Do Tankless Water Heaters Need A Vent?

Installing a tankless water heater outside frees up indoor space and requires no additional venting.Traditional gas tank water heater require venting through the roof. Tankless water heaters use fans to blow exhaust from the unit horizontally, allowing vents to terminate on the side of a house.

Do all tankless water heaters require venting?

No. Unlike gas tankless water heaters and gas traditional tank style water heaters, electric tankless water heaters do not require any venting.

What type of vent does a tankless water heater use?

Tankless water heaters can be vented in two ways: power-vent or direct-vent. Power-vent units use indoor air for combustion and simply vent the exhaust to the outside. Direct-vent units pull in air from the outside, so they have two vents for intake and exhaust.

What is the downside of a tankless water heater?

The main disadvantage of tankless water heaters is their upfront cost (unit and installation) is significantly higher than tank-style heaters. Including installation, tankless water heaters cost 3 times more than tank-style water heaters on average.they cannot provide hot water during a power outage.

Can you vent a tankless water heater with PVC?

Because tankless water heaters require PVC or special stainless steel piping as the vent material (which is much more expensive than copper, PEX or CPVC), a short venting run is better for both the heater itself, as well as your savings, so many homeowners choose to move the location of their heater closer to an

Can a tankless water heater be enclosed?

The tankless water heater is small in size. Thus it can be put in small spaces such as under-stair storage areas, closets, in pantries or under the sink.A tankless water heater is for indoor installation only. In case you install it outside, get a suitable enclosure.

Does a tankless water heater have to be on an outside wall?

It is possible to install a tankless water heater outside and free up indoor space. The roof or side wall can be used as a vent for the tankless water heaters. Venting through the roof is required for traditional gas tank water heaters.

Can you install a tankless water heater on an interior wall?

Electric tankless water heaters are designed to be installed indoors in the garage, basement, or interior wall. Both natural and propane gas tankless water heaters have indoor and outdoor models. Indoor models can also be installed in the garage, basement, or the exterior wall’s interior side to provide venting.

Do tankless water heaters need a condensate drain?

If you own a condensing tankless water heater, your installer should have included a drainage system to drain your water heater.Don’t worry, it’s not leaking, but rather undergoing a normal process called condensation, and Noritz makes the removal process easy with its condensing tankless models.

Can you put a power vent on a regular water heater?

Natural gas or propane hot water heaters are generally less expensive to operate than electric heaters, but installing a standard vent in a house without an existing chimney is expensive. It’s easier to run the vent if you install a “power-vented” type of natural gas (or propane) water heater.

Can a tankless water heater fill a tub?

With tankless, you can fill a large tub and enjoy a nice bath. You’re not ever going to run out of hot water.” He says usually the tankless water heaters are used to supply the entire home, including the bathrooms.

Why is tankless water heater installation so expensive?

Installation is expensive because the unit needs a bigger gas supply than a conventional water heater does, and it needs to run its own exhaust flue to the exterior. Installation costs can vary widely, depending on the location of the flue and the gas supply. The unit itself costs between $800 and $1,000.

Do tankless water heaters have endless hot water?

Endless Supply of Hot Water
The tankless water heater is—you guessed it—tankless! Because there’s no tank, it doesn’t work off of capacity; it works off demand. A tankless water heater heats up water as you need it, and it brings hot water to your appliances quickly—and never runs out.

Can furnace and water heater share vent?

Many homes are built with the water heater and furnace sharing the same exhaust vent. This practice is common with standard efficiency (80%) furnaces. When installed correctly, this venting arrangement works with an 80% gas furnace (or less than 80%) + gas water heater.

Is it normal to smell gas from a tankless water heater?

It is not normal to smell gas during the operation of a tankless water heater. Their combustion chambers are sealed and will have a twin pipe intake and exhaust to cycle the air in a closed loop.

How hot does water heater vent pipe get?

If a water heater is set to store water at 140 F to minimize Legionella bacteria growth, the flue gas temperature will be about 160 F when the heater is new. As scale builds up and the heater efficiency falls off, the flue gas temperatures can easily increase to over 350 degrees F.

How close can a tankless water heater be to an electrical panel?

The only code requirements I’ve found regarding clearances around an electrical panel are allowing at least a 30″ working space (side to side).

How much clearance does a tankless water heater need?

A tankless water heater requires a 4-foot clearance from the side or below a door or window that opens, unless the unit is directly vented to the outside. If the water heater is installed above the door or window, it needs 12 inches of clearance.

Can a tankless water heater be inside a cabinet?

Tankless water heaters can be installed anywhere inside your home. You can even have a tankless water heater in a bathroom! Some families with larger homes choose to install two, one for each floor, for example. Because of their small size, they fit in closets, cabinets, pantries or laundry rooms.

Can you mount a tankless water heater on drywall?

A new tankless unit can be installed flush—against the drywall or plaster—or set into the wall, between studs. If you want to set the unit into the wall, use a stud finder to locate studs and cut a hole between them. Attach the unit to the wall following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Can you mount a tankless water heater on plywood?

Build a mounting box out of 2 x 4 lumber and 3/4-inch plywood that will allow you to mount the new tankless water heater about four inches out from the wall. Make the box sturdy enough to hold the weight of the unit. Secure it to the basement wall using the appropriate masonry anchors for your foundation wall.