Venting a hot water heater involves using a vent duct or pipe, also known as a chimney or flue, to bring exhaust gases from the water heater to the outdoors. The duct may be metal or plastic, depending on the type of vent system. Standard water heaters often use atmospheric venting, while power venting and direct-vent water heaters are common options.
Water heating venting ensures safety by removing combustion byproducts, such as carbon monoxide, from the outdoors. This process is essential for maintaining health and safety. If a water heater is located inside a mobile home without outside access, it is likely a sealed-combustion unit with direct venting.
For solar or electric-powered water heaters or those living in warm climates, proper installation and maintenance can ensure safety and efficiency. Venting through an exterior wall is possible, but may require installing a special wall. In both cases, the water heater needs to be located near an exterior wall or a chimney for the venting system to work properly.
There are two main types of water heater vents: direct venting and powered venting. Direct venting connects directly to the combustion chamber of the water heater and exhausts, while powered venting runs from the water heater through the side of the home. Gas and oil-fired water heaters must be vented outside, while electric water heaters need no venting and must be 4ft from windows and openings.
In the United States, it is required by law for gas-powered water heaters to be vented. If the water heater has a draft hood, a “natural draft” type water heater, not induced draft or a power vent, it must be connected to the chimney. The termination must be 2 feet higher than anything within 10 feet. When exhaust gases and extra heat are produced from the water heater, they are vented outside the home again.
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What is the code for venting a water heater?
It is imperative that the vent pipe be pitched upward from the water heater with a vertical slope of at least one-quarter inch per foot of horizontal run. Furthermore, the pipe and flue must be free of any obstructions, including dampers and steel wool.
Can you vent a hot water tank outside?
A direct vent water heater draws air for combustion from outside the home, while the exhaust gases and excess heat are vented back outdoors. Concentric venting is a coaxial “pipe in pipe” venting design where the intake and exhaust gases vent through a shared assembly, providing an aesthetic installation with a single wall or roof penetration. It can be used with various types of water heaters, including direct vent, power direct vent, and tankless models. Concentric venting may be used for the full vent run in models exclusively designed for it, such as direct vent water heaters or concentric vent tankless models.
What are the rules for hot water heater vents?
It is recommended that water heater vent connectors be sloped upward by ¼” per foot. Additionally, gas piping drops should be of the black iron pipe variety, with the use of CSST or flex gas line piping as gas drops being expressly prohibited.
Can a water heater be vented out a sidewall?
The article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of sidewall-venting water heaters, focusing on the factors that can affect their performance and cost-effectiveness. It highlights the limitations of existing vent piping, framing restrictions, and the need for a more efficient gas-fired option. It also discusses the benefits of installing a compact, wall-mounted tankless water heater, which can be easily vented through an adjacent sidewall.
The article also discusses the desire to upgrade to a more efficient gas-fired option, and the need for a sidewall venting model when electric tank water heaters cannot handle the home’s hot water load. It also discusses the preference for a greener, high-efficiency, all-electric option, such as a hybrid electric heat pump water heater.
There are several types of sidewall-venting water heaters, including sealed combustion venting systems (fan-assisted or natural draft) and non-sealed venting, which use 100 outside air in the combustion process. Manufacturers often provide instructions for sealed combustion venting, which can be either using two pipes running independently to the outdoors or connecting to a special, “concentric” thru-the-wall termination kit, resulting in one wall penetration.
What happens if a hot water heater isn’t vented?
Backdrafting represents a significant hazard associated with the operation of gas-fired appliances such as water heaters, which may result in the release of potentially harmful gases, including carbon monoxide. In the event of inadequate ventilation, these gases can accumulate in the vicinity of the appliance, potentially leading to fatalities in the event of high concentrations.
Can a water heater be exposed to rain?
Water heaters, made of metals like steel, can rust and corrode when exposed to moisture, making them susceptible to damage from rain or humidity. Installing a water heater outside can be more expensive due to the need for plumbers to move water and gas lines, an electrician to rewire the home for electric water heaters, and the need to purchase an outdoor-rated unit or hire a professional to build an enclosure. Therefore, it is essential to consider these factors when considering outdoor water heater installation.
Can a direct vent water heater be vented vertically?
Direct venting is a type of water heater venting that uses horizontal exhaust pipes instead of vertical ones, allowing the water heater’s exhaust gases to travel sideways. This is achieved through separate inlet and outlet vents, creating a natural flow. One vent pipe brings air from the outside, while another pipe carries the exhaust gases away. This process creates a natural flow, allowing the passage of exhaust gases. Power venting removes exhaust gases from a water heater by installing an inlet and outlet vent pipe, an electric fan, and an electric fan.
