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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Las Vegas, NV
    Posts
    222

    Default Dangerous Water Heater

    Ran across this unit the other day. At least the house was vacant so no one was using it then. Note the melting plastic collar around the hose bib and soot particles all over the top of the heater. Hard to imagine that much heat escaping from a covered front type heater.

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Lansdale, PA
    Posts
    876

    Default Re: Dangerous Water Heater

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Knauff View Post
    Ran across this unit the other day. At least the house was vacant so no one was using it then. Note the melting plastic collar around the hose bib and soot particles all over the top of the heater. Hard to imagine that much heat escaping from a covered front type heater.
    Seeing the flex vent pipe makes me want to see how this is vented.


  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Kansas City Missouri
    Posts
    71

    Default Re: Dangerous Water Heater

    From the soot I’d say there is some serious incomplete combustion going on in addition to the backdrafting. Since that's a FVIR type heater and the burner cover and window appear intact, I wonder how the flames and/or heat could be escaping from there?

    Galen L. Beasley
    Inspections Supervisor
    Housing Authority of Kansas City MO

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Columbus GA
    Posts
    3,747

    Default Re: Dangerous Water Heater

    Quote Originally Posted by Galen L. Beasley View Post
    From the soot I’d say there is some serious incomplete combustion going on in addition to the backdrafting. Since that's a FVIR type heater and the burner cover and window appear intact, I wonder how the flames and/or heat could be escaping from there?
    I suspect this has been tampered with. Note the missing wire on the thermo switch
    Likely the intake has restriction
    This caused overheating in the chamber, which tripped the thermo switch.
    They pulled the cover off trying to "fix it" and probably did not re-install (or installed incorrectly) the cover gasket
    They did not find what was wrong so they disconnected the thermo switch.
    If the thermo switch was working, it could not have gotten hot enough to melt the plastic.
    Of course, I'm just speculating, but I'll bet I'm real close.

    Last edited by Rick Cantrell; 12-06-2013 at 09:34 AM.
    ' correct a wise man and you gain a friend... correct a fool and he'll bloody your nose'.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Kansas City Missouri
    Posts
    71

    Default Re: Dangerous Water Heater

    That makes sense Rick. I would be curious to see what kind of CO reading you would get at the flue.

    Galen L. Beasley
    Inspections Supervisor
    Housing Authority of Kansas City MO

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Western Massachusetts
    Posts
    536

    Default Re: Dangerous Water Heater

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Reinmiller View Post
    Seeing the flex vent pipe makes me want to see how this is vented.
    Improperly.


  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Posts
    2,560

    Default Re: Dangerous Water Heater

    That vent might be just fine. There is at least one manufacturer that makes one that looks like a dryer vent, but is approved.


  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Western Massachusetts
    Posts
    536

    Default Re: Dangerous Water Heater

    Quote Originally Posted by Jack Feldmann View Post
    That vent might be just fine. There is at least one manufacturer that makes one that looks like a dryer vent, but is approved.
    It may be constructed of approved materials, but that vent is most certainly not fine.


  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Fletcher, NC
    Posts
    28,032

    Default Re: Dangerous Water Heater

    Quote Originally Posted by Corn Walker View Post
    ... but that vent is most certainly not fine.
    That vent may be fine in if the water heater is in an approved location for the use of that vent.

    Jerry Peck
    Construction/Litigation/Code Consultant - Retired
    www.AskCodeMan.com

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