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| | Home Bosch 1600H NG AquaStar 4.3 GPM Indoor Tankless Natural Gas Water Heater | |
|  | |  | | | Bosch 1600H NG AquaStar 4.3 GPM Indoor Tankless Natural Gas Water Heater | | | | | SKU:
RM165802 | | In Stock | | Availability:
Usually ships in 1 business days | | | | | | Bosch, 1 Major Appliance Or Shower At A Time, Hydro Ignition, Natural Gas Tankless Water Heater, Hydro Ignition Means No Standing Pilot Or Electricity Needed, Water Flow Spins The Hyrdro Igniter Which Generates The Millivolts Needed To Ignite The Gas To The Burners, 117,000 BTU Input Delivers 3.3 Gallons Per Minute At A 55 Degree Fahrenheit Rise, Standing Pilot, 1/2 Gallon Flow To Activate Burners, Vertical Venting Only, Must Use 5" Double Wall B Vent Pipe, Modulating Gas Valve From 28,000 To 117,000 BTU's For Optimal Performance, 1/2" Male Nominal Pipe Thread Gas & Water Connections, Natural Gas Pressure, Minimum 7" Water Column To Maximum 14" Water Column, Water Pressure Minimum 18 PSI To Maximum 150 PSI, 69% Energy Factor, 80% Thermal Efficiency, T & P Valve Included, Warranty 12 Years On Heat Exchanger & 2 Years On Parts, Qualifies For The Energy Policy Act Credit, CSA Certified. | | | |
List Price:
| $877.45 | |
Our Price:
| $596.99 | |
You Save:
| $280.46 (32%)
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| | Product Details | | Product Length: | 8.5 inches | | Product Width: | 16.75 inches | | Product Height: | 25.75 inches | | Product Weight: | 33.0 pounds | | Package Length: | 33.1 inches | | Package Width: | 18.9 inches | | Package Height: | 11.3 inches | | Package Weight: | 37.4 pounds | | Average Customer Rating: |  based on 25 reviews |
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| | Features | Endless hot waterHydro-generated ignitionQualifies for $300 U.S. Federal Tax CreditCompact, light weight and mounts on wall for easy installationDelivers up to 4.3 gallons per minute
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| | Customer Reviews | Average Customer Review: ( 25 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
52 of 53 found the following review helpful:
 My experience with the Aquastar 1600H Dec 13, 2007
By DoItYourSelfer
EDIT - 1/11/08 -------------------------------------------------
I've been having trouble with the Aquastar lately. It still works but doesn't like to work when the furnance is running. I assumed the furnance was drawing down the gas pressure in the line but after having the gas company out and an HVAC technician they both concluded the pressure is steady and sufficient. Contacting Bosch technical support has proven to be an exercize in patience to say the least. Each phone call (there have been 3) has taken a minimum of 50 minutes on hold. I've spoken to three different techs and have been given three different solutions. First call, very nice lady, apolgized for the wait, I told her the problems and she sent me a new control box (didn't work). The second time I called, the tech told me it was my problem and not the Aquastar. He said I had insufficient gas pressure (I didn't), said I had a vent back draft (tested, I didn't) basically he blew me off. He gave me the phone number of a local tech (wasn't local-40 miles away) that I'd have to pay for (because it was my problem) to come and diagnose my Aquastar. I decided to call back because I was very unhappy with the technical support I had just received. My intent was to make a complaint, but on my third call I talked to yet another tech who diagnosed yet another possibility. He sent me another part to replace, which still hasn't solved the problem. Which is where I'm at at the moment.
I've done some more research on the internet and it seems that Bosch Hotwater tech support is reknown for poor service. Unfortunately that's something you only find out when the unit isn't working.
I'll have to change my recommendation from a buy to a don't buy at this point based solely on customer service. Hot water is not something you can readily do without for any period of time and if you do have a problem with the Aquastar, waiting days to have it fixed is not a solution.
Another curious observation, why is there such a wait for tech support? Must be a lot of broken Aquastars out there.
