Excellent! Thanks

[@Flygal5]

On the bleed valve it seems to me that you should do that after you clean the filter. Am I missing something?

[@Skolotoi]

Great video, thank you for making it

[@jgruber6]

excellent video!

[@glennbrown9178]

Nice job Steve! Thank you

[@Essanaye]

WOW, so sorry for the delay in getting back to you. For some reason, KZbin is no longer emailing me with comments. When a tankless drops out, it is usually related to flow. Each unit has a minimum flow rate for the unit to stay lit and producing hot water. If for whatever reason your flow drops below that number, the unit will shut down. This can be caused by a faulty shower valve (creating a crossover, etc) or other issues within the water distribution system.

[@carlosmorales-hu7hn]

very good video save me lots of money thank you

[@weclarkmcse]

Thanks, Man!

[@Essanaye]

Thanks for the comment! I should have mentioned that in the video. Sometimes the screen will come off he plug. It is usually a simple matter of sticking your finger in and working it out. I've never had to use a tool, but if you do, just be careful. And also make sure you don't lose the o-ring off the plug. Sometimes it stays in the receptacle and also needs to be extracted by hand. Without the o-ring, you'll be dead in the water.

[@cocatfan]

I have a 1/4 horsepower pump. Is that okay?

[@conradjalali]

What kind of a pump do you use? Do you have any advice on what to buy?