Gas Water Heater Vent Fan

The fume hood needs to be seated properly on the top of the tank.

Gas water heater vent fan.

A few advantages here are that you can vent either vertically or horizontally and you can install the water heater a considerable distance from the termination point usually as much as 150. Where the heating system is sidewall vented or electric no chimney is needed. Power vented water heaters work the same as ordinary water heaters but the exhaust gases are blown out with a small fan instead of rising upwards through metal pipes. You should have as much vertical rise as possible before there is a turn.

The purpose of venting a gas or oil fired water heater is to completely remove all products of combustion and to vent gasses to the outside air without condensation in the vent or spillage at the draft hood except in cases of downdraft or poor stack conditions. These are typically used with modern heating systems that don t use chimneys. Power venting water heaters are considered more energy efficient than a standard direct vent system and are more effective at preventing back draft air from entering the water heater. 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.

A direct vent system pulls in. Fan assisted or power vented gas water heaters have become popular in some areas. The exhaust gases and excess heat produced by your water heater are then vented back outdoors. Water heater ducts may lead directly outdoors or they may tie into a larger vent duct that also serves a gas or propane furnace or boiler in the home.

The vent pipe has to run up hill a minimum of a quarter of an inch per foot. A direct vent water heater uses special coaxial venting that has separate chambers for intake air and exhaust in a single assembled vent piece. A direct vent water heater draws air for combustion from outside your home rather than inside. The duct may be metal or plastic depending on the type of vent system.

It becomes impractical to install or maintain a large chimney for a domestic water heater. The hot exhaust gases from a natural draft water heater rise through an open draft diverter and out through a metal duct. If you have a power vent configuration it means that your water heater uses a mechanical fan to move air.