END EDIT ------------------------------------------------
I installed the Aquastar 1600H myself in about 3 hours. I bought it at Lowes and like the other reviewer, had to go to HomeDepot to buy the 5" class B ducting. I gave the Lowes sales ppl an ear full about that but it just went in one ear and out the other.
If you're comfortable with sweeting copper and plumbing your own gas lines its really not that difficult. My biggest problem was positioning the unit so I could vent the exhaust gases. If you don't have a straight vent stack and have to feed the exhaust into the chimney like I did, it required placing the unit really low on the wall. You are required to vent straight up for the first 12" before you can elbow the vent. Along with the minimum run vs. rise of the vent pipe, it forced me to place the unit just barely a foot off the ground. Your situation may be different but keep it in mind. Also, it requires a minimum of 3/4" inside diameter black iron gas pipe. In some cases if you're tapping into the same gas line as your furnance, you may have to install 1" gas line. This unit requires a lot of BTU's and if you choke down below 3/4" it will not run properly. So that means no yellow flexible line to make the last connection. You'll have to hard plumb the iron pipe all the way to the unit.
There are both benifits and negatives to this unit. First the benifits. Long, long, long showers. Literally, you can take a shower all day. Then the next person in line doesn't have to wait for the water to heat back up. It's ready to go. Great for a family getting ready in the morning. Second, big savings on the gas bill. My bill dropped $20 the month after I installed this unit. I figure it will pay for itself in less than two years after the tax credit.
Now for the negatives. Low hot water pressure. That takes some getting used to. The unit has a maximum 4.3 gpm, but that's really unreasonable.(Take into consideration that I'm in the Northern USA and the water in coming into the house is at 50 degrees.) At that flow rate the water doesn't heat up above 90 degrees. That makes it warm not hot. You have to turn down the flow rate to 2.3 gpm to heat the water to 120 degrees. At that flow rate / pressure, if you open two hot water spigots anywhere in the house at the same time it becomes a trickle. There is no way you could run the shower or any other appliance like the dishwasher or washing machine at the same time. If you turn the Aquastar back up to 4.3 gpm you could, but you'll be taking a warm shower not hot (in my case).
Also, at 2.3 gpm, it takes a long time for the hot water to actually get to the faucet. It probably takes 4 to 5 times longer than it used to for hot water to flow from the tap than it did with the old tank system. For example, if I'm washing my hands, by the time I'm done lathering up and rinsing, the water is just now starting to get hot. I've come to realize its not even worth turning the hot water on for short burst of hot water like that.
It takes adaptation to get use to this, like this trick I use in the morning. I turn the hot water on and brush my teeth while the water is slowly making it's way to the tap. Once it's hot, then I turn on the shower. Otherwise I have to let the shower flow for what seems like a very long time before it starts getting up to temperature.
Would I recommend this unit. It depends. If you really need the ability to run two showers or two appliances at the same time, then no way. You'll have to go with the next unit up that has a faster flow rate. There's no way this unit can handle that.
But if you think you can adapt to the low flow rate and really enjoy taking all day hot showers while saving money on your gas bill then this is the unit for you. I really enjoy the savings and long showers.
One more thing. The manual says you have to clean the unit once a year to maintain its efficiency. That means disassembling some parts in the unit. Clean them and put it back together. I haven't had to do this yet, but its just one more thing to consider before you switch to tankless hot water.
31 of 33 found the following review helpful:
Remember to add a grit filter Jan 07, 2009
By Macs R We
I installed a Bosch 1600H-NG in a small (900 SF) home a little over a year ago. Installation wasn't tough, and hot water flow was adequate for a small home in our warm climate.
I bought this unit because its piezo ignition feature would guarantee us hot water even if power to the home went out. There were battery-driven units, but I figured if you had a choice between having to change batteries regularly or not, why sign up? Trouble is, the turbine in the ignitor is insanely sensitive to small particles of grit and rust, which jam it and shut down the heater. I have had to disassemble and clean this turbine three times in the past year (twice in the past three weeks) which is a messy job (the plumbing attachments on the bottom of the unit ensure that all spilled water is generously dispersed over the floor). This is despite my having put a whole-house grit filter on the water feed after the first instance. Right now, changing batteries looks a lot more attractive. I wouldn't buy this unit again.
