A communication adapter for transmitting information about a system being monitored, such as a multi-water-heater system, to a remote management apparatus and collecting information about the system being monitored allows the location of an abnormality in communication to be easily identified even when the adapter is communicably connected to the remote management apparatus via a communication relay unit, thereby improving the reliability of the information collection process. The communication adapter 11 includes a function for detecting an abnormality in communication between the communication adapter 11 and system being monitored 1, a function for detecting an abnormality in communication between the communication adapter 11 and communication relay unit 12, and a function for detecting an abnormality in communication between the communication relay unit 12 and remote management apparatus 6.