Best Tankless Gas Water Heater with Recirculating Pump #2023

Did you know tankless gas water heaters have a longer life span than tanked heaters? The best tankless gas water heater with recirculating pump also saves energy, space, and money, but you still have to make the right choice when purchasing one.
If you’ve had enough of high electricity bills and you want an environmental-friendly option, then you should go for the best tankless gas water heater with recirculating pump.

In case you have no experience with these units, we are here to explain it all in detail. Here is a list of the highest-quality options from the section of tankless gas water heaters with recirculating pump.

What Is The Best Tankless Gas Water Heater with Recirculating Pump Today

Living in a small apartment, living with six family members, living an on-the-go lifestyle – we thought of every one of you. This is why we collected the best products on the market intended for different users and different uses (indoor and outdoor).

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1.  OVERALL PICK 

Pros

• Several venting options
• It has a digital controller that you can use to schedule the recirculation
• You don’t have to use it with a dedicated recirculation line (but you can if you want to!)
• It won’t drain too much water

Cons

• Expensive

When Rinnai was designing the RUC199iN Natural Gas Tankless Water Heater, they had one goal in mind – to produce the best tankless gas water heater with recirculating pump on the market when it comes to efficiency. In other words – you can benefit a lot from this water heater in terms of financial savings.

This water heater has a fantastic flow rate that reaches 11 GPM. It can work flawlessly, even in bigger homes with two or more bathrooms. ENERGY STAR qualified this gas water heater with the Uniform Energy Factor of .93, which is excellent.

It uses ThemaCirc360 technology, together with a recirculating pump, to provide hot water fast. Also, this pump has a thermal bypass valve and a timer. Both of these make it ideal for properties that don’t have a dedicated return line. It can help you save time by giving you hot water at any time of the day, whenever you need it.

You can even use it on multiple fixtures at the same time! At the same time, as you will only turn it on when you need it, you’ll save a lot on utility bills. Not to mention how this is also a better option for the environment!

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2.  PREMIUM OPTION

 

Pros

• Great water-saving options
• Exclusive Hot Start Programming feature minimizes cold water bursts
• You can use it even if the temperature is -30 degrees
• The company has great tech support and customer service

Cons

• Expensive
• Not the best temperature control

If you’re prepared to invest some extra money into a premium tankless water heater, maybe you should check out Rheem RTG-84XLN-1. This heater works on natural gas, making it environmentally friendly, and it is an excellent choice for larger households.

With its Exclusive Water Savings technology, you’ll be able to save up to 1,100 gallons of water every year! In the long run, this will have benefits not just on nature but also on your pockets.

It works on 157,000 BTU, which is the amount of gas the pump consumes every hour. This sounds like a lot, but it’s, in fact, pretty basic, and it won’t cost you much more than any other gas water heater.

Another premium option it has is the Exclusive Hot Start Programming feature. Thanks to it, the pump will always stay in a ready-fire state. This way, you’ll minimize the possibility of cold water bursts, a very inconvenient occurrence that most people hate.

Also, it has great protection against freezing. You can use it in temperatures as low as -30 degrees! If you live in colder areas, this might save you a lot of trouble.

 

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3. BEST PRICE PICK

Pros

• Guardian Overheat Film Wrap feature provides safety
• It gives you continuous hot water even in low-demand situations
• Exclusive Hot Start Programming feature minimizes cold water bursts

Cons

• It won’t work well in freezing temperatures

This is yet another fantastic product by Rheem. The RTG-70VLN-1 tankless water heater uses natural gas and is an excellent option for those looking to save some cash. It costs less than RTG-84XLN-1, and while it doesn’t have many fancy features, it is impressive if you’re looking for a budget-friendly product.

It uses Rheem’s Exclusive Water Savings technology that helps you conserve up to 1,100 gallons yearly. When it comes to gas consumption, it employs 160,000 BTU. This is probably the best tankless gas water heater with recirculating pump if you want to have continuous hot water.

Its minimum flow rate is .26GPM, while the minimum activation flow rate is .40GPM. This means you’ll have hot water even in low-demand situations.

This heater meets all safety with low emissions requirements set by SCAQMD. It has a Guardian Overheat Film Wrap feature, ensuring the unit won’t reach dangerously high temperatures.

It also has the Exclusive Hot Start Programming, which will keep the heater in a ready-fire state. This will minimize cold water bursts.

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Benefits and Disadvantages of Using the Best Tankless Gas Water Heater

Tankless water heaters are becoming a more and more popular option as the years go by. They are compact and long-lasting while also helping you to save water. However, they also come with some disadvantages.