Update, 9/09: After the first problem with grit and the installation of the whole-house grit filter, it appears that the subsequent problems were caused by the improper reinstallation of the turbine rotor. The instructions are completely unclear on this step, and it's possible to install the rotor reversed and have it work, at least for a little while. Once I installed the rotor in the proper direction, I have had no more issues with this heater. I'd like to upgrade my review to four stars, but it appears that it's no longer editable. The basic point stands: don't install this heater without a grit filter on your water system.
34 of 38 found the following review helpful:
Fresh Hot Water Dec 12, 2007
By Thomas
"Tommy"
There is a lot to learn and get use to when you make the transition from a tank type water heater to tank less. I installed it myself. We have a Home Depot which handled the 5 inch double vent pipe. Lowes had all the plumbing fittings missing from Home Depot but no double wall 5 in. vent pipe yet they handle the Bosch line of tank less heaters. It took both stores to find all the parts plus a roofing supply company for the roof penetration collar. It took about 200 $ of parts to install it. I installed it in the same location as my old tank type heater. I knew all of the plumbing would have to be changed which can be done at different times prior to the removal of the old tank heater. You don't want to be left without hot water over night. The general contractor around here can really make your life hell (my wife). The roof vent was a bit of a pain. The main problem is trying to use the existing vent pipe path through the roof (to avoid having a extra hole in the roof) .Enlarging the holes (since old vent system was a smaller diameter) is a pain and clearly point out to me why years ago I should have paid better attention in geometry class. I lived in an 80 year old bungalow I replaced my plumbing with copper pipes a few years ago but mineral build up could be a problem for some people in install.
Unforeseen problems: Low flow plumbing fixtures. All newer fixtures have flow restrictors. If there is any mineral build up it might reduce the flow rate so as it will not trigger the ignition of the heater. Wear in any mixing devices in the fixtures might stop ignition. High temperature supply water. Here in Texas the summer supply water was 90 + you use very little hot water taking a shower causing the heater to cycle on and off. This is where one of the most undesirable issues with a tank less water heater shows up. You are getting hot you adjust the water temperature down and the heater goes off but you don't notice since all the pipes are hot and the temp continues to slowly fall then you notice so you increase the hot flow but all the hot water is gone there are yards of cold water flowing in the pipes toward you . I think there might be a term for this called the cold slug. Cold slug of water. I think the best way is to say the performance of the tank less heater is like a diesel car rather sluggish as compared to a tank type heater which is more the performance turbocharged gas car's brisk acceleration. Another problem I have is my new Kitchen Aid dishwasher will not ignite the heater (to low of a flow rate) but not really a major issue. I live in a old part of town the houses size 80 years ago was around 1000 sq feet now they go to 3k foot easy and a lot more units put in as multiple residents on single family lots . We are using the same gas pipe my forefathers used. So when it gets cold we have low gas pressure. It is getting a lot like a third world county around here nowadays. So lower performance output on those days.
The Plus side of this new contraption. I never will have to use that stale old hot water again only fresh hot water for me. There are only 2 of us living here. I never realized how little hot water we used. We kept 50 gallons ready to go at all times. There was a 300$ tax credit. Fuel prices went nuts this thing will pay for itself probably within 2 years. Actually it cost about the same as the old tank type which I had to replace anyway. When you take in account the tax credit it was basically a no cost upgrade . That general contractor likes to take baths (my wife). It took two tanks with the old heater to get the tub just right. Filling took a long time. One uninterrupted filling now. No more of her camping in the bathroom filling the tub.
Things you might want to consider. They make a larger unit it cost more but it might be worth it for most people. It has a simpler smaller diameter vent which would simplify the install.
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
The Aquastar is a star Feb 19, 2009
By Jeremiah A. Heilman
"jeremynd01"
I've owned my Aquastar for about 6 months now, and I've been very pleased. It replaced a 40gal tanked water heater for in my mid-sized home. Bought it on amazon.com for $600 and installed it myself.
