Need a new Water Heater

Me ^ | 4/29/19 | Me

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Anybody have experience with these "Power Direct Vent" water heaters?

[palmer]

This creates a perfect convection path where cold crawl space air enters the utility room, is heated to 50F to 70F, and then flows into the attic where the warm air melts the snow leading to the ice dams

You are buying a new water heater because of that? Reroute the pipes, install a fan, ventilate the attic, install attic floor insulation, etc. All of those things are cheaoer and have better payback.

[airborne]

I have a “tankless” heater than runs on LNG and I love it. Never run out of hot water and faiy cheap (in PA) to run.

[AnalogReigns]

If it were me, I’d look into one of those on-demand, tankless, endless hot water heaters.

[Red Badger]

PVC for intake and exhaust gases?...................

[Innovative]

I don’t know anything about this brand.

What I do know is that water heaters can go bad and leak and can flood the house, so it is best to put them outside, not inside the house.

One of the first things I did when I bought my house was to move the water heater outside.

[the Original Dan Vik]

I’ve had one for fourteen years. Natural gas fuel. EFFICIENT. Has needed no repairs and is still going strong. The cost over a standard gas hot water heater, as I recall, was about 30% more, but the higher efficiency paid that premium in the first three years or so.

[Blood of Tyrants]

You are talking about ventless water heaters. Yes, they work using nearly all the heat to heat the water. But gas water heaters today have very thin tanks that will only last 3-5 years. Consider getting a tankless water heater. More expensive up front but they have a much longer life.

[Red Badger]

In looking into the problem, I've found a lot of root causes for the ice dams - inadequate attic insulation (bare ceiling sheet rock in places!), inadequate attic ventilation, no air sealing between the house and the attic, and a utility room dumping a lot of warm air into the attic which melts roof snow.

Solution:

Move to Florida...................

[JimRed]

My last WH installation was a gas-fired tankless (on demand) water heater. But I’m not familiar with DPV.

It is mounted on the inside of the outer wall of the laundry room and the exhaust vents straight through the wall from a foot-or-so long insulated pipe. Takes up very little space.

Saves gas since it heats on demand, but maybe a few seconds slower to get hot than from a tank that’s already heated.

[shelterguy]

One of the first things I did when I bought my house was to move the water heater outside.
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You don’t live in Minnesota

[M Kehoe]

Hi.

“Power Direct Vent” water heaters?”

First let me say I’m not experienced or an expert on water heaters.

But, depending on where you live, quality of water you have to flush and drain the water heater every two or so years.

Good luck.

5.56mm

[cyclotic]

If your hot water vents to the attic, consider insulating the pipes. Code calls for R-8 on duct pipes in uninsulated spaces. Not sure about for vent stacks.

I would think though, with proper air sealing and insulation, that would solve the vast majority of your problems.

If you’re thinking of doing this yourself, PM me. The company I work for makes some good products for air sealing attics and I’ve got a decent level of knowledge of the job.

[McGavin999]

Get a tankless, I love mine.

[Quality_Not_Quantity]

If it were me, I’d look into one of those on-demand, tankless, endless hot water heaters.

My new Florida home has a natural gas-fired Rheem unit mounted on the outside. We love it.

[FatherofFive]

We got a new system that has a much smaller tank but heats the water to a much higher temperature. The very hot water mixes with cold as it exits the system. Much more efficient since far less water is kept hot. We saw good savings.

[Grimmy]

Solution:

Move to Florida...................

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But then there’s the need to invest in such very strong perimeter defenses to safeguard against wandering groups of Florida Man.

[oh8eleven]

One of the first things I did when I bought my house was to move the water heater outside.
You obviously don't live in western NY.

[Carriage Hill]

Go w/ Ruud or Rheem Tankless WHs.

They require stainless steel exhaust outside vents, and aren't cheap going in, but mine paid back in 5yrs, and the previous one I had at my nursery for the office bathroom, in 1990, worked for 22 yrs.

I saw it on "This Old House", spent weeks getting one of the very first models, from Oregon. and it worked beautifully. The new systems are amazing.

[Yo-Yo]

I find it very hard to believe that you have an open vent from your water heater utility room directly into the attic space for ventilation and that meets code. It is a perfect fire path to set your whole house on fire if there is ever a fire in the utility room.

Ditto the vent to the crawl space, although fire doesn't normally go down as quickly as it goes up.

There should be a makeup air vent from the outside to a dampered box near the water heater. It allows air to come in, but doesn't let (much) air out, so it's not blowing your expensive heated air to the outdoors.

Block off the attic vent, keep the crawl space vent, and replace your water heater with another conventional gas 40 (I have a 50) gallon water heater and call it a day.

The power direct vent types have a much cooler flue gas, which requires the fan to push the exhaust out of the house. They're fine for new construction, and are more efficient, but are much more expensive to buy and can be MUCH more expensive to retrofit. Spend the money on more attic insulation instead. That will pay for itself year round if you both cool and heat your home.

Also, look for bathroom ceiling vents that blow directly into your attic. Those should also vent to the outside, but older homes just had them blow into the attic, which can also be a source of warm air that causes ice dams.