Fast, Easy Tankless Water Heater Replacement for Upper Township, NJ Homeowners[Case Study]

Our homeowners had little time to lose when their tankless water heater stopped working. After all, it’d been a long time since they’d worried about cold showers.

Fortunately, they already had a great relationship with us at Broadley’s. So, once they noticed a leak, they knew who to call right away.

This case study, we’ll go over what went wrong, how our homeowners solved the problem, and how they saved a few hundred dollars.

But, more than anything else, it’s an excellent example of how great it is to have a trusted, reliable HVAC company in your corner.

---

Problem: Our homeowners in Upper Township, NJ, noticed a leak coming from their tankless water heater.
Solution: They called Broadley’s right away. We diagnosed the problem and quickly installed a replacement. Our homeowners saved $300 in the process.

---

Leaking Tankless Water Heater

How can a tankless water heater leak? It’s a fair question. After all, their big selling point is that they don’t hold any water.

Instead, they heat the water as it passes through when you turn on the faucet. It’s how you get hot water instantly every time you turn on the tap without wasting money, keeping a few dozen gallons of water warm all the time.

So, what’s leaking??

That’s the question our homeowners were asking themselves when they noticed water underneath their unit.

Fortunately, they knew what to do right away: Call Broadley’s.

We’d installed this unit nearly a decade before. And, we’d been out plenty of time since then for preventative maintenance, AC tune-ups, and a few service calls along the way.

Since they always had a great experience with us, they called us without a second thought.

That’s how we got started on a quick replacement.

Broken Heat Exchanger

Our tech found the problem right away: the heat exchanger was faulty. That’s the component that heats the water.

The problem here was that it was broken. And, as water passed through, not all of it made it to the tap.

This damage can take place when the sudden swings from cold to hot wear out the metal. When that happens, you end up with cracks.

Repair Vs. Replace

As with any piece of HVAC equipment, you cannot repair a heat exchanger on a tankless water hear. Since the damage is due to stress from heat, you can’t really seal it back up. It likely would not hold, and you’d end up in the same position again.

However, unlike a furnace, you can replace the heat exchanger on these units. With larger heating devices, the heat exchanger is often embedded deep in the unit.

By the time you take it apart, replace the piece and put it together, you may as well pay for a new unit.

However, this unit was nearly a decade old. As a result, it was a better idea to replace the one with a new Rinnai model rather than fix this one part.

The heat exchanger isn’t cheap, and it still takes a while to remove the old one and install its replacement.

Our homeowners didn’t want to try that, only to have something else go wrong on an aging unit a little while later.

Since they’d worked with Broadley’s in the past, they trusted our opinion. And, they weren’t disappointed: Their new unit came in cheaper than they expected.

Saving Money on a New Tankless Water Heater

Since Rinnai tankless water heaters are energy-efficient, they qualify for a rebate through NJ Clean Energy. Our homeowners found out about this through their service tech, and together they made sure to apply for one. Sure enough, our homeowners got a $300 rebate for their new unit!

These systems use far less energy than traditional models. They do this in two ways.

Not Holding Water

Traditional water heaters hold dozens of gallons at once in a tank — and they run continuously to keep it all warm all the time.

Otherwise, you wouldn’t get hot water when you turned on the tap. You’d have to wait 30 minutes to an hour for the tank to heat up.

Instead, these units only heat the water as it passes through the system. And, it only passes through when you turn on your washing machine, dishwasher, sink, or shower.

This way, it only uses energy when you’re running water. Once you turn it off, the unit powers down.

Not Waiting For Hot Water

Even with a well-working tank unit, you often have to run the tap for a minute or so before getting hot water. It’s even more of a problem for showers on the second or third floor.

It’s understandable — no one likes a cold shower, and you need hot water to wash your hands and dishes. But, it also wastes about half a gallon of water a minute. And, that all adds up.

With tankless, however, that first shot of water is as hot as you want it. That saves gallons over the months and years.

NJ Clean Energy Rebates for Water Heaters

NJ Clean Energy offers rebates for people who buy appliances that save energy and resources. Since the Rinnai heater our homeowners purchased fit the bill, they applied and received $300 back.

Saving money felt great — almost as great as taking hot showers again!

If you suspect a problem with your water heater — traditional or tankless — don’t wait until the problem gets any worse! Broadley’s has been a trusted name for HVAC and plumbing repairs in South Jersey for nearly a century.