Do water heaters need to be vented?
All water heaters that burn natural gas or propane require a venting system. The process of burning of the gas is called combustion and it creates heat, exhaust gases (including highly poisonous carbon monoxide), and moisture.
Can a tankless water heater and furnace share a vent?
This is the question this article seeks to answer, and below is everything you need to know about tankless water heaters, furnaces, and sharing ventilation systems. A tankless water heater and a furnace can share a vent, but both systems must allow for this. If your two systems aren’t compatible, you could be creating flood and fire hazards.
How does a water heater vent work?
The vent consists of a vertical or upward-sloping vent duct that typically ties into a common vent. The system works solely through natural convection—based on the principle that hot air rises. Hot exhaust from the water heater naturally rises up through the vent and into the air outdoors, creating a draw that promotes this upward airflow.
What type of venting is used in a water heater?
Atmospheric Venting Standard water heaters—the most common type—often use a method known as atmospheric venting. The vent consists of a vertical or upward-sloping vent duct that typically ties into a common vent. The system works solely through natural convection—based on the principle that hot air rises.
Can water heater be connected to furnace?
Are Water Heater and Furnace Connected? Yes, your water heater and furnace can be connected in some cases. In an immersed coil installation, for example, your water heater might have a coil-type heat exchanger that gets heated up by the furnace.
Can you vent a tankless water heater and furnace together?
There are two ways to vent a tankless water heater with a furnace. The first is a power vent that uses indoor air for combustion and an outside vent to exhaust gases. This type of venting system doesn't need an intake valve, but there has to be enough air inside the room.
Can HVAC and water heater be in same room?
But the answer is yes they can be in the same closet.
What is code for venting a hot water heater?
Clearance to combustibles: for gas fired water heater vents: 6" minimum clearance from single-wall vent pipe or flue-vent connector to any combustible material. Single wall vent pipes cannot pass through a ceiling, floor, firewall, or wall.
How far can a tankless water heater be vented?
A tankless water heater requires a 4-foot clearance from the side or below a door or window that opens, unless the unit is directly vented to the outside. If the water heater is installed above the door or window, it needs 12 inches of clearance.
Can I vent a water heater out the wall?
Power-vented natural gas water heaters use an electric fan or blower to push or pull combustion gases to the outdoors. This type of venting allows gas water heaters to be installed as far as 40 feet away from an outside wall and in homes without existing vertical vents.
How much space is needed for a furnace and water heater?
30 inchesAs a general recommendation, your heater should be 30 inches away from furnace room walls on all sides. This allows our service experts to comfortably replace it. You also need to check the space has enough airflow and ventilation, especially if you have an aging furnace with a metal flue.
Can a hot water heater be used to heat a house?
Heating the House With a Water Heater While most combined systems start with the home's boiler or heat pump, others use the water heater to produce heat for both tap water and the home. This is an option only if your house is very well sealed and well insulated, or if you live in a mild climate.
Can I put my furnace in a closet?
Do not install your furnace in a storage closet. Any type of flammable material, including insulation, needs to be removed before installing the furnace.
How much ventilation does a water heater need?
As a general rule, water heaters need 50 cubic feet of air per 1,000 BTUs/hr. For example, a water heater with an input of 40,000 BTUs/hr should be in a room (often the garage) with at least 2,000 cubic feet of air.
Can a gas furnace be vented horizontally?
Direct Vents These furnace vents can be installed horizontally through an exterior wall, or vertically so exhaust fumes go out through the roof. Although more costly than a natural vent, a direct vent is also a more efficient and safer option.
Why does a hot water heater have to be 18 inches off the ground?
Why does the water heater need to be 18 inches off the ground? It's not to avoid impact by a garage or other items, as some people may think. The clearance is to prevent fires or explosions if a flammable liquid (such as gasoline or motor oil) spills on the garage floor.
How do I vent my furnace and water heater?
Typically, it is ideal to have the vents from the water heater and furnace fixed from the machine to a solid single pipe on the wall.
Does the furnace affect the water heater?
There will be a pipe attached from the furnace or boiler to the water heater. The function of this pipe is to enable the flow of hot water from the...
What is a tankless water heater?
As the name implies, tankless water doesn't have a tank and doesn't require a capacity to operate. It is also known as demand-type or instantaneous...
How far can you vent a tankless water heater?
When it comes to venting a demand-type water heater, the design permits multiple venting choices. You can vent the tankless water heater from the r...
Can you vent two water heaters together?
This might not be possible, especially if the installer never stated that you can. In that case, you should make sure the follow the instructions a...
What You Need to Know About Venting Tankless Water Heaters
These days, tankless water heaters are much more popular than traditional water heaters, as tankless water heaters not only reduce energy costs but greenhouse gas emissions as well.
When a Tankless Water Heater and a Furnace Share a Vent
While it’s possible for a tankless water heater and a furnace to share a vent, there are some things a homeowner should know before they pursue such a ventilation configuration.
A Larger Vent Pipe May Be Required
When two systems share the same exhaust pipe, it makes sense that this pipe should be a bit more spacious than one which only serves one system. Furthermore, if you’re making use of a non-condensing tankless water heater, there will be a lot more exhaust emitted than a condensing system.
Related Questions
Tankless water heaters are more common these days, and this in part explains why there are so many questions about these systems. Some of the frequently asked ones are answered below.
