Hi, I’m new and need some help. Is this gas water heater direct vented and how about the efficiency?
It’s a 2013 Bradford White. I’ve done research but not sure. Please help if you can.
Thanks,
David
One can get the efficiency from the data plate. It’s the part that says REC 33.9 gph. That means the recovery rate is 33.9 gallons per hour, not bad for a 40-gallon water heater.
You didn’t give us a very good picture of the top but it looks like it’s a standard gas water heater which is not direct vented.
That does not look like a direct vent water heater. The water heater in the picture appears to have a draft hood installed on top.
Thank you guys, I really appreciate it. So it’s mid to high efficiency, conventional heater type, natural draft?
Rec is how quickly the water heater can heat water. Your pictured water heater efficiency is not great, it takes 25,445 BTU to heat 33.9 gallons 90 degrees (F), so efficiency is about 64%. Power vented water heaters are about 80% efficient. If the vent is plastic it means that most of the heat has been extracted from the exhaust, so more heat energy has been used for heating the water.
The heater in the pic is a conventional draft with a pilot light. A pilot light on a storage water heater is not an energy waste, it helps keep the water in the tank warm.
The best way to save energy usage for heating water is to use fewer gallons of hot water and lower temperatures 
My tenants are pretty happy with their tankless water heaters. They don’t waste cold water waiting for hot water to arrive so both their gas and water bills are lower.
On Demand and Point of Use are different concepts.
I’ve seen plenty of tankless units installed too far from a fixture such that it takes an eternity for the heated water to arrive; no different than a traditional storage tank. The method of heating the water doesn’t change the delay due to distance or pipe routing/installation.
Dom.