Rinnai V65eP Propane Tankless Hot Water Heater, 6.5 GPM

10 reviews for Rinnai V65eP Propane Tankless Hot Water Heater, 6.5 GPM

1. 

   5 out of 5

   Amazon Customer – April 23, 2020

   Did a lot of Internet research to find a tankless water heater going from a 50 gallon tank heater doing a total house remodel with galvanized pipe throughout the house. Decided to go with copper plumbing up to the unit. Was installed by professional plumber and the results were very good. I now have endless hot water and very good water pressure. I had to go pass the 120 degree default and set it to 140 degrees it’s Max output. Although it says that you can use either 3/4 gas or 1/2 gas line I only had a half inch gas line to use. There was no problems hooking it up but the book instructions for setting the default dip switch was incorrect my plumber was able to figure it out. One thing both my plumber and I noticed was just how quiet this unit is it’s very quiet. It takes a couple of minutes for the water to get hot in the shower at the far end of my house. I would definitely recommend this unit to anybody that’s interested in going tankless water heaters.

2. 

   5 out of 5

   Larry TurnerLarry Turner – May 15, 2020

   Worth every penny! Sorry for the short review, but I can’t say enough to give this thing justice. I installed this in a day, granted it took a week to get everything together for installation, but well worth it! I ripped out that antique technology that was only costing me money a few months ago, found bacteria living in the plumbing that was being spread by the water storage tank that had ruptured on my second story. Needless to say, I have spent some money and time on sheet rock, mud, and paint. Not to mention the frustration of being hundreds of miles away from home when the thing popped… Fortunately my wife was home to catch it.Don’t waste your time with another storage tank that has to be heated constantly and eventually will leak everywhere, install a tankless, you wont regret it. Follow the suggestions with filtration and scale inhibitors so you can get 20 plus years from a brilliant engineering innovation.I have been using a far smaller version of this at my deer lease for 10 years in a portable unit, it lights up every time and gets the water hotter than needed!

3. 

   5 out of 5

   Corwin GreenCorwin Green – May 17, 2020

   I was reluctant to get a Gas Tankless water heater at first. But after doing the research decided to get the Industry Best – Rinnai. The contractor was impressed by the build quality and the installation kit. There was a small issue on my Rinnai Tankless. The temperature control module was defective. I called Rinnai support and they sent out a new control board the next day. The great thing about this product was, I had hot water although the processing board was defective. 30 days after install I note my Utility bill was more than cut in half. Should have purchased alot sooner.

4. 

   5 out of 5

   Dwayne Nickell – May 17, 2020

   This a very good product. I installed it not to hard of a job. I had the state pumping inspector over to look at it had no problem. It lower my electric bill by about $38.00 a month and gas bill did not change. I had it about two years now. Very pleased with it. Update 4/30/19 I am still very pleased with my tankless water heater. I cleaned it about about a year ago as recommended. I have had no problem at all. I have two full bathrooms and do our own laundry an a dishwasher Three bedrooms Two in household all the time. When we have guests overnight as many as four I haven’t had any hot water problems. Just a little slow getting hot water in kitchen it is the longest water line from the heater. Update 6/18/19 still very pleased two more neighbors and my son in law have installed the same unit. They are as pleased as I am.

5. 

   5 out of 5

   John N Indrutz – June 26, 2020

   I have had this Rinnai V65IN tankless water heater installed for 2 years now. I absolutely love it. We have it installed in a 1400sq ft. home with a single shower. In addition to the shower there are four other faucet locations that can utilize hot water. If we have the shower, and the washing machine running hot water, then this heater is pretty much running at capacity for 125 degree F water. If I had another full bath in the house I would consider going up a step. This unit could probably handle another bath, but if you were running 2 baths and a washing machine I think the unit would not be able to keep up, or you would have to set the temperature of the water higher than 125 F to compensate.If you are going to install this yourself, then do your research. You need to size your gas pipe appropriately for the length of the run you have for the gas flow this expects. You will also need to plan your exhaust exit. The roof is ideal, but don’t use the same flue for a tank heater. If your exhaust exits out of the house via a wall make sure the exhaust is far enough away from your soffit vents, windows, and doors. You also will need to deal with the condensate. We ran 35ft of gas line, a few feet of copper water line, a GFCI electrical outlet, condensate trap, and the flue exit over a weekend.Make sure you install a valve kit with this. Every year you need to circulate 4 gallons of distilled white vinegar through the unit for an hour, purge it, and clean the screen filter. There is also a window inside the unit that lets you view the flame during usage. It is a good idea to view this flame yearly to make sure you have an even blue flame.I had only used tank heaters in the past, so I was a bit nervous with regards to performance of this unit in my house, but there are 7 of us and on Sunday mornings it was a pain to constantly run out of hot water when everyone was getting ready for church. I haven’t really noticed a lot of savings with regards to gas usage. Water usage has increased a bit as a result of this heater, but it is a trade I was willing to make in order to never run out of hot water. I have to wait for a few minutes for the water to get hot at the point of usage, but again it is a trade off I was comfortable with. It also freed up floor space in my utility room. As I shop for new homes, I always look to see what it would take to install a tankless water heater. I would buy this unit again. I may not have realized a return on investment by way of utility bills, but convenience outweighed the ROI in my case.EDIT 3/11/2018: It has been installed for 4 years now with no troubles. I run 4 gallons of vinegar through it for 1 hour every year per the maintenance recommendations. I also clean the small screen filter, and check to make sure the flame is burning blue and even. We have very hard water, and I should probably clean and inspect it every 9 months. I am still extremely happy with the purchase 4 years later.EDIT 3/19/2020: I have finally encountered an issue. I was getting an intermittent Error Code 11 (no ignition/no gas supply error). After a bit of YouTube searches I found some things to try to fix the issue. The gas manifold should be removed and the burner should be vacuumed of debris. There were several dead moths and a very large very dead spider blocking some of the gas tubes. Other than that the burners looked fairly clean. I also had a loose igniter, and the igniter should NOT be loose. I purchased part RIWH104000240 also recognized as part 104000240. This part is a kit that replaces the igniter, flame rods, and includes necessary gaskets. I paid around $40 for the kit and had it all fixed in a little under 1 hour. I am still very happy with this purchase and the repair was pretty easy. Just take pictures before and during disassembly so you can reference things later when you get confused.

