Had a tankless water heater “professionally” installed yesterday, and there are some issues I have questions about. Figured I’d ask here and try to get some info before I have a friendly chat with the plumber.
First, I’m wondering if it’s normal to hear the device as loudly as I do. It’s a Norita brand (I believe that’s the spelling), and it’s an outdoor unit. Through the wall into our den, I hear what sounds like a quiet buzz – more like a near-beep – when the unit turns on. The noise it makes seems normal… but is there any way it can be installed in the same spot and not be heard through an exterior wall? Or is that just something we have to learn to live with?
Also, on the opposite end of the house, where our master bath is, when I shut off the hot water, I hear a noise in the pipes. Like the sound the heater is making is travelling all the way down the pipes to the other side of the house. Is this a sound that should worry me?
My wife even heard what sounded like a high pitched piano key being struck 3 or 4 times after turning off the hot water. (Sound also coming from the pipes, obviously.)
Anyone have experience in these matters who can shed some light on the situation?
IANAP, but have done lots of DIY plumbing (and some jobs that shouldn’t have been DIY). I am not sure about the noise thruogh the wall, but the pipe noises are typical. They can be cured through a water hammer arrestor (I tried to link to a page but can’t get the coding right) You can get them at home improvement stores, but you might want a plumber to install them. They are relatively inexpensive, 15-20 bucks.
First, thankfully you didn’t get a hot water heater. No need to heat water that is already hot. That’s a good sign.
Your water heater might also having a gas valve that is singing/whistling. I don’t know if much can be done about them or if it is even part of the problem, but usually the gas flow rate for heating incoming water and sending it out hot is very high/rapid, and that can make the gas and/or valve make all sorts of strange noises as it flows.