Rinnai Energysaver FT Series

I can live without it, but it's much better with it. and I can't rate it against a heatpump or anoth – I have nothing to compare it against other than electric fires, open fire, or small log burner, that we used previously, We use the Rinnai to heat an area of 10 x 4.5 metres plus a small sun room and kitchen, while leaving the doors open to the hallway and 2 bedrooms and kitchen. The 10 x 4.5 area gets nice and cosy very quickly, without… Read more ·  1

the heater being on anything like full power. The bedrooms and sun room much less so, but you can feel the difference, it takes the chill of the air.

We haven't had really cold weather so far this winter so haven't needed to use it on anything like full power, but I get the feeling it will cope fine, and much better than the open fire or log burner, (which was enclosed in the fireplace) both for heat and convenience.

There has been someone in the house most of the time using the heater since we had it installed, and so far without worrying at all about economising, and using it every day and evening, but not over night, in a month over May and June in Auckland, it has used a 45kg bottle of lpg, Which cost, $100 , We are happy that we bought this heater,

Parents of young children steer clear of this one – This heater works fine but it has one major design flaw. The child lock does not prevent young children from switching the heater off. I have twin toddlers and they switch it off constantly so essentially I have wasted a couple of grand on a heater that I won't be able to use for the next couple of winters until my boys learn not to touch, longer… Read more

if I decide to have a third child. When I contacted Rinnai about this they said it was a government required safety feature. I suggested that the off button should be placed behind a panel like on their larger heaters as I feel this is a design flaw. What good is the heater if I can't use it? If Rinnai are going to sell a product with a child lock on it it should lock children out. If it doesn't there should be an optional cage feature to keep kids away from the heater. Rinnai don't have anything like this so the problem is thrown back on me. Now I will have to spend hundreds extra on electricity running my split system this winter instead of being able to use natural gas like I planned in the first place. I would not have bought this product if I had've known what I know now. I'm sure there are more child-friendly products out there. Natural gas, cheaper to run than electric, quiet, constant flow of warm air Child lock doesn't prevent the heater being turned off which renders it useless when you have young children who love to press buttons.

Rinnai Energysaver 561FT and 559FT – This is an Amazing heater it blew my mind on how great this heater is, I had a 20 year old Vulcan Quazer with a broken fan and reviews here and around the net, all said bad news about getting a new Braemar Gas Wall Furnace or Bonaire Pyrox Deluxe Wall Furnace, even different retailers warned me off the Wall Furnace, saying just how bad they are… Read more

and there problems, so I decided to look harder and found the Rinnai Energysaver 561FT. It was so simple to install does not need a big flue, it comes with a powered flue which pokes straight out the back of the unit and they connected my gas pipe and it was installed. I have a 12 Square home and it heats my whole house in no time, l first set it to 23C then l had to lower it to 22C then 21C, it is so powerful for such a small unit, there is the Rinnai Energysaver 559FT which is the bigger unit they both put out exactly the same numbers but the Rinnai Energysaver 561FT is more Efficient. I was using my slit system Air con has cause my Electricity bill to go way up and I even have a 5KW system, this is why l went with the new Rinnai Energysaver 561FT. The other great thing is the Zero emissions do not have to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning, it also has an economy setting which l have not tried yet, its so easy to turn on all you have to do is press power button that's it, it has no pilot light so you save there to with its electronic ignition and has a Inbuilt humidifier tray and much more.

I am so glad l bought this heater, its the best most efficient heater on the market at the moment.

Also Rinnai has a Cash back of $200 saving you more until end of August [url removed]

Price $ 1699.00 @ Harvey Norman.

Rinnai Energysaver 561FT:

Gas Input MU/h Low 9 High 23

KW Output 5.0

Heats Up Capacity (M2) Very cold 47, Cold 56, Cool 74, Mild 85

Efficiency Star 4.8

Emissions Star 6.0

Rinnai Energysaver 559FT:

Gas Input MU/h Low 9 High 23

KW Output 5.2

Heats Up Capacity (M2) Very cold 47, Cold 56, Cool 74, Mild 85

Efficiency Star 4.3

Emissions Star 6.0 An Amazing powerful heater, that heats my whole house in no time.

