Whole house gas tankless
Rheem RTG 7.0 GPM Propane Outdoor Specifications
Researched from the DOE test procedures, NFPA 54 and NEC code tables, and manufacturer specifications. Updated .
Quick answer
This page collects what is actually published about the Rheem RTG 7.0 GPM Propane Outdoor and shows what those figures produce, computed rather than transcribed. Anything the listing does not publish is not filled in with an estimate.
One caution about the flow figure. The listing title states 7 gallons per minute with no temperature rise attached. Flow and rise trade against each other directly, so a flow figure without a rise is not a specification. The table below shows what the published input rating actually produces across the range.
Published specifications
Everything here is taken from the listing or the manufacturer, and nothing is inferred.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Propane |
| Btu Input | 160000 |
| Max Flow Gpm | 7 |
| Condensing | No |
| Mounting | Outdoor |
Published standard Source: Manufacturer listing data. A specification not listed here is one this listing does not publish. Check the installation manual for the full data plate.
Flow across the temperature rise range
Computed from the published input rating with the energy relation, so these figures cannot disagree with the calculators on this site.
| Temperature rise | Flow | Inlet needed for a 120 F outlet |
|---|---|---|
| 35 F | 7.5 GPM | 85 F |
| 45 F | 5.8 GPM | 75 F |
| 60 F | 4.4 GPM | 60 F |
| 70 F | 3.8 GPM | 50 F |
| 80 F | 3.3 GPM | 40 F |
| 90 F | 2.9 GPM | 30 F |
Published standard Source: Energy relation applied to the published 160,000 BTU input at an assumed 82 percent thermal efficiency. These are computed from the published input rating, not taken from the manufacturer curve. The installation manual curve is the authority and accounts for modulation.
What gas line it needs
At 160,000 BTU per hour this draws about 155 cubic feet of natural gas per hour. Over a 40 foot run the NFPA 54 low pressure table calls for 1 inch Schedule 40 pipe.
Check your own run length on the gas line page for the nearest input worked through in full. Gas line upsizing is routinely the largest single line in a tankless quote and the one most often missed from an estimate.
How it sits against the rest of its category
Other whole house gas tankless in this catalog: Rheem RTGH 6.8 GPM Natural Gas Indoor, Rheem RTGH 8.4 GPM Natural Gas Indoor, Rheem RTGH 9.0 GPM Natural Gas Indoor, Rinnai V53DeN Natural Gas.
Compare them on input rating and on the figures the manufacturer actually publishes rather than on the headline number in the listing title, which in this category is frequently a maximum measured under conditions the listing never states.
Other whole house gas tankless
Rheem RTGH 6.8 GPM Natural Gas Indoor
$1,001.00The smallest condensing unit in the RTGH line. Condensing units vent in PVC rather than stainless, which is usually where the installed cost difference goes.
Best for: A smaller house that still wants PVC venting
Check price on Amazon
Rheem RTGH 8.4 GPM Natural Gas Indoor
$1,168.99A condensing indoor unit at 157,000 BTU. This is the size most two to three bathroom houses land on once the inlet temperature is taken seriously.
Best for: The common two to three bathroom whole house replacement
Check price on Amazon
Rheem RTGH 9.0 GPM Natural Gas Indoor
$1,219.99A 180,000 BTU condensing unit. The extra input buys flow in a cold inlet climate, which is the only place the difference between this and the 8.4 shows up.
Best for: Cold groundwater regions where the rise eats the flow
Check price on AmazonFrequently asked questions
- What are the specifications of the Rheem RTG 7.0 GPM Propane Outdoor?
- The listing publishes fuel, btu input, max flow gpm, condensing and related figures, shown in full in the table on this page. Anything not shown is something the listing does not publish, and this page does not estimate it.
- Does the Rheem RTG 7.0 GPM Propane Outdoor really deliver 7 gallons per minute?
- At some temperature rise, yes, and the listing does not say which one. Flow and rise trade against each other directly: the same unit that makes a given flow at a 35 F rise makes roughly half of it at a 70 F rise. Take the flow curve from the installation manual and read it at your own inlet temperature rather than trusting the headline figure.
- What gas line does the Rheem RTG 7.0 GPM Propane Outdoor need?
- About 155 cubic feet per hour, which over a 40 foot run calls for 1 inch Schedule 40 pipe under the NFPA 54 low pressure table. Fittings add equivalent length this does not account for, and other gas appliances share the meter, so a gas fitter sizes the whole system.
- Is this page based on hands-on testing?
- No, and we never claim otherwise. Everything here is compiled from the manufacturer listing, published specifications and the energy relations that turn those specifications into flow and recovery figures. We do not test products in person. Where a figure is not published, this page says so rather than estimating it.
- Are the prices on this page current?
- They come from verified catalog data at the time the page was built, and prices in this category move often. Treat any price shown as a guide and check the listing itself before deciding. Availability moves even faster than price does on water heater accessories in particular.
Gas and flue work belongs to a licensed plumber or gas fitter. An undersized gas line starves a burner, and a starved burner produces carbon monoxide. Backdrafting on an atmospheric vent is real, it is invisible, and it kills. Nothing on this page is a substitute for the sizing done by the person who signs the permit, and a working carbon monoxide alarm belongs on every floor of a house with a gas appliance.