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[DUNBAR PLUMBING]

Here's a water heater we attempted to replace but found out there was a serious issue with the flue piping that leads to the outside of the structure.

Here is the synopsis of the situation:


Here is a video which turned into a surprise after we installed and fired up the gas water heater. We knew when taking out the old one that there was deterioration on top the heater. Water was leaking out of the flue connection to the outside which is actually a cast-iron pipe that is not code in today's standard. That piping, if it was properly drawing flue gases to the chimney above would be somewhere in the nature of 300-500 degrees. Hot enough where you can touch that piping and get burned. Not a safe situation if someone is not aware that it is hot.


We advised the customer instantly that there was an issue with the water heater not drawing properly and made sure that the unit was shut down before we left. With that piping that runs outside, we believe the piping is probably clogged full of brick and mortar where the piping turns into the wall with a 90 in and a 90 up inside the chimney. Accessing that pipe would involve cutting the piping and reinstalling another section but the point remains that the piping arrangement is incorrect and dangerous. From the condition of the old water heater it is evident that something has gone wrong with the venting aspect of this unit.

When we attempted to operate the new water heater for the first time, we sealed the openings around the holes around the flue pipe entering the cast iron and used an old rag to force the flue piping to warm up. A cold flue will not draw initially but this piping arrangement would not "catch-on" and draw upwards even with our attempts to force the unit to push combustion gases through the piping.

It's good this happened now the way it did as the potential for this unit to malfunction hours/days/weeks/months later could of resulted in carbon monoxide poisoning inside the structure. The house has been worked on in recent months (interior remodel/windows) that tightens up the air movement in a structure. This can become dangerous when you have a situation like this unfolding, not knowing how dangerous it can be.

The property owner elected to replace this gas water heater with a electric one to avoid any costs installing a double wall B vent that would be required to run along the outside wall from the existing location of the flue piping, to the roof of this structure that would be required to be high enough to allow for proper draw and remove exhaust gases from the water heater.

[DUNBAR PLUMBING]

Here was the fix to this problem:

The property owner chose to completely remove the dangerous situation with the flue piping issue with the gas water heater which ends the possibilities of having something go wrong in the future.

At Dunbar Plumbing we offer electrical upgrades in this manner if it relates to plumbing related issues.

[Tags:]

Tags: water heater replacement  water heater  water heater problem  leaking tank