Not working not powering on – Hi our rinnai energysaver 556ftr heater has stopped working after we had and electrical transmitter near by blow...the heater made a loud noise then switched off and we haven't been able to power up since. What could be the problem please? Show reply

Perfect for our needs – We had an old large Rinnai with a broken thermostat. I did some research and shopped around and got this Rinnai 309 for nearly half price. The size is perfect, it runs very quietly and the timer facility is great. Show details ·  1

An excellent appliance - had it 15 years – I've had a 561ft for 15 years now and have no regrets. Excellent quality and I recommend it without hesitation. I have read all the reviews and I think people need to remember that because this is a flued appliance, it needs an air supply. With all doors and windows closed, the air is normally supplied by air gaps under the doors, so you can't… Read more ·  1

expect the appliance to work well if there are no air gaps and no inlet vent grille anywhere in the house. It's an advantage that this appliance not only warms the space, but also keeps the room fresh and dry by gradually replacing the air. Sure, some heat is lost through the flue exhaust, but it's a beneficial trade-off. I've just noticed lately that there is a need to turn the heater up higher to warm the room in cold weather. I'm guessing this will be because the thermostat sensor is dirty. Time for a service -fair enough after 15 years.

Only suitable to heat one room, won’t get up to temperature on cold days it runs constantly…haven’t got the words – Constantly runs without reaching set temperature, won’t even heat one room Show details

Lemon – After reading the negative reviews on this heater still made the decision to buy. Well stupid me, rumbling on start up bad smell then shutting down with error code. Had technician come in who tried different things but still the same. Called technician back who then videoed unit in start up then sent to a Rinnai guru in Sydney. Guru suggested to… Read more

swap out a certain part which technician did ( after some time without a heater in very cold part of year ). Same issue. Rinnai then gave us a replacement. You beauty I thought as the technician stated that Rinnai new there was a problem and this is an updated unit with the issue resolved. Well that is not the case, new unit has exactly the same faults. Rang repairer back to have unit looked at but up to now nobody has made contact with me. I`d be happy to have unit thrown in bin but now I have a hole in wall and brick work to accommodate the flue. The ACCC will be my next call. Stay away from this Heater.

No remote control – I have just purchased a new Rinnai gas heater for our house, I am amazed that not only does it not come without a remote control, there is no option for one. I would have been happy to pay more for this option. The cost to build this option would be negligible and would provide (in my opinion) a significant enhancement to the product. You are… Read more

missing out on opportunities to integrate with WiFi, smart home automation, phone applications etc. I urge you to consider this and for my sake look at ways to retro fit this existing models.

Finally found the right one – I got the rinnai 1005FT best heater I ever had I’ve gone from a wood heater to messy to a gas log fire Rinnai it was useless n did not warm the house then went to ducted was gd but expensive n to long to warm up so got the 1005FT n totally love it spent so much money over the years on heaters n this one is perfect Show details ·  1

Good experience on all counts – I've had a 561FT for 20 years with no problem, and a 559FT in another house also with no problem. There are some uninformed comments on here. The flue is coaxial, so you don't need outside air entering under doors etc. Air enters via the outer sleeve, and exhaust departs via the inner sleeve. Fan air draws in via the top filter and recirculates… Read more ·  1

via the bottom grille. If you aren't lifting the top filter out weekly and cleaning it, yes you might have problems. One person said they smell gas. My answer to that is BANG, you have a dangerous gas leak, probably due to faulty installation, which is why the heater should only be installed by a registered or licensed gasfitter. Rinnai are fantastic. I also have 2 infinity heaters with no problems. Gary Lewis, New Zealand

Rinnai Energysaver 559FT Excellent – I installed the Rinnai Energysaver 559FT 2 years ago and during that time it has been running well. The upfront costs are expensive but the running costs are reasonable. The heat output is stronger than the air-conditioning unit I live in Melbourne and experience cold weather between May and September. Heating.. it's a very powerful heater. I… Read more ·  1

use it to heat my house which is over 200 square metres. During the winter months, I leave it on low constantly, set at 20c. The actual room temperature across the house is maintained at 21c, even when the nights are 5c outside. My energy bills for gas work out to be around $2.50 per day during the winter months.

Great Gas heater – This is awesome fluted gas heater that has energy saving feature to save money on gas bills. Warms up living room really well even on coldest winter nights. Its fluted gas heater so you do not have any gas fumes inside your home. Show details ·  1

A healthy gas heater – Why would you buy an un-flued gas heater that uses your living room for a chimney? This is a flued gas heater, both combustion intake air and exhaust remain outside the home. It won't use up your oxygen or send toxic carbon monoxide into the room so it is Asthma Foundation approved and very safe. The only thing this heater does is heat the room… Read more ·  1

air, it even has a humidifier tray that makes sure the air is not dried out too much (it is optional if you prefer to use it or not based on your own humidity preference).