6. 

   5 out of 5

   Taton Pitcock – July 2, 2020

   This is a well built unit! I decided to go this route with the Large, V75iP-Propane/7.5 after I had received a quote from a local plumbing shop to install from propane tanks to house and installing a unit of their own. Guy comes out measures the run from tanks to house about 180′. I told him I’d dig the trench being I had a trencher. Day goes by and get a email of the quote…. $5800 for a on demand unit, propane poly line and his labor to install it… even with me trenching. Needless to say I declined their quote and decided to do it myself and save a couple grand. So in total buying the poly line from home depot and all the connections associated with propane lines and regulators I spent just at $1600 with this on demand unit. Still does the same as the one they thought I “needed”. I also have a household of 8, 2 adults and 6 kids under age of 10. Thus thing will keep up with a shower, washer, dishwasher, and 2 sinks going with hot water before I notice any pressure drop or heat change. My well pressure is also 80psi with a 30gal pressure tank. Hope this helps out someone in the future.

7. 

   5 out of 5

   Dianna K. Handy – August 6, 2020

   I have installed 4 different brands of tankless heaters for different properties over last several years.This is by far the best built and most reliable over time.If you want a dependable unit that produces constant hot water for 3-4 person household this will meet your needs.

8. 

   5 out of 5

   S. BrewerS. Brewer – August 22, 2020

   Before you even try to answer the question of whether or not you can install this yourself, call your local city clerk and see if a permit is required to replace a water heater. If it is, then you’re dead in the water before you even begin. You’ll need it professionally installed. But if that’s not the case…Things you need to know before purchasing:1) Read the manual! Especially the section regarding gas line requirements. Depending on how far your water heater will be from the gas line point of entry, how many bends there are to get there, and the pressure supplied to your house, there is a chance that you will need to replace every bit of pipe between the meter and the water heater.2) The gas inlet on the water heater is 3/4″. Even if the rest of the pipe meets the specification, if you are putting this where a tank water heater used to be, the leg of pipe supplying it was probably 5/8″ and will need to be replaced.3) It requires an electrical outlet. It has an electronic ignition, and is controlled by a circuit board. It’s basically a furnace that heats water instead of air.4) You will NOT be able to use your existing tank water heater’s vent pipe. You might be able to use the same hole in the roof (or wherever it exhausts to), but the pipe itself will have to be replaced. The replacement pipe is not cheap! Also, read the manual regarding pipe requirements. If it is so long or has so many bends, you will have to deal with condensate.Common questions regarding this particular line of water heaters:Q:) What is the difference between the Value series of Rinnai water heaters, and the Luxury series?A:) The Luxury series includes a built-in recirculation pump, and includes bypass valves. If you don’t intend to use a recirculation pump, skip the Luxury model and purchase the bypass valves separately.Q:) So do I need a recirculation pump?A:) No one needs a recirculation pump. It is an add-on that gets hot water to your taps faster than you would be able to do so without one, but it is never a necessity.Q:) Should I get a mid-efficiency non-condensing or high-efficiency condensing tankless heater?A:) Unless you use a large amount of hot water, the efficiency gains you will realize with a condensing unit over a non-condensing unit are minimal. Condensing units are more complex, meaning more parts to worry about; they require both an inlet and and exhaust pipe (although there are adapters to combine them into a coaxial pipe); and you will be forced to deal with condensate, which is not a small task, as it is acidic. IMO unless you really have a need for that extra bit of efficiency, skip the condensing unit.Q:) Can really I run my own gas line?A:) Yes! Actually running the gas line was one of the easier tasks for me. You can purchase pre-threaded lengths of pipe from your local big-box hardware store, as well as the “pipe dope” sealant. Just make sure you plan your route beforehand, and draw it out so you’ll know how many corner adapters and T adapters you’ll need. Don’t forget to include a trap. Usually if you find you need a section of pipe a certain length that isn’t carried, you can build a pipe you need by coupling two other sizes together. I was able to complete the entire project without requiring any custom lengths of pipe. You’ll definitely need at least two large pipe wrenches, however, and you’ll want to learn how to properly check for leaks, of course!Q:) What was the hardest part of installing the water heater?A:) The exhaust pipe. In my case, I decided to avoid the hassle of trying to follow the existing vertical pipe, and used a 21″ Rinnai kit to exhaust out the side of my house. If you have the option to exhaust out the side, this is going to be the cheapest and easiest way to go. BUT, you will have to make a 5.5 inch hole in the side of your house for the pipe to fit through. My house had thicker-than-average brick, so making that hole in the side of my house was like an entirely separate project. I ended up buying a 5.5 inch core drill bit (from Amazon) just for the task.So, with all of this in mind, what are some tips? Well, obviously read the manual first! But what else?1) First off, if you are replacing a tank water heater, the first thing you should consider is, “Do I really need/want to put this tankless water heater where the existing water heater was?” Of course everyone’s situation varies, but more often than not, you can save yourself a lot of headache and work by putting the tankless on an exterior wall or near an exterior wall, instead of trying to put it where the tank one was. Once you realize that you’re not going to be able to use the existing tank heater’s exhaust pipe or gas supply line, there’s really no reason to keep it in the same place. In my particular case, I freed up a huge amount of space in my basement laundry/bath room by removing the tank heater and putting the tankless above my toilet.2) Think about where you want to mount the heater, and determine if you’ll need to build a mounting plate. In my case it worked out perfectly and I was able to screw the heater directly into a stud. But you may not be so lucky.3) Look at where you plan to mount the heater, and think about where the exhaust will have to go. Then, read the manual, and make sure you can vent the exhaust while meeting all of the requirements regarding clearance to ground, clearance to another opening or window in the house, etc.4) Look at the available exhaust kits and pipes and determine what you’ll need beforehand, and take note of the cost. It’s not cheap stuff. Also, keep in mind you may have to cut a piece of this special pipe, and there is a specific way it has to be cut. Check YouTube for the Rinnai Guy.So, can you really do this on your own? That really depends on you, and your mindset. For a lot of people, installing one of these might seem do-able at first, until they realize exactly how much will need to be done, then it may pretty quickly feel like they have bitten off more than they can chew. But if you are the type of DIYer that is confident in being able to rise to any task, then yes it can be done.

