Noritz designed the EZTR40 to replace a 40-gallon gas tank in a two-bath home, venting through the tank’s old B-vent. We’ll check your gas line, vent and hot water use, then size the right Noritz.
Efficiency steps down across the four: up to 0.98 UEF on the EZ Series and NRCR, 0.89 to 0.92 on NRC and 0.82 on NR.
CONDENSING, TANK REPLACEMENT
Three tank-swap packages: the EZTR40, indoor only at 0.87 UEF, plus the EZTR50 and EZTR75, built on the 0.98 UEF EZ98 Pro and EZ111 Pro. Those two get 25 years on the heat exchanger in a single-family home.
CONDENSING GAS + PUMP
Same 0.98 UEF and indoor or outdoor rating as the EZ98 Pro, plus a pump for loops up to 200 feet on 1/2-inch pipe or 500 feet on 3/4-inch. The CSV-BPK crossover kit, sold separately, works without a return line.
CONDENSING GAS
Condensing heaters with copper heat exchangers, from 6.6 to 11.1 GPM and rated 0.89 to 0.92 UEF. DV models install indoors; OD models are outdoor only. Each has 12 years on the heat exchanger.
Noritz’s site has no NRC or NR family page, so those cards link to the NRC111DV and NR98OD. Ratings and fit vary by model.
Noritz Corporation, based in Kobe, Japan, was established in March 1951, and that year it released a bathwater heater, the Noritz Bath Type A. A gas water heater followed in 1961, and Noritz says it introduced the first modern, electronically controlled tankless water heaters in 1981. Its US company, Noritz America Corporation, is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and serves the United States and Canada. Noritz does not sell direct to homeowners; its heaters reach you through professional installers.
The EZTR40 is built around what a 40-gallon gas tank leaves behind. Its hot and cold connections sit on top, as a tank’s do. Its 2-inch flexible polypropylene vent threads up through the tank’s existing B-vent. And Noritz says it can use the same 1/2-inch gas line that fed the tank when the gas pressure is right. The package comes with the heater, a vent kit and isolation valves.
The EZ98 Pro and EZ111 Pro use two stainless steel heat exchangers, are rated 0.98 UEF and install indoors or outdoors. Each ships configured for natural gas, Noritz includes the kit to switch it to propane, and Noritz describes both as ENERGY STAR rated. The EZTR50 and EZTR75 bundle them with 25 feet of 2-inch flex vent and an isolation valve kit, so a tank replacement can still reach 0.98 UEF.
NRCR is the only current Noritz family with a recirculation pump built in. It runs on a dedicated return line or, with Noritz’s CSV-BPK crossover kit, without one. Auto Learning is the default pump mode, with Manual Timer and Title 24 On-Demand as alternatives, and like the EZ Series Pro, NRCR pairs with Noritz’s EZ Start Plus app over Bluetooth for temperature, schedules and pump timers.
Noritz sizing starts with flow. Noritz rates the EZTR40 at up to 6.6 GPM, the EZTR50 at 9.8 and the EZTR75 at 11.1. Flow falls as the heater has more warming to do, and in Houston, water reaches the heater at about 67°F on average. Noritz aimed the EZTR40 at two-bath homes, so if your home has more than two bathrooms, or several showers often run at once, an EZTR50 or EZTR75 is likely the better match. We count the fixtures you use together and size from that.
Next, decide where it goes. In the NRC and NR lines, the model suffix tells you: OD models are outdoor only, while DV, DVC and SV models install indoors. EZ Series Pro and NRCR heaters work in either location. Then weigh efficiency: the condensing EZ Series Pro and NRCR reach 0.98 UEF, while non-condensing NR models sit at 0.82.
In a single-family home, EZ98, EZ111, EZTR50 and EZTR75 heat exchangers get 25 years or 15,000 burn hours, whichever comes first; with aquastat-controlled recirculation, that becomes 15 years or 12,000 hours. NRCR gets 15 years or 12,000 burn hours either way. NRC, NR and EZTR40 heat exchangers get 12 years. With a controlled pump, the NRC111, NR83 and NR98 keep 12 years, capped at 6,500 burn hours; the EZTR40 and other NRC and NR models drop to 3 with recirculation. Parts are covered for 5 years, and Noritz pays approved, reasonable labor for 1 year.
Coverage starts when a Noritz authorized installer puts the heater in, or 30 days after purchase, and covers the original buyer only. Noritz excludes damage from water harder than 12 grains per gallon, from freezing, from incorrect sizing and from improper installation or maintenance. Houston’s city water comes in at about 8 grains per gallon on average: hard, but inside Noritz’s 12-grain line. Noritz’s EZ warranty page says its exact legal details are subject to change, so read the current terms, and register your heater, on Noritz’s warranty page.
For an EZTR40, we confirm the tank’s B-vent can carry the new vent and test the gas pressure on the 1/2-inch line. Noritz notes that code permits 1/2-inch gas piping for inputs up to 174,000 BTU/h when the pressure is right; the EZTR40 tops out at 120,000. Noritz heaters run on 120-volt power, and condensing models need a drain for acidic condensate, which Noritz’s NC-1W neutralizer can treat first. Noritz’s guide to exchanging a tank for an EZTR40 shows the steps, and our tank-to-tankless planning page covers the decisions.
EZ Series Pro heaters offer flex vent, single vent, direct vent and outdoor setups; we confirm the approved vent material for your model before we quote, and our guide to tankless venting goes deeper. Outdoor-only NRC and NR models skip the indoor vent run, but their freeze protection needs power, and for frequent outages Noritz suggests a battery backup or drain-down solenoids.