Installation (according to the manual) boiled down to three things: (1) Supply the natural gas with a 3/4" line and plenty of pressure (I forget the number of inches), (2) supply water with 1/2" line, and (3) use 5" class-B vent pipe, without reduction. I read plenty of reviews that claimed spotty performance from their Aquastar, and it seemed like they all skipped one or more of these steps. I plumbed the water in on 3/4" copper pipe (which was what the older heater used), reducing down at the last to the short 1/2" sections of flexible line that couple to Aquastar's input and outputs (included). Getting 3/4" gas to the unit required a good bit of reworking the black pipe (the old heater used 1/2"), but again I read too many reviews where people had too little gas to get good performance from their unit. I never checked the actual NG pressure, but the Aquastar has a regulator (included) anyway. Oh, and when you try to fire it up for the first time, be sure to wait long enough for the NG to push out any air you introduced in installation before calling customer support and complaining that it doesn't work. Finally, the 5" class-B exhaust pipe (which fits perfectly on to the flange on top of the unit and requires no screws) is double-insulated, so its exterior doesn't even get warm. I vented my system to a 8"x8" square chimney flue that is shared by the furnace. The manual discouraged sharing vent space, but it was so much larger than the 5" dia pipe I didn't expect a problem, and haven't gotten any. All told, expect to spend another $100 if you need to buy copper pipe, black pipe, or class-B vent (all of which are pretty expensive) for your installation.
Now, I'm no plumber, but I had some experience sweating copper pipe and can smear pipe dope on threads as well as the next guy. I just decided it wasn't worth the few hundred bucks to have and "professional" come and do it for me, particularly when they would probably cut any one of the corners I outlined above for their cost or convenience. It took me all day (eight hours) to do the installation, but in the end I had no leaks (water or gas) and the whole things is just like I wanted. Plus, the warranty on the unit is valid if installed properly, even if it's a self-install (it was also pretty clear that the warranty is void if you professional installs it incorrectly. FYI).
Living with the Aquastar has been a bit of an adjustment. It takes about five seconds for the hydro ignition to light the pilot and burners, and then about another fifteen to twenty seconds to warm up the heat exchanger and let the water travel to the faucet. Bottom line, you won't get instant gratification on the hot water faucet anymore (especially on low-flow faucets like in the bathroom, extra-especially if the water has to travel far from the heater, like upstairs). Plus, if you shut the hot water off and turn it right back on, you get a slug of cold water (delayed a few seconds) as the process re-lights the pilot. I've gotten in the habit of reaching for the cold water when I wash my hands, because the hot never arrives before I'm done rinsing. Once the hot is on, though, it's on. I think my new shower record length is just over half an hour.
The Aquastar has two adjustment knobs on the front: one controls water flow rate and the other the amount of gas used. I fiddled with it for a few weeks, trying to find an optimal setting (and getting luke warm results - pun intended), then winter came to Cleveland. Now the water knob is at the lowest flow and the gas is on the highest, and that's the only setting that works. Even when the ground water has been frigid, thought, the water is hot enough that it's uncomfortable to keep you hands under it and I haven't noticed a drop in water pressure. (I read some reviews that said their water, at 120F, was more "warm" than "hot." I guess I'm doing better than 120F). My wife says she can tell when I turn on the kitchen hot water to wash the dishes while she's showering (and we have a Moen Positemp shower faucet). I figure she's lucky I'm doing the dishes at all. Apart from that, it was not a radical adjustment avoid running the dish washer, shower, or occasional warm/hot clothes load at the same time.
All in all, a very nice little unit, and I would recommend it for small homes and families. I wish I could quote energy savings, but the gas rate seems to double every year, so who knows. I can say I feel better that I'm not keeping 40gal of water hot for 23 hours a day when I'm not using it, for what that's worth.
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
A Good Unit, but you MUST know what you are buying first! Apr 21, 2009
By Michael J. Eckman
"Mike"
Let me start off by saying that I did a ton of research on this unit before I decided to buy it. Buying this unit (or any tankless system) requires a lot more research than a typical hot water tank. You need to learn about things like temperature rise, the flow requirements of your house, and make a venting strategy since you will most likely not be able to retrofit any type of vent system you may currently have from a tank water heater.
