Rinnai V1200 / V1500

Some further comments – You have answered my question, but although the unit did come back on of its own accord this took something like 1 hour+. Will not worry about this if it happens again. Thank you, John Ebert Show details

has been great for the past 7years , now stops with no reason and takes 20to30 min and hot water wi – I have noticed others have same problem , I have called Rinnai service centre and I was told that can only be checked while is not working . they can't help for this tipe of fault ,what the best thing you suggest replace the unit abd forget about. what's the answer and ypur opium. Jonn  Show details ·  1

lasted about ten years – We have been in this house for three years. The unit here has a control panel that made the system great. The cold water tap never gets used. We only have one shower. It fluctuated a bit when turned down to around 42 in summer, but above that it was perfect. I think the house was built back in 2006 (unit serial number 06.05-000358) Christmas… Read more

day we had a code 61 (fan) show on the display with no hot water.

Turning the tap back on my wife managed to pour a sink full to do the dishes.

I went to check on it after that and there was nothing- no code, no hot water and no indicator light to say the unit was in operation even though the temp display was still on.

I removed the cover on the unit and there was a small amount of water in there- moist around the heat exchanger and weeping down to the bottom. With corrosion/staining showing that this was going on for a while.

Not sure if this older model came with a ten year warranty, if it made it there, it was barely.

So I am guessing that the heat exchanger leaked onto the fan and fried something on the board.

Lucky my sister lives not far down the road, as trying to find any help or replacement on the Christmas break is impossible. Rinnai is closed for the next nine days!!

In my last house I had a Rinnai as a solar booster that used to also work well, really well- until the ambient temperature dropped to a point that the unit didn't know to turn on or off, and so- would do both- over, and over, and over and over and over again!

I had to go out and turn the unit off- the water was warm enough for a shower anyway.

The guys at Rinnai said it was a flow problem, but even when I turned on another tap in the bathroom while I was having a shower it would still do it!

Being so intermittent it was not worth calling out a tech as it would have been very unlikely that it would have done it for him- so I put up with it for a few years before selling the problem to someone else.

So I like the units, they are really good- most of the time.

I think there are just a few things that could be ironed out.

Absolutely terrible – Stopped working in the middle of winter for no apparent reason. A warranty call resulted in a guy coming out and measuring the pressure in the pipes, which turned out to be too low. The regulator had failed. According to the service guy 90% of his visits are triggered by low gas pressure, when there is nothing wrong with the unit. Charged me $180,… Read more

issued a defect notice and left.

Dear Rinnai, would it kill you to have a simple low gas pressure indicator on the unit, so people don't incur unnecessary charges? This would obviate 90% of your warranty calls.

PS I looked under the lid - it's like a mainframe computer on the inside. A multitude of wires and chips. And you couldn't have a simple red light indicator?

Best hot water system I've had in 45 years! – We just bought a house recently with a Renai V1500 hotwater system installed. It's been there 5 years on the house and works like a charm. It heats hot water perfectly for all our systems, shower, bath, dishwasher and washing machine. In short, I'm impressed my father in law (a builder) noticed on the wall of the house and gave a rave review on… Read more ·  2

it and he's had it some time and recommends them. Speaks volumes. He mentioned excellent economy on gas and faultless. I will say on holidays on farm he took it and hooked it up to a old (disused) chicken shed all 50 odd us used it off a gas bottle where it's cut off was exaggerated so you understood the concept of keeping pressure on so slowly turning it on to get right temp or it went cold and in Vic that meant dam cold!. Lol worked like a charm though! So 5 stars from us :)

The unit had faults, but it was the more service i received from Rinnai – Unit didn't work. Then I had to pay the clients back cause Rinnai would take any responsibility for callout fees from the gas company after Rinnia's techincal support ensured me it was the gas meter. So, in the end, i basically installed a faulty product then got told that they take no responsibility for anything. Thanks Rinnai!

Love mine – In the warmer months I set the temp to 43 deg so that i dont need to use the cold water, in the shower (it is really hot and sometimes too hot). In the sink there is no problem with grease at this temp? This is my experience, and wonder whether the installation, the size jets used etc, have anything to do with the flow and the resultant temperature!?  Show 5 replies

Installation of instant heaters – The correct installation of this TYPE of heater is imperative. (1) correct gas size connection (2) correct water size connection. (3) Flow pressure is important, there must be sufficient flow to allow the heater to actuate as it is flow sensitive. causes of insufficient flow are (A) small connection of water to heater (B) shower… Read more ·  1

heads that have restrictions in them to save water are a common cause of flow reduction.

(4) it is commonly thought that the '50 degree law' applies to the whole house when it actually only applies to the bathrooms or an area where a vulnerable person may be injured. Thus a tempering valve is fitted.

