Noritz Tankless Water Heater Reset and Error Code Guide

Quick Answer

To reset a Noritz tankless water heater, press the power button once to turn the unit off, wait 30 seconds, then press it again. This is the soft reset procedure that clears most error codes. For a hard reset, disconnect power at the unit's dedicated circuit breaker for 60 seconds, then restore power.

A soft reset clears whatever's stuck in the board's short-term memory, but if the same code keeps coming back, you've got an actual hardware problem that no amount of button-pressing will fix. Ignore a recurring fault long enough and you'll eventually damage the heat exchanger or the igniter assembly. Most of the time when I get called out for 'no hot water,' the unit's been flashing a code for weeks and someone's just been resetting it every morning.

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How to Reset Your Noritz Waterheater

Noritz units are incredibly sensitive to power quality. I've seen countless lockout errors that were actually caused by a nearby lightning strike or a utility company transformer swap. Before you start tearing into the cabinet or replacing expensive circuit boards, a clean hard reset is the first thing any pro does to see if the logic board just needs a fresh start. These boards aren't cheap, so don't throw parts at it before you've ruled out a simple reboot.

Most Likely Causes

Based on aggregated repair data, here is the probability breakdown for this error code:

Temporary fault condition that has cleared40%

Recurring fault requiring root cause repair before reset is effective36%

Error code from a one-time event (gas interruption, power surge)24%

Symptoms You May Notice

The digital display is showing a two or three digit error code and absolutely nothing happens when you try to draw hot water, not even a click from the igniter.
You turn on the hot tap, hear the unit click like it's trying to fire, then nothing. No flame, no heat, water stays cold.
The remote controller screen is completely dark even though the breaker's on, which usually means the board has locked itself out hard after multiple failed ignition attempts.
Hot water works fine for about 45 seconds then goes stone cold mid-shower as the unit re-trips the same fault it threw before the reset.
After a storm, all the indicator lights are off and the unit won't respond to anything, not the power button, not the remote controller.

Tools Required for Diagnosis

None required for reset procedure

Diagnostic Checklist

Follow these steps in order. We start with the easiest external fixes before opening up the machine.

Did the reset not work?

If the problem comes back after following these steps, a component has permanently failed and needs replacement. Check the specific error code your waterheater is showing:

HUB Error →11 Error →12 Error →TROUBLESHOOTING Error →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the reset button on a Noritz water heater?

Noritz doesn't use a dedicated physical reset button like a tank water heater does. The reset logic is built right into the power cycle. On most NR and NRCP models, the remote controller is your interface and pressing the power button is the reset. If you don't have a remote or it's not responding, your only option is the power cord or the circuit breaker, which does a hard reboot of the entire system and clears whatever's stuck in the active fault memory. There's no hidden button anywhere on the unit cabinet itself.

How many times can I reset a Noritz water heater?

Technically you can reset it as many times as you want, but if you're doing it every morning, you're playing a dangerous game. I've watched guys do this for weeks and then wonder why their igniter is suddenly dead. Constant resetting causes short-cycling on the ignition system, which wears out the spark rod and gas valves way faster than normal. If a code comes back three times in the same day, stop resetting it. Start looking at the actual hardware. Something's wrong and the unit is trying very hard to tell you.

Why does my Noritz keep showing the same code after I reset it?

A reset is exactly like clearing a notification on your phone. It removes the message but it doesn't fix the broken app underneath. If Code 11 keeps coming back, the unit is physically failing to sense a flame every single time it tries to ignite. No amount of button pressing will clean a carbon-coated flame rod or unclog a gas orifice. The reset only works when the original fault was a temporary glitch. A recurring code means a recurring hardware problem. Time to stop resetting and start diagnosing.

Can a power outage cause my Noritz to show an error code?

Absolutely, and I see this constantly after storms. These units are basically computers that heat water, and a sudden power loss or a voltage spike when power comes back can genuinely scramble the board's memory and throw a false error. A hard reset at the breaker is usually all you need. If it runs clean for a few days after that, you had a software hiccup from dirty power. If the same code comes back, the surge might've actually damaged a component and you need someone to look at it.

Does resetting clear the Noritz error history in service mode?

No, and honestly that's a good thing. The error history is basically the unit's black box, and it's incredibly useful for diagnosing repeat problems. Even after a soft or hard reset clears the active code, the last nine fault events stay in non-volatile memory on the board. That history helps spot patterns, like a unit that only throws a Code 12 when temps drop below freezing, or one that's been intermittently losing flame for months before it finally died completely. Don't clear it unless a tech tells you to.

How do I know if my Noritz reset actually worked?

After the unit comes back on, go draw hot water from the furthest fixture in your house and run it for at least 2 full minutes. If the unit fires up, holds temperature steady, and doesn't throw another code during that time, you're probably good. If it fires for 45 seconds and then goes cold, check the display immediately. A code that returns within the first few minutes of operation is telling you the reset didn't fix the underlying problem. Same code after the reset means the same hardware fault is still there waiting to be diagnosed.

Related Noritz Waterheater Error Codes

Code: HUBNoritz Tankless Water Heater Error Codes: Complete NR and NRCP Series Guide Code: 11Noritz Code 11: No Ignition Fix for NR and NRCP Series Code: 12Noritz Code 12: Flame Failure During Operation Code: TROUBLESHOOTINGNoritz Tankless Water Heater Troubleshooting: 8 Common Problems and Fixes

Models Known to Experience RESET Errors

This repair applies to most Noritz waterheaters with this error code. Common model numbers include:

NRCP199-DV, NRCP111-DV, NR98-DV, NR66-DV, NR711, NRC711-DV, NR981-DV, NRCP98-DV

Written by

Raj Patel

HVAC & Water Systems Specialist · 15 years experience

Last verified for technical accuracy on March 14, 2026