Here are the main benefits of tankless gas water heaters:

1. You can use electricity or gas to power your heating unit.
2. However, if you have been using electric water heaters until now, you probably noticed the drain in your wallet.
3. That is the main reason why tankless gas water heaters with recirculating pumps gained popularity in the last few years – they are highly efficient. 
4. What is even better, you can choose between natural and propane gas, as most of the tankless gas water heaters with recirculating pumps we reviewed in this article support both.
5. There is no need to wait; these water heaters will supply you with hot water at any time.
6. Tankless gas water heaters with recirculating pumps are environment-friendly as well, as they spend less energy than the electric ones and they don’t produce any fume.
7. You are not going to believe this, but gas tankless gas water heaters with recirculating pumps are recyclable as well!
8. Additionally, these water heaters are space savers!
9. There is no need to store water in a tank, as the unit produces hot water the second you turn the faucet on.
10. If you care about the aesthetics, you will love gas tankless gas water heaters with recirculating pump for one more reason.
11. They are easy to hang on the wall and fit compact spaces.

To balance it out, here are a very few cons of tankless gas water heaters:

1. Tankless gas water heaters require annual maintenance, which isn’t necessary with some other heater models. If anything else, you should flush them every year.
2. You’ll probably need to upgrade your existing gas line prior to installing a tankless water heater.
3. Without a recirculating pump, they take a lot of time to heat water. While ten to 30 seconds doesn’t sound a lot, it can be excruciating while waiting for that relaxing hot shower. 
4.  They might not work as efficiently in colder weather as they have a limited flow rate.
5. While they come at various price ranges, tankless gas water heaters typically cost more than gas heaters with a tank.

What Is a Recirculation Pump for a Tankless Water Heater?

A recirculation pump, also known as a circulator pump, periodically circulates water from the pipes to the water heater to reheat them. You can use them to prevent the water in the line to cool down entirely. This way, the water will be hot at any time of the day – or precisely at the time, you set it to be.

Usually, people set up this system to circulate the water between the tankless heater and the fixture that is furthest from it.

• A recirculation system usually includes:
• A water heater and a pump, either joined or separated.
• A recirculation method, which can have two options: a dedicated return line or a bridge valve.
• Some way to control the pump when it runs out – usually, these pumps have a timer or an aquastat.

Why Does Recirculating Pump Matter?

The built-in recirculation pump eliminates a massive disadvantage that regular tankless water heaters have – which likely happens to be the only one they have.

The biggest complaint about tankless water heaters is that they take time to heat water. This is because, without the tank, the water doesn’t have a place to be stored in. However, with a recirculating pump, this is no longer an issue.

The truth is, tankless heaters warm up the water almost instantly. The problem comes when the water has to go to the fixture.

The cold water needs to run out from the line before it’s hot water’s turn.

With regular tankless water heaters, you’d need to install a recirculation pump. This usually includes installing a dedicated return line, as well. However, some water heaters come with a recirculating pump already installed. This means you’ll get your hot water immediately.

You can turn on a recirculating pump with one or several of these four options:

• Pushing a side button
• Using a motion detector
• Using a timer
• Using an app

Once you turn the pump on, the water becomes warm instantly. Also, now you no longer need to drain that water. It automatically goes back to the pump’s cold line.

Benefits Of Using The Best Tankless Gas Water Heater With Recirculating Pump

There are several reasons why you should opt for a tankless water heater with a pre-installed recirculating pump. These include

• You’ll be saving water, so you’ll live a greener life
• You’ll save more energy, as well
• You’ll save money since you’ll spend less on expenses such as utility bills
• You’ll get an instant and endless amount of hot water

Of course, this doesn’t mean that these pumps don’t have their own downsides. The main one is that these gas water heaters are much more expensive compared to regular models.

Our Choice

Having the essential features of a tankless gas water heater in mind (supply, power, efficiency, and price), we concluded that one of the three above-reviewed products deserves the title of the best tankless gas water heater with recirculating pump.

Are you already guessing?

The title of best tankless gas water heater with recirculating pump goes to: Rinnai RUR199iN Natural Gas Tankless Water Heater. This unit provides enough hot water for multiple faucets in your home, it doesn’t require a recirculation line, and it won’t drain water too much.

Also, it has several venting options and a digital controller that you can use to schedule the heater’s operation. While it does come at a high cost, it is proof of how sometimes you need to invest to get returns.

Conclusion

Even though you would have to spare a couple of bucks more on a tankless gas water heater with recirculating pump, believe us when we say it is totally worth it!

You want to make smart decisions, and purchasing such a unit is indeed smart.

A tankless gas water heater with recirculating pump is a long-term investment, but it will pay off in not more than a year.

These units are highly durable and super-efficient but environmental-friendly as well.

Also, recirculating pumps ensure you’ll always have hot water ready, no matter the time of the day.

We hope our guide and unbiased reviews made you think about purchasing a tankless gas water heater with recirculating pump.

Keep in mind the most important features we also mentioned, and there is no doubt you will pick the best tankless gas water heater with recirculating pump for your needs. After all, if in doubt – just go for the one we recommended!