high efficiency water heater

[brianmiller]

I inspected for the first time today a high efficiency 2005 water heater with a PVC vent exhaust located in a closet. No air inlet intake or combustion air into the closet. Like with high efficiency furnaces, should not there be an air inlet or combustion air......and ****-it, forgot to write down the brand/model # and can not find one online like what I saw.

Thoughts?

thanks,

b

[H.G. Watson, Sr.]

http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/plumbing-system-home-inspection-commercial-inspection/29457-combustion-air-water-heater.html


Check out the link to prior thread above. Can't "see" what you "saw" since you haven't posted a picture EITHER. My Mind-reading and crystal ball "diving" skills start to weaken expodentially beyond 900 miles when there's no summertime "skip" to work with. :D

Hope the link to the prior discussion, its photos and links help somewhat as you persue an answer to your less-than-clear inquiry regarding unidentified and unspecified equipment,, fixture, appliance or appurtuance of unknown function, categorization and unknown fuel source.

Throwing a storage type WH gas fired AO Smith Vertex at ya in the linked discussion. Again HTH.

Guess we're supposed to assume this isn't a manufactured or mobile home WH "closet", that the "closet" is accessible from the living spce and is within the conditioned envelope of the residence, that its gas-fired storage-type WH, not a tankless, not a boiler, and that your "closet doors" re solid, not louvered, screened, etc. and that you've properly identified the vent (exhaust), located, visualized and confirmed the vent terminal and not missed concentric? A closet vs. a mechnical room one implies storge the other does not, but is meaningless and says nothing (the word "closet") as to size (cu. ft.) nor its air infiltrtion/exhnge rate in relation to the btu/hr rating of the fuel-firedd WH.

I'm less-than-confident making any assumptions based upon your vague post, esp. in the description of the WH itself. sry.

I inspected for the first time today a high efficiency 2005 water heater with a PVC vent exhaust located in a closet. No air inlet intake or combustion air into the closet. Like with high efficiency furnaces, should not there be an air inlet or combustion air......and ****-it, forgot to write down the brand/model # and can not find one online like what I saw.

Thoughts?

thanks,

b

[Stuart Brooks]

I inspected for the first time today a high efficiency 2005 water heater with a PVC vent exhaust located in a closet. No air inlet intake or combustion air into the closet. Like with high efficiency furnaces, should not there be an air inlet or combustion air......and ****-it, forgot to write down the brand/model # and can not find one online like what I saw.


If I may assume that is the same type of water heater that I frequently see, a State or Bradford White, the PVC vent is exhaust only. The combustion air is supplied at the bottom of the tank and yes there should be some means of providing combustion air. The installation and user manuals should be located at the appliance. A check the venting section in the installation instructions should provide pertinent information to either confirm or counter your concerns. Otherwise, report it as a possible hazard and addition of a combustion air source.

Perhaps taking a picture of the water heater and data label would help record the information. Except in rare occasions where the data label is turned around and not accessible, I take a picture of all furnace, water heater, and AC components.

[John Kogel]

Brian, this won't happen again, because next time you see something new you will take multiple high def pics of it, not just snaps with your cell phone, and then the gurus here will help you with it. :biggrin:

[Ron Hasil]

Brand and Model # would be a huge help. Lots of the power vented units do have a suction port on the blower to allow for the intake of outside combustion air. There are a lot of models that do not have that option though. So with out Brand and Model # I as a plumber can not be a help.