(5) when a tempering valve is fitted it is more expensive to fit it to those areas mentioned above and so many plumbers do not wish to do the extra work as it is easier to ' do the whole house'.

(6) It is possible to adjust these type of heaters but the liability is too big a risk for the plumber as he is responsible.

Suggestions on how to get the best from them.

Follow the manufacturers installation procedure first and foremost regarding the correct inlet sizes for the water and the gas. ( Undersizing the the water inlet is a common problem)

Remove any flow restrictions in the shower head.

Have the tempering valve serve the areas that you consider are potentially dangerouse.

You will find that this will solve most problems.

I hope this is helpful.

V1500 has its limitations – We have a 7 yr old V1500 gas hot water system and whilst the bathroom showers are ok kitchen sink and laundry sink temps are not suitable for hand washing greasy dishes we need to boil the jug and add to sink to achieve a suitable wash.

Fluctuating temperature – I have had the heater for around 4years and the hot water is fluctuating in temperature. Has any body else had or are having similar issues? The heater is good on gas though when it is the only thing on the house using gas the supply costs make the heater expensive I would reconsider this if I need to replace the init Fluctuating temperature

Replacement the only option – Please see my previous review below. After endless call to and from Rinnai, they concluded that there is nothing they can do to improve the performance of my 2.5 year old gas heater and the only alternative seems to be to replace lt with a model that is not factory preset. The temp at my sink is 47*, not enough for greasy dishes. I cannot believe that Rinnai would misrepresent their product so much. It is obviously not fit for purpose.

Great Heater but buy a controller – This is a great water heater - Obsolete now though I believe. I would definitely recommend getting a couple of temperature controllers though, definately one in the kitchen and one in the bathroom with the possibility of one in the laundry. It makes the heater much more efficient - our gas bill has definitely dropped. Its great running a kids… Read more

bath at a pre-determined temperature or even having a shower at the perfect temp. Why heat the water up only to cool it down with cold water? They are available on ebay for about $50 - $60. They are easy to install - you don't need an electrician or plumber to install them - just someone who can run the cable down the wall and through the roof and connecting the two wires in the heater is simple and straight forward. Efficient Takes a few seconds of water flow before the heater cuts in

Rinnai B24 (V1500) Natural Gas (50 degree C preset model) – I previously had an old natural gas hot water storage system, that used a half inch gas pipe for its gas supply - the wrong size for a continuous flow system. Just meant a bit more installation cost as they have to run a three-quarter inch pipe back to the gas meter. That said, make sure your system is properly installed, as the installation can… Read more ·  2

often make the difference whether the unit performs well (as the wrong sized piping or gas meter can mean your system gets starved for gas). In Australia, you can only output 50 degree C water (anything higher requires fitting additional temperature regulating valves that add considerably to your installation cost) so get a 50 degree C preset system to obviate the need for valves. I'm delighted with this system, fires up reliably and heats plenty of water (I have 2 bathrooms) to just under scalding. One thing I read in the manual though is that all continuous flow systems are activated by the drop in pressure when you turn on a hot water tap, and that if you only run a very little hot water, the drop in pressure may not be enough to keep the system ignited (in which case, you just need to open up the tap a bit more to re-ignite it) - just something to be aware of, although I haven't noticed it happening with my system. Completely reliable, 5+ star energy efficiency for cheaper running costs, quick start and endless hot water, good build quality and warranty

v1200 in a motor home – had a v1200 in a motorhome for about 4 years, works ok even on low water thruput ( from the 24v pump) runs thru a controller bc100 , would like to get more temp, will look at dip switch settings . would do another , few issues with vibration and wear to wires . but its ok . had an issue after about 2 years with a bad conection runing up error but played with the conections etc and ok

OK – I understand that the units have to be set up not to burn unattended children but for us adults it's not so great. I'm sick of having to boil the kettle every time I need to do a wash up of the things that won't go in the dishwasher. It's cheaper to buy a new unit than make any adjustment then you need a tempering valve and controller. Oh for the old days when people used to watch their children!!!!! cheap to run water not hot enough

OK – Good unit. To cold at 50 degress for the western suburbs of sydney. Ypou will NOT be able to bath in the winter period. Compact and neat compared to storage tanks I live at richmond N.S.W. , winter temperatures get down to -4 degress. Set at 50 degress water temperature it is to cold to have a bath , to much temperature is lost while filling.… Read more

Shower needs no cold water. Very disappointed , Temperature is TO LOW , government regulations set temperature to low. I did not know about temperature setting when installed 2 months ago.

this works very well ! unlimited hotwater – just had v1500 installed 2days ago. its all working great, about 4m water pipe to the bathroom from outdoor. take about 12sec to get hotwater. about the same time as my old storage tank. very good so far. quick hot water, pretty hot to me nothing so far. will write another update after 12 month. Show 2 replies

Could be better – With the purchase of our new home came a Rinnai V1200. As we live in a cool climate (during winter) and only have rain water, this unit is great as it provides all the hot water needed. Because we only have rain water and low rain fall, conserving water is a priority and so we have water saver shower heads installed. With the onset of summer… Read more

however the issue of this unit shutting down due to low water flow is a real pain. It seems that unless the hot water tap is fully open, and then you have a shower which is too hot, the unit automatically turns off.

