A tankless water heater could be an option to reduce your utility bills. Although tankless water heaters can be installed in a small space and are easy to install, the process of installing gas-powered models takes more time than traditional water heater installations. Proper tankless water heater venting is essential to ensure the safe and efficient operation.
These are some things that your installer should be aware of in order to vent your tankless water heater effectively:
- No common venting: The tankless heater can not share its vent piping with other appliances, and it cannot use a chimney flue to vent.
- Special stainless steel pipes: Vent pipes must be made from stainless steel for venting corrosive gasses. If your tankless heater was vented through the standard galvanized vent, it would quickly rust.
- Condensate drain or downhill slope: The vent should be slightly downwards from the heat exchanger of the water heater. This is to prevent condensate leaking back into the heater. The heat exchanger’s life expectancy will be cut by years if it is not kept clear of corrosive condensation.
- Short vent run: To ensure exhaust of all combustion gasses from your home, the vent should be as short and as close as possible. The stainless steel vent pipe costs more than the gas supply and water piping so it is a good idea to position the tankless heater closer where the vent will exit the home. This way you’ll need less vent pipe, but more water and gas supply