Permits follow Texas rules: the plumbing permit for a Noritz install is pulled by the job’s Responsible Master Plumber, who has to be a licensed master plumber and, on Houston jobs, registered with the City as well. Our permit guide covers the rest. Where a tankless is already installed, putting a new Noritz in its place typically takes 4 to 6 hours. For heater and installation together, our published tankless range is $4,200 to $8,000; the tankless installation page explains what drives the price, and our gas-tank conversion cost guide covers the switch itself.
Noritz’s maintenance guide says most professionals recommend an annual flush, that hard water may call for more frequent service, and that descaling and inspections are work for a professional. Houston’s water is hard, about 8 grains per gallon, so a Noritz here should be flushed at least once a year. Noritz’s Scale Shield, a polyphosphate cartridge that fits every Noritz residential tankless, binds calcium before it reaches the heater; Noritz says to replace it every 12 months at 15 grains or less. A water softener is the other option Noritz suggests.
Our yearly tankless maintenance visit costs a flat $195: we flush and descale your Noritz, work through a 12-point check and leave a written report. When a Noritz shows an error code or stops heating properly, our tankless repair technicians find out why first, then fix it; a typical tankless repair costs $150 to $600.
We install, repair and maintain Noritz tankless water heaters across Greater Houston. When a gas tank is coming out, the plan starts with what it leaves behind: the B-vent, the gas line and the water connections.
The EZTR40 tops out at 6.6 GPM and was designed for two-bath homes. Busier households may need the 9.8 GPM EZTR50 or 11.1 GPM EZTR75.
The EZTR40 can run on a tank’s 1/2-inch gas line when the pressure is right. We check pressure and line size before we quote any model.
The EZTR40’s 2-inch flexible polypropylene vent threads through the old B-vent. Condensing models also need a drain for acidic condensate.
Only NRCR has a pump inside. Recirculating other models can shorten heat exchanger coverage, down to 3 years on the EZTR40.
The EZTR40 is rated for indoor installation only. For an outside wall, EZ Series Pro and NRCR models are rated indoors or out, and NRC and NR models marked OD are outdoor only. Built-in freeze protection needs power and protects only the heater’s critical parts.
Noritz’s warranty excludes damage from improper maintenance, and its care guide says hard water may call for more than a yearly flush.
Most professionals recommend a yearly flush, according to Noritz’s guide. Clean the inlet water filter too, and replace any Scale Shield cartridge every 12 months.
NR and NRC models have a service reminder function. If an error code appears, note it with the heater’s model number; an EZTR40’s heater is the NRC663-FSV.
EZ98, EZ111, EZTR50 and EZTR75: 25 years or 15,000 burn hours on the heat exchanger in a single-family home; 15 years or 12,000 hours with aquastat-controlled recirculation. Parts 5 years, labor 1 year.
EZTR40: 12 years on the heat exchanger, 3 with recirculation, and no 25-year term. NRCR: 15 years, recirculating or not. NRC and NR: 12. Damage from water over 12 grains per gallon is not covered.
Answers on EZTR fit, sizing, propane, outdoor installs, recirculation, scale, cost and coverage.
The heater inside the EZTR40 is Noritz’s NRC663-FSV: up to 6.6 GPM, 0.87 UEF, indoor only, with 12 years on the heat exchanger. The EZTR50 and EZTR75 bundle the EZ98 Pro and EZ111 Pro, rated 0.98 UEF and up to 9.8 and 11.1 GPM, and their heat exchangers carry the 25-year single-family term.
Noritz rates it at up to 6.6 GPM and built it for two-bath homes in warm-weather climates, as a swap for a 40-gallon gas tank. How much hot water you actually get depends on how cold the incoming water is, and in Houston it averages about 67°F. A home with more than two bathrooms, or one where several showers often run together, is better served by an EZTR50 (9.8 GPM) or EZTR75 (11.1 GPM).
EZ Series Pro and NRCR models come set up for natural gas, include a propane conversion kit and are rated for indoor or outdoor installation. The EZTR40 is indoor only and converts to propane with Noritz’s CK-66 kit. In the NRC and NR lines, any model ending in OD is outdoor only.
NRCR models have one built in. Noritz’s RPK-EXT kit adds an external pump to models including the EZ98, EZ111, EZTR50, EZTR75 and NRC111DV, and the kit must be installed indoors. The EZTR40 is not on that list, and recirculating it cuts its heat exchanger warranty from 12 years to 3. On EZ models, Noritz requires at least an aquastat to keep the full recirculation warranty.
Start with a yearly flush: Noritz’s maintenance guide says most professionals recommend one, and that hard water may need more. Houston’s supply, about 8 grains per gallon, counts as hard but stays under the 12-grain limit in Noritz’s warranty. Noritz’s Scale Shield cartridge, replaced every 12 months at 15 grains or less, helps hold back scale between flushes.
Our published figure for a tankless heater plus installation is $4,200 to $8,000. No Noritz model has a fixed price within it: the heater, your gas pressure, the vent route, the condensate drain and any code work set your number. Quotes are free; call 832-673-0909.
It depends on the model. EZ98, EZ111, EZTR50 and EZTR75 heaters get 25 years or 15,000 burn hours in a single-family home, NRCR gets 15 years, and NRC, NR and the EZTR40 get 12. Recirculation can shorten those terms, parts are covered for 5 years and labor for 1, and damage caused by water harder than 12 grains per gallon is excluded.
Tell us the size of the gas tank you’re replacing, or the tankless you have now, and how your home uses hot water. We’ll match a Noritz to it.