All solid liquid or gas fueled water heater whether they are tank type or tankless must vent through the roof unless they are direct vent.
Gas water heater venting through wall.
They do make two models of power vent units one is called a direct vent power vent as bob harper pointed out it draws its combustion air from outside unlike a standard power vent unit which burns its combustion air from the dwelling.
They can vent separately or together through a double wall pipe.
Direct vent water heaters are designed with the sealed combustion chamber and they mostly use the horizontal flue pipe directly through the external wall and out.
They do require a zero tolerance for the proper and safe transfer of the flue gases.
The air that is used for combustion will come from the water vent this vent will either through the roof or from the outside of the wall.
A water heater using atmospheric venting or direct venting will allow the fumes to exhaust naturally by rising straight up through a vertical vent which is routed to the home s chimney or through an upward sloping vent which may be routed through the chimney or through a wall to the home s exterior.
Compared to atmospheric direct vent water heaters offer more installation flexibility because they can vent horizontally.
Instead both systems typically expel exhaust through a pipe that runs outside through an exterior wall.
Illustrations of proper gas fired water heater venting using type b double wall vent pipe through a roof above or through a chimney below include details for the flue vent connector such as the requirement of a minimum vent connector upwards slope of 1 4 per foot of horizontal run.
Yes you can vent a gas fired water heater out of the wall if it is either a power vent unit.
With direct vent installations there is a sealed combustion chamber and a flue pipe.
All water heater venting systems use a vent duct or pipe also called a chimney or flue to bring exhaust gases from the water heater to the outdoors.
They also operate more quietly than their power venting counterparts.
This vent also allows for off gasses to be unleashed outside too.
The duct may be metal or plastic depending on the type of vent system.