Atmor Tankless Water Heater Reviews | Brand Overview

 

armor tankless water heaters

Atmor has over 40 years of experience manufacturing tankless instant electric water heaters for both residential and commercial purposes. Atmor utilizes innovations such as thermostatic control and temperature stabilization systems to help reduce energy bill and water wastage, thereby saving the consumer money in the long run.

Another selling point of Atmor tankless water heaters is that they are more eco-friendly than non-electric tankless water heaters because they last longer and their parts are recyclable. Atmor serves over 40 countries worldwide and complies with all relevant international standards. Although their website does not explicitly state where Atmor water heaters are manufactured, Atmor is an Israeli company, headquartered in Kfar Saba.

Atmor Tankless Water Heater Product Line Reviews

Atmor offers several different product lines to accommodate residential, commercial, and industrial needs. Below are three product lines designed to meet residential needs. 

Enjoy Series

The appeal of the Enjoy Series is the compact and sleek design, ideal for a single shower. This tankless water heater for showers is best suited for warmer climates. This may be perfect, for example, for a tiny home (whose popularity continues to rise, especially among young Millenials) or for a mother-in-law suite. Because it is designed to install easily on the wall of a shower, it would also work well for an RV or any other unit where space is especially limited. 

Tankless water heaters in the Enjoy series come with a water heater, hose, handheld shower, rise rail, and soap dish. The products in the Enjoy series have a 2-year Limited Warranty for the parts and a 7-year Warranty from leakage issues. The price point for the products in the Enjoy series is reasonably affordable, ranging from $119-149. 

Thermo Boost Series

The Thermo Boost Series promises hot water, without limitation, all day every day for the most affordable cost. Atmor delivers maximum power savings for the lowest cost, without sacrificing hot water. Atmor accomplishes this by only activating the water heating elements once it senses a water flow and automatically shuts off when it stops, thereby eliminating total water consumption and waste. The self-modulating system regulates the amount of energy required to heat water so that the user never has to worry about it. 

Tankless water heaters in the Thermo Boost series are equipped to heat water as cold as 35° and offer digital control in 1°F increments, making it easy to regulate the temperature and avoid using unnecessary electricity. 

The products in the Thermo Boost series have a 2-year Limited Warranty for the parts and a 7-year Warranty from leakage issues. Several different sizes of the Atmor Thermo Boost are available on Amazon, but the prices for the Thermo Boost series generally range from $220-300. 

900 Series

The Atmor 900 series is the ideal point-of-use hot water solution for an entire bathroom. It offers similar benefits to the tankless water heaters in the Thermo Boost and Enjoy series, such as lowering water consumption, eco-friendly efficiency, and instant hot water availability wrapped up in a slim design. However, unlike the Thermo Boost or the Enjoy models, the water heaters in the 900 series are designed to accommodate a full bathroom. 

The products in the 900 series have a 2-year Limited Warranty for the parts and a 7-year Warranty from leakage issues. The products in this line range from $129.99 to $179.99. 

Atmor vs. Noritz

Noritz is iconic in the tankless water heater industry the company first invented electric tankless water heaters in 1981. Since then, Noritz has focused on producing high-quality, affordable water heaters. Noritz offers some of the highest flow rates and intuitive design features. These tankless water heaters run on gas. Additionally, Noritz offers a decent 12-year warranty, blowing Atmor’s warranty out of the water. 

However, to make the comparison fair, Noritz’s water heaters do cost a lot more on average. Many Noritz models cost $700-1200.

Because of the price discrepancy between the two brands, it is unlikely to consider Noritz one of Atmor’s competitors. 

Atmor vs. EcoSmart

The EcoSmart Electric Tankless Water Heater uses self-modulating technology to provide significant savings on water heating costs. The products in the EcoSmart brand offer similar features to Atmor’s Thermo Boost series. Both products offer digital temperature control in 1-degree increments and both products are fairly slim and well designed. 

However, the EcoSmart products tend to run a little more expensive than Atmor (in the $429.99 – $600 range). Additionally, the EcoSmart water heater needs just a little bit of time to warm up. Instead of offering instant hot water (as with the Atmor), EcoSmart can heat water in as little as 30 seconds. 

EcoSmart should be considered somewhat of a competitor of Atmor. For people who want to upgrade from Atmor to a brand with more features (at only a slightly higher price point), EcoSmart would likely be the next step up.

Atmor vs. Rheem

Rheem is considered a solid, mid-level water heater brand that is slightly more affordable than brands like Noritz or Rinnai. Rheem Tankless Water Heaters range from $200 to $3600, so Rheem may be slightly more accessible for those who may be on a tight budget. Rheem has a lengthy reputation as a company (over 100 years!) and is best known for making durable, reliable water heaters. In fact, Rheem even offers a 12-year warranty for their products. 

One drawback of Rheem products is that their tankless water heaters typically reach a maximum temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit, which may not be enough for people who enjoy particularly hot showers or baths. However, Rheem offers both gas and electric options for their tankless water heaters. 

Despite the range of prices, Rheem does have some products that compete with Atmor. However, Rheem distinguishes itself from Atmor in two key ways: first, that replacement parts are easy to obtain if repairs are needed. Second, the average life span of a Rheem is 20-25 years. Although an Atmor water heater can certainly have a long life span with proper use and maintenance, Atmor’s budget price point and difficult-to-find parts mean that Rheem is the superior brand. 