Installation is permanent and a bit messy since a hole needs to be made in the exterior wall (thus unsuitable for an old fibro home as the wall is highly toxic asbestos and must never be disturbed) but otherwise it's a one off inconvenience.

Horrible – I had a new Rinnai 561FT heater installed 2 days ago and regardless it is set to 26 degrees it did not managed to go over 17. Sitting next to the heater with my coat on I'm cursing Rinnai, the heater and the plumber who recommended it! Show details

Does the job really well!!! – We had an old heater with one of the three burners broken, and we ran it all winter - when we replaced it with the Rinnai energy saver that blasts us with warm air, heating the room quickly and generally working better, our bills increased only by about $20-30 a month! Considering our old heater didn’t even work, that says a LOT about how good the… Read more ·  1

Rinnai is. Easy to install, and not over priced either. Would recommend this model 100%! It also looks quite nice, doesn’t take up a lot of space. If you are tossing up between models, this model heats a medium-sized open plan living space very well, but won’t reach the bedrooms. Still takes the chill out, though!

Fantastic heater – Love this heater, heats room up within 10 Min, it’s quiet and looks good too. The only problem is the customer service line, I rang it to ask for help setting the timers and the Man just read straight out of the manual I had and got annoyed with me because I was asking a question and he said he didn’t know and told me he didnt know everything!!… Read more ·  1

He seemed annoyed at me for ringing and had even less of an idea how to use the heater than I did. But I am extremely happy with the heater.

Junk – I bought the Rinnai 1005ft and the 559ft had them installed with brand new dedicated gas lines and a brand new 400l lpg bottle. over $7500- inclusive. The 559ft was junk straight out of the box. Noisy rattly junk. A very astute technician who came back 3 times (120klm rountrip each time) tried everything before authorising a replacement. A second… Read more

technician arrived and installed another brand new unit out of the box. After installing the second unit he determined it had fan cavitation. The second unit is not as noisy as the first but it’s brand new and still junk. I had to take an overall total of 4 days away from my business interests to be present to open the house for the technicians. DONT BUY THE 559FT IT IS GARBAGE!

Had one 25 years ago and bought one again. The Best ! – I had an old Rinnai energysaver that was over 25 years old and wanted a new one. The internal flue was no problem to install and the family is so happy to have heat again, just as the cooler autumn weather has begun. In 15 mins, the family/kitchen area is warm and toasty. Have still to learn how to use the Economical setting, but having the 2 sets… Read more ·  1

of timers is great. Just make sure your area is not too big and I'm sure you'll be happy with this heater. Nice sleek appearance too and doesn't take up much space ! The cat loves it as well !

i am happy with it, is quiet and does the trick – I moved to the new unit and the Rinnai Energysaver 556 FTR was here awaiting for me!!! I am happy with it but because I am vision impaired I cannot see it it works with gas or electricity. It is gas is it not? Sorry I ask an obvious question... I do not know when it was purchased... so I'll click on anything so I can send you my query. monsie pickles ms  Show details ·  1

So toasty – I actually bought this heater second hand and it is the best heater I have had so far . I got it installed and it hasn't missed a beat. It has two timers so I set one before we get up in the morning and the second one for an hour before we get home at night . I have cathedral ceilings and quite a large lounge and it is always warm in my family… Read more

room. The only problem is the fa is quite noisy but due to my large living area this isn't too much of an issue

Excellent, and a time saver being programable – Being able to set the timer for each program is wonderful, you get up in the morning to a warm house and you come home at night to a warm home, and are not running the heating during the day in an empty house. The cost saving s a plus too,.  Show details

Fantastic heater – Much better than a heat pump for us. We found heat pumps dry the air and play havoc with contact lenses but no such problem with this heater even without using the humidifier tray. Warm efficient heater which is pretty cheap to run. Timer function would be better if you could set different times for weekends but this is a minor quibble. overall… Read more

even on the coldest wellington days in a typical draughty non insulated house we were warm this winter

What a rubish unit – It is 2 weeks since my heater was installed by a plumber who has had several phone calls to Rinnai. I have also called Rinnai. It is still not working. Winter will be past it seems before it will be working. It will not light so I cannot feel it will have been a good purchase.  Show details

Works good until warranty expires – Have one of these to heat my shop. A few years ago the heat exchanger wall burned through just after warranty expired. Parts were not available to fix it, so it was repaired with furnace cement. Now I find out the RHFE-556WTA was recalled for the seal that leaked and caused the exhanger to burn through and now I'm told parts that have burned… Read more

aren't covered. What gives? Not buying another one of these ever again. I'm lucky my shop didn't burn to the ground! Guess I'm getting out my scrap sheet metal to fix this again before I freeze.