What is the best way to vent a water heater?
Proper venting of a gas water heater is crucial for its safe operation, especially in basements without a chimney. It involves using a listed and approved venting system, ensuring the pipe is sized correctly, installed at the correct height, and has the proper draft. Common mistakes include improper venting through a sidewall or using an improper vent termination. Proper venting is essential to ensure that harmful combustion byproducts, such as carbon monoxide, are safely expelled from the home.
Proper venting is not just about compliance with local and state codes or the National Fuel Gas Code; it’s about ensuring your family’s safety. This article provides a comprehensive guide on venting a gas water heater in your basement, even if there’s no chimney.
Can you vent out the side of the house?
The author discusses the issue of HVAC vents venting through sidewalls in a Colorado Rockies home with a 150sqf snow load and a standing seam roof. They propose eliminating all ceiling and roof penetrations, electric appliances, and heat pump, and only using vents for plumbing and HRV. They mention mixed feelings about the allowed vents and the GBA Detail Library, which offers a collection of 1, 000 construction details organized by climate and house part. They also mention joining the GBA Prime community to access the latest developments in green building research and reports.
Can a gas water heater be vented horizontally?
Direct venting is a type of water heater venting that uses horizontal exhaust pipes instead of vertical ones, allowing the water heater’s exhaust gases to travel sideways. This is achieved through separate inlet and outlet vents, creating a natural flow. One vent pipe brings air from the outside, while another pipe carries the exhaust gases away. This process creates a natural flow, allowing the passage of exhaust gases. Power venting removes exhaust gases from a water heater by installing an inlet and outlet vent pipe, an electric fan, and an electric fan.
Can a water heater be exposed outside?
Tankless water heaters, which are powered by either gas or electricity, are capable of producing sufficient heat to prevent freezing. Additionally, they can be installed in outdoor settings.
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Hello Matt Thanks for the article. you mentioned the use of a standby generator during a power outage. Correct me if I’m mistaken, but electric tankless water heater’s require a constant and significant amount of current/amperage. So, how much output range of generator would one have to factor in, so as to not to overload the generator? To ensure proper function of they’re tankless electric water heater, including a few other basic (furnace, fridge, lights, a couple kitchen countertop receptacles) household circuit’s ?
I looked into going tankless replacing my aging natural gas 50 gallon tank but by the time I replumbed for the larger gas line required for the tankless and the added cost to get the condensate properly drained away, plus the nearly three times the cost of another tank unit I need to live to 150 just to start get a positive return. Sorry it just wasn’t for me.
#1, trivial.#2, big. Although we used a tankless for 35 years, where we live now any energy savings would never pay for the cost of a tankless install (higher initial cost, plus we require electric- and the installation of a higher amperage circuit would push that cost even higher). #3 I find curious. We used several different brands of tankless and never descaled once, and no problems, even though our country well water was loaded with calcium and iron.
It sounds like you may have mentioned the answer to this question already when you spoke about timing the showers, but just in case….I have a tankless gas water heater and when I shower, the water drastically goes from hot to cold in maybe two minutes tops. could this be due to the water heaters life pretty much being over?
I’ve had two A.O. Smith 50 Gallon Power vented water heaters. One lasted 5 yrs. Got another one on a warranty replacement and it lasted 7 years. Not good. So another benefit of tankless is they last much longer. So you might pay more up front for tankless, but these should last at least twice as long or more. And although tankless has been around awhile now in the US, Europe has had these for decades. They are not new tech.
Let’s be honest here, you are not comparing apples to apples when you say that if you take longer showers your saving go out the window. The fair comparison is done under the same usage. Also when you say you have to annually flush the tankless and pay a plumber to do it, the same argument can be done for draining your tank and changing your anode rod, if you are not handy enough to do it yourself, you’ll have to pay a plumber also. And now a days there are tankless water heaters that are beyond 90% efficient. Tell me how efficient a traditional water heater is? And with tankless you can do all sort of cool things like remotely controlling temperature, some models have recirculating pumps to make sure you get hot water faster and with precise temperature adjustment.
a year after getting my tankless system installed in my house and its one of the biggest regrets i have ever made in life. Its expensive (more on that later) I end up wasting so much MORE water than before, just waiting for it to get hot. Here are the facts. if you live alone, its perfect. if you live with ONE other person, like me…only ONE other human is in the house..and its horrible. dont run two faucets at the same time. the expense part, if you only shower once a month, its great for you, but if you dont..youre going to have trouble. the amount of energy it takes to heat up water in the morning, is the same cost of running my old water heater for a week..needless to say its a regret.
