Waterheater ventilation system

[abrahamfh]

Sorry to bother you all with this question but I am a little concerned.

I am currently visiting my parents and as I walked into the laundry/furnace/water heater room I was curious about what I saw.

I was hoping maybe someone could explain what it is that I am looking at.

What I believe to currently be looking at is the silver tubular vent that leaves the furnace which then the water heater connects to and then heads outside like an exhaust(that is what I am hoping it is), or is that silver tubular vent what transports the heat to the rooms throughout the house?

I appreciate any knowledge and advice on what it is or what to do.

Dad recently had some re-pipe folks come in due to the pipes under the foundation going out. They connected that silver tubular (vent) when they installed the new water heater at the same time as the re-pipe job.

Thanks in advance everyone, just want my folks to be safe.

 

[neverenoughtools]

From the pic. You posted, I see both round vent pipes ( exhaust).

 

[Norcal]

Those gas vents need to be sloping/pitched upward to the main vent, they look flat.

 

[ddawg16]

I didn't think a forced air system could share the same vent with another gas source....

At a min, those pipes need some slope....

What concerns me more is the front of that forced air heater....looks like its getting a bit too hot in the front....fire?

 

[rickycobra]

Those gas vents need to be sloping/pitched upward to the main vent, they look flat.

I see a slight slope but it could be the camera angle.

 

[csp]

I didn't think a forced air system could share the same vent with another gas source....

I've never lived in a home where the hot water heater and furnace didn't share the same exhaust stack. A friend of mine is an HVAC contractor and the bulk of his work is service calls and replacements. I've helped him remove/replace a lot of furnaces and hot water heaters and I can't recall one where the H20 and furnace didn't have a Y connection at the bottom of a single exhaust out of the roof.

 

[abrahamfh]

Those gas vents need to be sloping/pitched upward to the main vent, they look flat.

I see a slight slope but it could be the camera angle.

It is the camera angle, the vent from furnace to the 90 going vertical is level, and the vent from the hot water heater to the 90 going vertical is actually angled downwards.

I was under the impression that they needed to have a pitch but wasn't sure. Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it, off to Dale's hardware to see what I can find to correct this.

 

[abrahamfh]

I didn't think a forced air system could share the same vent with another gas source....

At a min, those pipes need some slope....

What concerns me more is the front of that forced air heater....looks like its getting a bit too hot in the front....fire?

It does look like it is burning the insulation there, the corrosion on the front of the water heater was not there a month ago, it appearantly appeared when they changed the routing of the vents. Not sure what to do about the burnt looking insulation though. Any suggestions?

 

[rickairmedic]

One thing I would do is make sure Mom and Dad have a working Carbon Monoxide detector in their house . ( Best deal I have seen recently was $29.00 at Homey desperate for a carbon monoxide detector and smoke detector in the same package ) . The amount of rust on the top front of that furnace makes me wonder what the heat exchanger looks like inside . I also agree both pipes need to be sloped upwards and need 3 screws per joint if you redo them .


Rick

 

[59 wagon man]

i think you maybe having some backspill on the flue to the furnace (left side of picture) the water doesn't show any signs yet. a chimney takes more then just a pipe to always work efficiently . there maybe a draft blowing back down or a blockage in the chimney. i have been a plumber for 35 yrs and never used that tape around flue pipe. not sure if that is temp rated . light a match and hold it just under the draft hood of the water heater. see if the flame is drawn towards the chimney or away. also is that tee a factory made fitting? looks a little funky in the pic