Our 559FT has similar rattle – Thought I'd join in on this discussion, although ours is a different model. Overall this has been an excellent product EXCEPT for the start up rattle. After a few years we noticed the noise when we turned it on which lasted a few minutes. When it got a bit worse we called in a Rinnai recommended serviceman who said it was the fan. At a cost of… Read more ·  1

$750 to replace it, we all found it just the same noise wise. We had the old fan refitted and got our money back less the service visit! (Which was a quick vacuum and tightening up everything which did nothing). Five years later, nothing has changed and I was fascinated to see a contributor had the same problem and solved it by tightening up the bracket between wall and unit. We just checked ours, it's not attached anywhere to the wall! Rinnai is this rattling a product fault? otherwise, it's been excellent, efficient and cheap to run. Just unfixable.

Brilliant heater 559FT natural gas – Fantastic unit! Money well spent! I should have done it sooner. Just reading some of the other remarks. For me, Sales people were more than useless... From recommending wrong units that I could not have use due to flue. to trying to sell me the earth. In the end I did all my own leg work and called Rinnai direct and got the best answers. Had… Read more ·  1

unit about a week, using a heat transfer to duct heat through out the house. (Does not make each room feel like it has a heater inside it) but the entire house has warmed up but several degrees, even better than I expected.

People use common sense.

have rinnia 559ft very smelly? – have rinnia 559 ft gas heater ? only problem is very smelly after shut down/turn off?. as fan stay on after gas shuts off> needs to open window to get rid of bad smell? no idear of the running costs can not get price from retailer they say ? 8  Show reply

Quiet and efficient – We just upgraded our old Rinnai for this one after buying a Paloma heater which was so loud we couldn't hear the TV. Thank God for the Good Guys who exchanged the dud Paloma heater for a Rinnai for only $200 installation. Stick with the Rinnai. Reliable and efficient. Warms a huge room.  Show reply

very disappointed – We purchased a R E S 559FT on supposedly good advice but found that the appliance was not as good as we thought. It failed to heat or warm our lounge /dining room 10m x 5m but then found out that on turning it on after purchase only 46 m/m of the total frontage of 76m/m is available for the heat to reach the room. What the other space is used for… Read more

I don't know. I certainly would not recommend the purchase of this appliance for home heating. My advice would be to spend the extra money and purchase a gas log fire and get advice from a expert gas fitter who has been in the trade for a long time and not the agents.

Please read before buying – We got 559FT from Harvey $1700.00 in late June 2014, was told have to buy the fitting kit because i had it installed from internal wall, went and ordered the kit $894.00. Installation fee about $300-400. Ended up nearly $ 3 grand, very pricey. With this money i could have small ducted-gas heater to everyroom not just living room like 559FT… Read more

(console, flued). So before buying this heater, watch out for optional installation kit, need to carefully ask seller what fitting kit suitable for your house, otherwise price will go through the roof. It is Rinnai, japan made supposed to be good quality Cost an arm and a leg for installation

A Heater that is a waste of money – Purchased the heater 10/7/2013 and had it installed 15/7/2013. The heater only blows luke warm air out even when set on 26 degrees and takes 45 minutes to raise the temp 4 degrees in the room that has been correctly sized for the heater. A complete waste of money & after phoning Rinnai about the problem they just say get the installer to check.… Read more

They do not want to know about it..Have reverted back to the split system even though it costs more to run.Do Not Buy.

Will not heat.

FANTASTIC – This is a great and efficient heater, works consistently and perfectly, I would highly recommend. It is relly good with no emissions! Excellent for children particlarly for asthma sufferers. Timer works well - I love waking up to a warm house. Looks stylish and is able to quickly heat up the room.

Awesome – This heater has been the best thing since sliced bread for our family. Our model is actually Ebergysaver 557 FTR, a smaller version of the 556 FTR. We have had it for about 5 yrs now. Instant heat, we have a small house and it heats most of the house, easy to regulate temperature, water basin to prevent air drying out, has lots of features but we don;t tend to use them, gas is cheap. So far nothing.  Show 7 replies