Outdoor tankless water heater refers to the unit that needs to be installed outdoor, it reduces the necessity of installing venting kits. But as they are installed outdoor, bad weather may do harm to the machine. Thus in picking and installing the best outdoor natural gas tankless water heater, there is something you need to know clearly.
Top 5 Outdoor Natural Gas Tankless Water Heater
Best Outdoor Natural Gas Tankless Water Heaters
After knowing the basic functions and choosing tips on buying a best outdoor natural gas tankless water heater, here we made a review on best outdoor natural gas tankless water heaters, all of which are tested and proved to be an excellent performance.
1. Rheem RTG-95XLN Outdoor Tankless Natural Gas Water Heater
Features:
- 9.5 GPM flow rate
The flow rate of the outdoor tankless water heater reaches as high as 9.5 gallons per minute, which means it is able to support three or even four bathrooms in warm areas and two bathrooms in cold areas.
- 94% energy efficient
The energy efficiency of the natural gas tankless water heater reaches 94%, which is super high and will help to save much money for your heating bills.
- Stainless steel heat exchanger
The double stainless steel heat exchanger of this unit gives you more options on connecting both vents when the water demand is high.
Pros:
- Remotely control enabled with app
- Both gas and propane available
- 10 years warranty
- Compact shape saves much space
- High flow rate and high energy efficient
Cons:
- A bit expensive
2. Noritz NR981-SV-NG Indoor-Outdoor Tankless Water Heater
Features:
- 9.8 gallons per minute
The flow rate of this outdoor natural gas tankless water heater is a bit higher than Rheem, reaching 9.8 gallons per minute. The same as Rheem, if you have 3 or 4 bathrooms or intend to use multiple kitchen faucets together with bathrooms, this will provide endless hot water for you.
- 9 heating options
One feature of this tankless water heater is the nine heating options, you can choose the most suitable one based on your actual need. Also, it is installed with elevation adjustment, therefore, it is also a best tankless water heater for high altitude.
- 12 years warranty
Noritz promises to keep the 12-year warranty for the heating exchanger, it is a relatively long warranty time.
Pros:
- Commercial standard copper wall
- Low NOx design
- Indoor and outdoor installation both
- Suitable for large family use
- Energy efficient
Cons:
- Waiting time for hot water is a bit long
3. Takagi T-KJr2-OS-NG Natural Gas Outdoor Tankless Water Heater
Features:
- Small and compact shape
This unit weighs quite light and occupies only a small piece of land, it weighs 43 pounds and dimension of it is 8.5 x 13.8 x 20.5 inches, for a small bathroom or tiny home, this unit can still be installed perfectly.
- Easy installation
Most outdoor natural gas tankless water heaters need to be installed by professionals, thus installation costs can be an extra burden. However, this is quite easy for installing, you can do it by yourself if you have basic knowledge of it.
- 0.83 energy rating
This water heater needs 140000 BTU gas power input per hour, and the energy rating of it is 0.83.
Pros:
- Support 2 bathrooms use in warm areas
- Best for small apartment use
- Both natural gas and propane available
- Constant hot water supply
- Compact size
Cons:
- Water temperature drops a bit when you use the hot water elsewhere
4. Rheem RTG-84XLN Natural Gas Outdoor Tankless Water Heater
Features:
- 8.4 GPM flow rate
This unit has a large flow rate, reaching 8.4 gallons per minute. It is able to support about two bathrooms use and one kitchen faucet the same time. And it is designed with no fluctuation.
- Short waiting time
According to customers’ feedback, this unit is proved to heat water pretty fast and takes little time for hot water to flow.
- Compact size
It is designed simply in using and small in size, just occupying a little piece of land in your home. Though small in shape, it is able to be used for middle size family use easily.
Pros:
- Compact shape and easy operation
- Endless hot water supply
- Large flow rate
- Short waiting time
- High energy efficient
Cons:
- You need to get it installed by professional
5. Noritz NR662-OD-NG Outdoor Natural Gas Tankless Water Heater
Features:
- 6.6 gallons per minute
The flow rate of the unit reaches 6.6 gallons per minute, relatively low in the above 4 recommended best outdoor natural gas tankless water heaters, but it is still able to support one bathroom and one kitchen faucet the same time.
- 0.84 thermal efficiency
84% thermal efficiency of this outdoor tankless water heater means that a large amount of gas is used and it is a relatively high energy efficient one. The gas consumption is between 15000 and 140000 BTU
- Built-in display window
Built-in display window shows water temperature and error code if something wrong happens, you can change the temperature you want easily.
Pros:
- Suitable for small or middle-sized home use
- Propane and gas available both
- Large heating range (100-150 degrees F)
- Easy operation
- High energy efficient
Cons:
- Need to be installed by professionals
Advantages of Outdoor Natural Gas Tankless Water Heater
1. No needs to install venting kits.
As natural gas tankless water heaters are powered by natural gas, waste gas must be let out for safety. When they are installed indoor, you need to get venting kits installed along with the tankless water heaters. However, for outdoor natural gas tankless water heaters, you are free from the matter. The gas can be let out by air directly.
2. Save money
If you have some experience in buying natural gas tankless water heaters, you should know that the venting kits installation can be costly sometimes especially the badly designed types. Therefore, outdoor natural gas tankless water heaters reduce the unnecessary costs and help save much money for you.
3. Space Saver
Exterior tankless water heater needs to be installed outside the house, so even if you have a tiny or small home, you do not need to worry that it may take up much space in your home. All you need to do is to find a suitable place and install the machine on.
How to Choose Best Outdoor Natural Gas Tankless Water Heater?
1. Find a suitable flow rate
If you have a large family and has bathrooms over three, then you need to get a large flow rate one to providing constant hot water, and on the contrary, small flow rate tankless gas water heater can be used directly for small or tiny family. Finding a suitable flow rate machine based on your actual needs will help save much energy and money for you.
2. Choose the strong exhaust type
It is suggested that outdoor natural gas tankless water heater should be installed on the outside wall near a bathroom or somewhere that ventilated breathe freely. Strong exhaust type tankless water heater forces wasted gas to be let out directly outdoor, thus is more safety for you.
3. Freeze protection type is better
As outdoor tankless water heater must be installed on the outside wall, bad weathers such as strong wind or constant rain will do great damage to the machine and shorten the using life of the heater. Especially for cold areas, when it gets cold, water is easily get frozen. Therefore, an outdoor natural gas tankless water heater with freeze protection can greatly protect water heaters and prolongs its service life.
Attention:
- Natural gas is one of inflammable gas, thus you should check the gas source and whole pipe system frequently, enabling that no leakage occurs in using.
- There should be a safe distance between outdoor natural gas tankless water heaters and other things in installation.
- Do not put flammable objects such as towel and clothes on the water heater.
- Close the gas valve every time you finish using it.
Summary
To sum up, we picked out three best outdoor natural gas tankless water heaters for you as follow:
| Tankless Water Heater | Best Type |
| Best selling type | Rheem RTG-95XLN Tankless Natural Gas Water Heater |
| Best one for high altitude use | Noritz NR981-SV-NG Tankless Water Heater |
| Best one for tiny or middle-sized home use | Takagi T-KJr2-OS-NG Outdoor Tankless Water Heater |
Outdoor natural gas tankless water heaters reduce the matter of installing venting kits, but there are still many other things you need to consider before buying. If you still have any trouble in finding the best outdoor natural gas tankless water heater, you can contact us or go to Amazon for more information, of course, you can also check the latest price on Amazon.