Power Vent Retrofit – Existing Water Htr
Hi all,
I’ve come to respect your collective advice and experiences, so I come to you with a question.
I’m in the middle of a remodeling project in our house, and with the new room being built, it is no longer feasible to use the B-Vent from our water heater.
I have been given two options:
First, the HVAC contractor says he can install a new retrofit power vent blower unit on my existing hot water heater, thus converting it to a direct vent unit.
Second, the Plumbing Contractor says he woudn’t mess around with a retrofit unit, but rather just get an whole new power vent hot water heater. (keep in mind, he sells hot water heaters and does not sell these ‘retrofit kits’ that the HVAC contractor is talking about, so he perhaps has a profit motive in recommending a new water heater).
My existing hot water heater is working fine, and is presently 13 years old.
Does anyone have experiences with these ‘powervent retrofit kits’?
General thoughts, opinions, advice?
Thanks in advance,
E.
Replies
Depending on local water conditions 13 is over the hill, about ready to go the next week, or is in middle age.
Few water heaters go more than 15-20 years.
I would replace it.
How much longer are you expecting your 13 year old water heater to last?
Seems like a waste of $ to me, whatever the price difference might be.
Joe H
Thanks guys,
I am aware the lifespan of the water heater is in question here, that's why I noted the age. However, I'm also aware that water heaters can fail in 5 or 25 years (my folks have had the same one for 25+ years). The age definitely is a consideration, but its working fine today, and it has only ever seen filtered, softened water.
However...I am more hoping for some input as to people's experiences with the power vent retrofit kits.
As for installing a retrofit and then having the heater fail, say, next year, I have been told that replacing it with a new b-vent unit and re-using the retrofit kit is an option, having relatively the same cost as a new power vent unit now.
I'm not trying to be a cheap skate, I am 100% for doing things 'right', I just don't want to spend money needlessly.
Thanks again,
E.
Power vents are noisy and annoying. I'd go for a real direct vent replacement. It'd be a little quieter at least.-------------------------------------
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You'll probably get better efficiency from the new unit.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
E,
Contrary to what some others have posted, the Tjernlund draft inducer (I assume this is the one your HVAC guy is looking to use, the only brand that I know of or have ever heard of) is not any noisier than the blower built onto a power vented model, and is a lot quiter than the real cheap ones. The efficiency of small water heaters is poor, wether power vented, brand new or natural draft and 15 years old. The difference in efficiencies is small.
My opinion on this is that adding a very good aftermaket device to continue using your serviceable water heater instead of wasting time and money replacing something unnecesarily, is a wise choice.
Thanks Tim,
What you say makes a lot of sense, and I too have heard there is only very slight efficiency differences between traditional and direct vent, new vs old.
I'll check if my HVAC contractor would be using that brand name, and then it will comes down to a cost comparison - old w/ power vent, or new direct vent.
Thanks again,
E.
So... another power vent question.... I am having a leaky roof repaired and the contractor would like to remove my 100+ yr old chimney. I now need to vent my water heater horizontally out of the basement, so he suggested the power vent.
My issue is that I don't know if there's a safe distance that needs to be kept between the hot water heater vent and other vents leaving the house... such as the dryer or furnace vent.
Post this as a new topic not in a 13 year old thread.
How much longer are you expecting your 13 year old water heater to last?
Seems like a waste of $ to me, whatever the price difference might be.
It's now 26 years old.
I don't see why you couldn't from as long as you have a wired to your thermostat in stuff correctly but I have a water heater that's only 2 years old and I'm leaking from the top and it's not coming from the fittings any ideas
If this post weren't so old I'd suggest a condensing water heater, but I don't think they existed way back then.