Atmor vs. Rinnai

Rinnai advertises itself not only as the number one brand in North America, but as the first major Tankless Water Heater brand to manufacture in the U.S.A. Rinnai tankless water heaters range between $900-1995 depending on the model and they offer numerous models across three different series. These are their HE (High Efficiency) models, SE (Super high efficiency), and Tank/Tankless hybrid models. Unlike Atmor’s electric tankless water heaters, Rinai water heaters run on gas.  

Rinnai tankless water heaters are expected to last up to 20 years, making them one of the most reliable on the market. Each unit comes with a warranty of some for 10 years, other for 12 years, and are energy-start certified. However, their technical specs are a little disappointing for the cost other water heater brands offer more features at similar price points. 

Because of the price discrepancy between the two brands, it is unlikely to consider Rinnai one of Atmor’s competitors. Not only does Rinnai offer a much longer warranty, but their water heaters are expected to have a longer life span, and nearly all of Rinnai’s models are available both as indoor and outdoor heaters. Rinnai is a much closer competitor to Rheem than it is Atmor. 

Atmor vs. Bosch

The Bosch Group is a German manufacturing company that produces tankless water heaters for residential and commercial use. 

Bosch offers a couple affordable options (in the $575-725 range), but the options in this range are best suited to a 1-2 person household. Bosch also offers tankless water heaters that reach a maximum temperature exceeding 130 degrees Fahrenheit, which may be enough for people who enjoy particularly hot showers or baths. 

Unlike Atmor, Bosch only offers a 5-year warranty, which is not competitive in the tankless water heater market. And unfortunately, reviews from customers are hit or miss. It appears that although some Bosch tankless water heaters are easy to install and work well, many customers continue to have issues with Bosch tankless water heaters. Some reviewers have expressed frustration that their Bosch unit broke in as little as a few weeks! 

Overall, Bosch and Atmor are unlikely competitors. Bosch brands are more expensive, despite offering similar features, and although it has established itself as fairly reliable in terms of quality and consistently hot water, it appears that Bosch still has some issues it needs to work out. If given the choice between Bosch and another brand (like Atmor), it is more likely that a customer will go with Atmor to save some money, or invest in a better (and more expensive) water heater. 

Atmor Tankless Water Heater Cost

Although Atmor offers a wide range of product options, when it comes to point-of-service use or for individual, residential use, Atmor offers very affordable water heaters. You can purchase several different Atmor tankless water heaters for under $100, and they have many that fall under $200. 

Naturally, some of their water heaters in different product lines (like the Atmor Pro, here) are more expensive. However, because one of Atmor’s major selling points is that their products are affordable without sacrificing quality it mentions nothing of fancy, integrated features that other (justifiably more expensive) brands have. 

Atmor Tankless Water Heater Maintenance

Generally, tankless water heaters do not require much maintenance. However, a tankless system should still receive regular, annual or biannual preventative maintenance and its components should be inspected to ensure that your tankless water heater will last you a very long time. 

Atmor does offer some advice on their Troubleshooting page (here). Unfortunately, clicking on the different series pages tied to the Troubleshooting page lead to incomplete site pages. 

Atmor Tankless Water Heater Parts

So long as you are the original owner of an Atmor instant water heater, any defective parts discovered in the two years from the date of purchase will be replaced by Atmor. However, if you are the original owner, it appears that replacing the parts yourself is exceedingly difficult. Thankfully, many customers find that they do not experience frequent issues with Atmor water heaters. 

Atmor Tankless Water Heater Installation

According to the instruction manual and Atmor’s FAQ page, proper installation of an Atmor Tankless Water Heater required a direct connection to your electrical breaker. Electrical tankless water heaters like the ones Atmor offers require only plumbing and an electrical connection to the panel, which makes installation for electrical water heaters easier than for gas water heaters.

Additionally, Atmor’s FAQ page advises that a Pressure Relief Device (PRD) is required and mandatory for proper installation. It is important to make sure that the water heater has been installed properly, and ideally by a licensed electrician. Otherwise, the warranty is void. 

Atmor Tankless Water Warranty

According to Atmor’s Limited Warranty page, Atmor warrants that the instant water heaters will be free from defect in workmanship and material for two years from the date of purchase, and free from leakage for seven years from the date of purchase.

This warranty is below the standard for the industry, but with such a low price point, that should come as hardly a surprise. Atmor’s customer demographic is not someone looking for a long-term, quality investment. Rather, their products are better suited for people who are on a budget or those who simply don’t want to invest a significant amount into a water heater (for example, someone who is merely flipping a home).

Atmor Tankless Water Heater Customer Service

Atmor offers multiple ways to contact a Customer Service representative for their business. Interested customers can submit a query online through their Contact Us page, or they can call, fax, e-mail, or send postal mail at an address listed on the same page. However, many users seem to find the best response by contacting the Atmor customer support team by e-mail. 

Telephone: +1-888-783-6082
E-Mail: atmor@paragongroupusa.com 

Atmor Customer Reviews/Perception

Although many customers are happy with their Atmor water heaters, many customers also complain that the water heats to a lower temperature than what the customer originally wanted. Some of the major pros of an Atmor tankless water heater is that it is easy to install and generally works as expected. 

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