Very frustrating to say the least.

So it would appear that for the unit to work properly you have to 1. Have hot water at full flow thus using valuable water or 2. Ditch the water saver shower rose and use much more water. Not very eco friendly I'd say. Supplies plenty of hot water when taps are fully open. Too sensitive to low water flows.

Excellent – Early days but The Rinnal V1200 has performed flawlessly. Water pressure and temperature has been great. Overall it performs better that the storage system it replaced. Some V series models can have the temp adjusted easily by dip switches internally. Plumber recommended the Rinnai up front as they do have very little issues with them. They said… Read more

do not go for the Bosch Hydropower as it is totally unreliable and poorly designed.

Providing you have good water/gas pressure and the pipes in the house are up to the task you will get great performance from this unit.

Lets hope it gives 10 years service like the old unit did... Very compact, quiet, more efficient than the 10YO Dux storage that it replaced. More expensive than storage. Does need 20mm gas supply and good gas/water pressure (which I have in spades).

Good – I've had the Rinnai for a little over a year and have had no problems with it. The preset water temp could be higher, but I believe that's more of a safety than a product issue. Even so, the temp is usable, and is probably able to be changed in the unit. This is the only gas appliance I have, and I'm happy with the costs associated with my hot… Read more

water. I have no trouble in recommending the Rinnai hot water system. Instant hot water - any time it's needed. Has an electric start - no hot water if there's a blackout.

Bad – It is not a viable unit as the temperature fluctuates too much when the water pressure drops; if some one else turns on a tap or flushes a toilet the hot instantly cuts out (goes ice cold) then slowly warms up again. Brr in the shower. The electronics are not covered by warranty (so it is not a 10 year guarantee as stated) and these cost over… Read more

$900 to replace and they do break. The company says no need to cover the electronics because they never break- Der! if they never break then give them a 35 year warranty, rather than no warranty. compact unit.

never runs out of hot water (most of the time). Expensive for what it is.

needs an extra large gas pipe fitting (more expensive installation & retrofit).

Temperature fluctuates too much.

Warranty does not cover all the parts - and these are the ones that break and are expensive.

needs electric power to operate and a manual reset after a power failure.

Excellent – I got one installed 2 days ago by Full Flow Plumbing Contractors PTY LTD, [name censored] the Managing Director gave me a great discount on installation. The unit works even better than the old water storage system, which I had for just over 10 years till it rusted out. I fully encourage anyone going for a gas hot water system to switch over to… Read more

one of these top units. The pressure is great and takes the exact same time to get the water up from the tap like the old storage system. Only cheaper to run and with no continuous gas pilot light running including the hot water heating up when you’re not home. Cheaper to run, same purchase cost as a water storage unit, so why not go for a cheaper to run unit that’s friendly to the environment. No water during a black-out

Excellent – These are awesome. Had it for over a year and very happy. It gobbled the gas (45 kg bottle in under 6 weeks) with a cheapie standard shower head (25+ L per minute-good water pressure!), but bought a decent water saver head that limits to a bit over 9 litres per minute (as opposed to the cheap dance around to get wet water saver shower head) and go… Read more

through 45kg gas per quarter (4 in house, I have 15 minute showers daily as we have heaps of water). Have a controller but haven't fitted it yet. I've read that the controller will increase efficiency again by around 10-20%. With power prices rising, it has proven to be great. It will suffer a bit if two or more taps are turned on whilst showering, but any house will do that! Great, hot water and plenty of it. In Tassie, so no preset for us. no hot water when power fails. BUT, have an inverter and car battery to circumvent if power out for too long.

Excellent – I rate this system quite highly, and I cannot fault this unit at all - they are intended to perform for up to 10 years (standard lifespan). My old Bosch lasted nearly 15 years before it gave up the ghost, and was replaced by the V1200. Properly and securely installed, these babies work like a charm at a fraction of the running costs of larger… Read more

units. Despite needing a power point as well as a gas supply, I recommend either the V1200 or 1500 for smaller homes. and because they do not 'store' water, they are less likely to rust compared to those which do. 5/5 Quick, continuous flow hot water flow any time of the day or night as it is needed. Energy efficient. Not as bulky or as large as some. No real cons except perhaps the fact the V1200 requires electricity to ignite the burner inside the unit each time you turn a tap on (but in operation, it runs solely on your gas supply); small price to pay since this unit does not 'store' water unlike older models.