Failure to properly vent a gas fueled water heater can result in severe injury or death from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Combustion air for power vent water heater.
Therefore a power vent system should be placed in an open room where there is airflow.
Power vent and direct vent.
A direct vent system pulls in.
Smith power vent gas water heaters are equipped with an electric blower fan that is installed on top of the water heater which requires an electrical outlet to be close to the water heater.
Gas fired water heaters like those illustrated here must be supplied with adequate combustion air and the heater s exhaust gases must be vented to outdoors.
The blower pushes the exhaust and excess heat through the exhaust venting.
Direct vent water heater when using a direct vent water heater water is heated by the heat of fuel combustion.
A direct vent system typically results in lower water heating costs because the exhaust gases are vented vertically with no extra power required as is the case with the power vent water heater.
Makeup combustion air for the water heater is via a floor vent to the crawl space and a ceiling vent to the unheated attic above.
The ceiling vent is a 6 inch rigid vertical circular air duct that opens to the attic and extends about 4 feet up from the utility room ceiling.
The vent system must be installed by a qualified person.
If you need to inspect test or repair the gas water heater always turn off the power gas and water delivery to the unit.
Exhaust gases are vented outdoors through a separate vent duct or through a separate chamber of the same pipe this requires a double wall vent duct.
Direct vent units pull in air from outside the house so they have two vents for intake and exhaust.
With a direct vent system air for combustion is drawn from a vent pipe that runs through an exterior wall or the roof.
The difference is that a power vent water heater pulls in combustion air from the space around the appliance then uses a fan to propel the exhaust through the vent.
The main difference between power vent and direct vent is that dv pulls intake combustion air from outside where power ven uses air from inside.
Gas tankless water heaters don t have to use indoor air for combustion.
Direct vent units attract outside air from the house or building while power vent units solely need an exhaust vent and should be installed in a larger area for receiving sufficient air amount for combustion.
Direct vent water heaters.
Top considerations before purchasing a water heater with power vent.
Power vent units use indoor air for combustion and simply vent the exhaust to the outside.
Tankless water heaters are ventilated in two ways.
Smoking and carbon formation and combustion odor are problems related to gas water heaters and are very dangerous for the user if not resolved.