You forgot to mention the 2 gallons of water you use waiting for the hot water to get to the faucet. The corollary to that is you leave the hot water on in between uses like when you do dishes to eliminate that cold slug of water. To fix that you install a circulation pump to keep the water hot when you are not using it, but wait that means the heater runs just to keep the system hot. On top of that your system is probably not insulated which will cause more energy loss than a hot water tank. Tankless are actually less efficient than a hot water tank!!!
Matt, when you said you’re hoping your boys would be more conservative with shower length I laughed out loud. I’ve had teenagers in my house for nearly 20 years. Boys and girls both know how to take a long shower. Good luck buddy. I know you’re two years on now, so… how’s that working out for you? LOL
I went to a super big nice house one time to work on one of their 4 furnaces and saw they had 5 – 50 gallon high efficiency water tanks for most of the house, two tankless for the insane master bath (jacuzzi tub, insane 4 person shower……) And then they had a giant boiler to run all of the radiant floor heating. The mechanical room on this house was huge! Just for more reference, this house had an elevator…..
I have one in my granny flat that’s rated at 2.5 GPM. In the summer even with all the settings as low as possible, it’s too much. I live in Southern California with warmer water to start. If i had to choose again, I would get a 1.5 GPM unit. I have no idea who’s using 8.5 GPM units. Maybe if you run three showers, the dishwasher and laundry at the same time? Think about that, if you have an 80 gallon standard tank, you could fill it completely hot in 9 minutes.
Opinion this if you will. I live in Hawaii, I know sounds great, but energy is extremely expensive out here. We do not have gas in our home, everything is electric. Occasionally I’ll take a gander at our power meter outside when the hot water heater is on, and that wheel is spinning SO FAST! I can nearly hear my money draining from my account. I rarely use the AC here, and LED light bulbs throughout the house, I can’t think of anything else I’m really using other than my computer and the TV sometimes. Anyway, my power bill is always over 300 dollars and talking to friends of mine, that’s really cheap compared to what they’re paying. ANYWAY, you mentioned your water heater being gas and you won’t save as much money switching to tankless. Would that make a major difference on my part? My water heater is supposedly efficient, but I know for a fact that any time the dishwasher is running or the washing machine or shower, that wheel is spinning for at least an hour longer than the cycle of whatever is running. Trying to do anything I can to save as much money living here.. It’s not cheap…
I would NEVER put a HOT WATER HEATER of ANY kind OUTSIDE unless it was absolutely necessary – that should have been installed in the GARAGE – SECONDLY…if people would just use shower flow control valves on their outlet pipe…not only would they save tons of MONEY per year on their water BILL…but they’ll WASTE thousands of gallons LESS per year – the FLOW doesn’t need to be FULL BORE the WHOLE TIME you’re in the shower – TURN IT DOWN to a LOW LOW FLOW while you’re scrubbing down
Question: about FREEEEZING TEMPS / Frozen Tankless unit. The last TEXAS FREEZE… 🥶☃️ My unit froze up. 🥶🥶🥶🥶 What should I do to prevent that? Is there a way to insulate it? Should I build a cover over it? What do you recommend? My son in law melted it with my hair blow dryer…and I was back in biz. But do those ever break in freezes? Thanks for your helpful articles!❤️
My experience issues with tankless: 1. Even a microsecond blackout or brownout will turn the unit OFF. And I have to go and manually turn it ON again to get it running. 2. There is a Minimum water flow before the heater will kick in. Below that level and it will not heat the water because it will get overheated beyond the set temperature or the max temperature. 3. If the inlet water is too warm (as in the summer) the it will heat it past the set temperature or shut it down if it goes past the max temperature. In those cases, you need to run more water than you want in order for it to heat it to the set temperature.
Most important thing to know before purchasing a tankless unit is your Winter Water Temperature like February in Philadelphia. I tested my water in Feb. and it was 38*F. Now you have to heat the water to aprox. 115*. They always advertise how many showers can run at one time on Florida water Temps. of 70* incoming water temp. It may say 4 showers can run. But NOT in Feb.! Maybe 2 showers if you buy the right size!!!!!!!!! I have a Noritz NRC-98-Nat Gas since 2011! No I’m not a Plumber. I’m an Electrician!