Water heater vent. Need Help

[Sean Fogarty]

Is PVC acceptable on a power assisted water heater vent fan. I have seen braided metal, but not pvc. I would think not but want to know for sure.

[Larry D. Kage]

Yes... Any water heater that has a PVC vent is typically very efficient taking most all the heat out of the exhaust gases.

[Sean Fogarty]

Larry, I don't understand your answer? How is the pvc making it more efficient? It is a older bradford white plain old gas water heater. I don't even understand why there is a need for a fan to begin with. Please explain further.

[Larry D. Kage]

Originally Posted by sfogarty

Larry, I don't understand your answer? How is the pvc making it more efficient? It is a older bradford white plain old gas water heater. I don't even understand why there is a need for a fan to begin with. Please explain further.

Sean, the PVC does not make it more efficient.

A high efficiency water heater takes so much heat out of the exhaust that it won't draft properly. It is too cool. It needs a fan to push it out the vent.

Because the exhaust is so cool, PVC can be used for venting without worry of melting or fire.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

Think of it as a high efficiency boiler/furnace.

[Marcel Gratton]

In my area, ABS is no longer acceptable and PVC is the norm.

The WH in pic is power vented which means that air is mixed to the exhaust gas to bring its temperature down so that plastic pipes could be used as flue.

Plastic flue pipes do not always means that the appliance is a high efficiency unit.

My thoughts,

[Sean Fogarty]

Thank You Marcel!! I just found what you said somewhere else. It makes sense, and I did not think about the added air. All of the others I have looked at had corrugated metal instead.

[Michael Larson]

They are not necessarily more efficient but the forced draft ensures that sufficient room air mixes with the hot flue gases to lower the temperature and make it safe to use PVC and side wall venting.

[Mark E. Northrup]

It is just like a High eff. Furnace. they use pvc.

[Bob Elliott]

Schedule 40 is used.
Here is a link to install manuals.

The vent stuff is around page 15 on most.

http://www.hotwater.com/lit/im/r-gas.html