You might have heard of vents in the water heaters but, what is a direct vent water heater, and why is it important? In this blog, you will find out all the related queries regarding water heater vents.
Venting is important when it comes to a heater whether it is for a room or water heating, especially for gas heaters. However, it is not necessary for the electric heaters to have a proper vent unless it possesses the feature of a dual power system; electric and gas both.
Speaking of water heater vents, you will find 5 different types for that. This includes
Types of Water Heater Vents
- Standard Atmospheric Vent
- Power Vent
- Power Direct Vent
- Direct Vent
- Concentric Vent
Standard Atmospheric Vent
Such water heater vents are usually found in the heaters that are found for residential gas water heaters. They possess the vent in the vertical direction that is either shared with the atmospheric vent like a furnace or specified for the water heater. It works by giving a rise to hot air by exhausting the gases in the upward direction.
Power Vent
It has an electric blower fan that is installed on the top of the heater. Water heaters with this venting style require an electric outlet near to it as a must. This works with the push of the blower to the exhaust and the extra heat to the venting exhaust. A power vent is an efficient option because it uses the heat that comes out of the exhaust.
Power Direct Vent
This type is specified for the water heaters that lack the right amount of air for combustion flexibility near the installation area. In order to install it right, it is recommended to use a help of a professional plumber for the right power direct venting.
Direct Vent
A direct vent water heater is a kind of gas heater which is installed in an area where the ventilation is not sufficient. Its working is a bit different than the competitors (continue reading to understand the working of a direct vent).
These water heaters possess separate chambers for the air intake and exhaust it out in a single venting system.
Note: Install this unit outside of your home instead of placing it indoors.
Concentric Vent
This one is described as the coaxial venting design of Pipe in Pipe which means that it utilizes the same chamber for the intake and the exhaust. The concentric venting system is used often in the many models of water heaters of different kinds. Yet, it is exclusively designed for concentric vent tankless water heaters or direct vent water heaters.
Since these are the heater venting types that are suitable for different spaces based upon the venting. Now, let’s find out more without any further delay for the water heater venting system.
What is a Direct Vent Water Heater?
Wondering what is a direct vent gas water heater? It is simple to answer. Usually, the two main power sources of a water heater are electricity or gas heaters. The gas heaters are the conventional water heaters; the tank water heaters that store the water and heat them. The other word for such heaters is the direct vent water heater.
How Does a Direct Vent Water Heater Work?
The gas-powered heaters use combustion in order to heat up the water. The direct vent water heater draws in the air from the outdoors, utilizes it to heat the water, and then through the chimney, it exhausts the gas.
For burning, the gas heater uses natural gas or propane gas as a fuel for the heating process. In the direct vent water heater, the gases are exhausted vertically through the chimneys. These vents are usually made from metal. This is because the metal vents are more likely to handle a high temperature of gases from the direct vent compared to the competitor.
Benefits of Direct Vent Water Heater?
Well, to be honest, an operational direct vent water heater is beneficial in a way that it is a cost-effective solution. It is inexpensive in terms of installation and operations secondly, it is a silent operation. However, the cons of the direct vent water heater add up to not being efficient and also lacking venting flexibility i.e. it will only exhaust if connected with a vertical chimney.
Is Ventilation Necessary for the Water Heaters?
It is not necessary to have a vent in every water heater but it is a must for the combustion water heaters as they are the common ones. The fuel that is used is either natural gas or propane. As a byproduct, when burning, these fuels produce carbon monoxide. If the ventilation is not proper it could become dangerous.
In the End
A ventilation system is an essential part of any water heater operated with gas. However, the venting system working is designed according to the type and space specified for the heaters. The commonly used vent is a direct water heater which is usually or also known as a gas-powered heater. In this blog, we have shared enough information that will help you out to know about water heater venting in a better way.