My house is 865 square feet and I have one bathroom, kitchen sink (no dishwasher) and a standard size washer and dryer. All of my appliances are natural gas. I previously had a 40 gallon traditional hot water tank that began leaking which prompted me to install a new heater. I am also in the south suburbs of Chicago, IL, so my winter temps can dip into subzero range, and my summer temps typically are in the 80s-90s.
Pros:
* Unlimited hot water supply - Since I hand wash all my dishes, I preferred to let the water run on the other side of the sink so I could rinse things after taking them out of the soapy side. Previously, I could only do this for about 15-20 minutes before I would run out of hot water. Now I can go as long as I want.
* Takes up less space in my utility room - This is nice because of my small house, getting rid of my old 40 gallon tank freed up a corner of my utility room for a new shelf I plan on installing.
* More eco-friendly - This wasn't a huge buying factor, but I acknowledge the need for us to depend less on natural resources and since I am away from my house a lot, its nice to know my hot water heater isn't cycling on and off using gas while I am not at home.
* Wow factor - Yeah, this is a pretty weak one, but I gotta tell ya, many people in my area have never even heard of a tankless system, so it usually gets some attention when people walk through my utility room and wonder what that box is on my wall!
Cons:
* Build Quality - Sadly, this is a major concern and it possibly could be unique to me since I got a refurbished one, but mine had very thin gauge wires haphazardly running to connectors inside of my unit. Several of the plastic hose clamps seemed to be very cheap. The white metal cover was warped right out of the box. So bad, that I still cannot install the two knobs for the gas and water pressure without having to rebend the metal to make them fit. Overall, none of these things have caused a failure in the unit yet, but after reading some of the reviews on amazon, I am worried that this thing may not have the lifespan of a tank water supply. We'll just have to see.
* Hot Water Pressure - This has been addressed in several of the reviews here, and I attribute this to being "just how it is", rather than a fault of the unit. I know the 1600H is a small unit, but I bought it because of my house and thats fine with me. Please do your research before buying this unit. I feel confident recommending it to someone with a setup similar to mine, but if you have more than one bathroom, or plan on running two hot water faucets at once, you really should step up to the next larger unit.
* Speed of hot water to get to my faucets - This is also another one of those "just how it is" things, but its something to understand you will have to settle for if you are converting from a tank hot water heater.
* Installation (Vent Tubes) - Luckily, I had a friend who is very handy help me install this. You will probably not be able to retrofit any part of an existing vent tube as most houses do not already have 5" double walled vent. Several people on here mentioned having a hard time finding all the pieces, so maybe I was just lucky, but I was able to find everything I needed at Home Depot. I was able to find all the straight tubes, elbows, and rain cap for about $70. It was not difficult to install, but I did have to cut a new hole in my roof, and now I have to figure out how to plug the old 3" hole my old unit used.
* Installation (gas line) - I have an old house that had an existing 1/2" black pipe gas line. The instructions clearly state you need 3/4". Being the stubborn person I am, I reused the 1/2" pipe and thats simply not enough gas flow. If you are reading this, YOU NEED 3/4" GAS LINES!
Overall:
I am happy I installed this. So far, the cons do not outweigh the pros. That could all change if the unit starts failing or has other build quality issues. For my particular application, this was a good fit for me. I like the unlimited hot water supply, the temperature is hot enough, it frees up a lot of space in my utility room, its good for the environment, and it looks cool!
Even if this isn't the right model for your application, I do recommend a tankless hot water system. Just make sure you do your research and get the right model, install it properly, and understand the potential caveats of a tankless system!
P.S. I forgot one other bit of troubleshooting that may help. The first time I tried turning the unit on, when I would turn on the hot water at a sink, I could hear the ignitor clicking in the water heater, but it would not light the gas. One of the troubleshooting steps had you hold a match to the ignitor to manually light it. Apparently the ignitors can be dirty and have a layer of film on them which prevents them from lighting the first time. After manually lighting the gas and letting it run for a minute, it burned the gunk off the ignitor and I have not had a problem with it lighting since. If someone else has this problem, try manually lighting it once.
See all 25 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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