9. 

   5 out of 5

   Tyler’s Projects – September 18, 2020

   TLDR: This is now my favorite appliance in our entire house. Just buy it.I bought this to replace an ecotemp tankless hot water heater that leaked within a year of purchase. I was hesitant to spend an extra ~$200 on this unit, but I can honestly say it was worth it for sure.Showers: Incredible. This changed the way all of our showers work for the better. It’s so effective that I can now balance my shower more on the “cold side” of the dial as opposed to turning it all the way to “hot” with my last hot water heater. This means that I have full cold water pressure at the same time as full hot water. This leads to a very high pressure, very satisfyingly steamy shower.Efficiency: In my case, this water heater will pay for itself in propane savings over a year. It’s THAT good. Seriously, this thing uses less than half of the amount of propane on my last unit.Heat: It gets HOT. I called up Rinnai service to ask how to change the temperature from whatever the standard is to 140 degrees F. Customer support picked up immediately and was very knowledgeable. They walked me through it in less than 5 minutes and now I have HOT water for my dishes and laundry.Power: I can wash my car with steaming hot (140 dgF) water @ 60 PSI easily. The unit never chokes or gets cold. I can run a dual-head shower while running the dishwasher.Control: You can run a trickle of hot water with this unit. My last unit would only kick on if you had the hot water turned at least to half strength. This one has very fine controls, operating flawlessly at around .5 GPM.

10. 

    5 out of 5

    Bob Richards – January 11, 2021

    This baby rocks.First, I bought the indoor water heater of the same model, but returned it since we opted to put the water heater outside, on the back of the family room. I read the wiring diagram but called Rinnai just to be sure about the low-voltage control terminals. Very good folks. I couldn’t believe how small this unit was. I worked with a lot of heat exchangers in my life, and it’s amazing all this could be accomplished in such a small unit. But the hardware, the gas lines, waterlines, solid-state circuitry, and adjusting simplicity for heat, altitude, etc.; really looked impressive. (And since it’s in a new location, my son and I ran all of the water, propane, and new electrical to the unit. Safety and pressure tests looked really good.) Fired this baby up, and was stunned by it’s efficiency and volume. I did have to throw DIP switch 6 in the first group however to go from 120 to 140F. (And there’s another controller available for an additional cost to go all the way up to 160F, which we don’t need.) I live in beautiful Grants Pass Oregon, with lots of acreage, and have a fantastic artesian well that delivers quite a bit of water. My son came over and was taking a shower in the middle bathroom the same time as my wife in our master’s. My well pump was maxed since the washer was running as well. But there was NO DEFICIENCY of very hot water at any location.I’m very satisfied.Bob R.