Unique flue arrangement... or not?

[Reis Pearson]

I need help... I've never seen this before and am wondering what's up? I've got a water heater entering from the left and a converted gas furnace flue pipe from the right. The arrangement is nothing I've ever seen before and I'm not completely comfortable with it? Any feedback... Bob, Jerry, etc. The natural gas conversion still has the barometric damper (which we've already discussed in previous threads). Any feedback is appreciated....

Thanks,
Reis

[Nick Ostrowski]

Wow! It's very appropriate that fire extinguisher is there in the 3rd pic.

In the first pic, there are stains on the bottom of the pipe possibly/probably indicating a drafting issue. The way those two flue pipes meet at the same point on opposite sides, combustion gases will shoot into the adjacent one and create turbulence in the flue before the gases even have a chance to start moving upward.

In the third pic.........well, that's........bad. A flue pipe inside a stairwell like indicates a clear lack of underatanding or forethought on the part of the bozo who installed it. Clearance to combustible issues aside (which I'm sure there are plenty of with this configuration), that pipe poses a safety hazard to anybody in that house.

Repairs are definitely in order.

[Jerry Peck]

First, I always thought that one had to enter higher than the other, that both were not allowed to be at the same height.

I am presuming that is a "metal" black box firestop/support ... ???

Is Type B gas vent allowed to be self-supporting from a joint above the roof? (That's a question for Bob.)

That photo of the stairs with the vent coming up through the landing is ... OMG ... where did my landing go? :eek:

Yep, sure looks like that has not taken the required landing space and made it unusable and not meeting code requirements.

Also looks like the handrail ends do not return to the wall as required.

I fully agree with Nick: "It's very appropriate that fire extinguisher is there in the 3rd pic.", now all they need is a safety rope and body carrier to be able to drag people who fall down the stairs back up.