A venting system requires all water heaters that burn natural gas or liquid propane (LP) gas. The gas-burning process is called combustion and produces heat, moisture, and exhaust gases, including extremely poisonous carbon monoxide. The water heater’s Vent eliminates these byproducts from the house, making it a vital security feature.
Hot Water Heater Vent Types
There are many water heater vents in the market, but here are their most common types.
Power Direct Vent Power Direct Vent uses a blower to pull air for combustion from outside your home and funnel it directly to your water heater. And to release the combustion exhaust gases back outside your house, the same blower is also used.
Advantages:
- As the piping can be mounted horizontally and vertically, this type of Vent provides greater installation flexibility.
- It can provide hot water faster than other water heater vents.
Disadvantages:
- It has an expensive installation and operating cost.
- This vent type is noisy because of its fan that may cause potential problems for the homeowners.
- Direct Vent
Direct Vent works as Power Direct Vent. However, instead of a blower, it utilizes superior coaxial venting with separate chambers in a single assembled vent piece for intake air and exhaust.
Advantages:
- It has a cheaper installation and operating cost than Power Direct Vent because no extra fans and power are needed for it to work.
- Since it doesn’t have a blower, it offers a more silent operation than Power Direct Vents.
Disadvantages:
- It is less efficient than Power Direct Vents.
- It has less venting flexibility, for you can only install it to places where you can connect it to a chimney or vertical Vent.
Hot Water Heater Vents Leading Brands
AO Smith and Rheem are a couple of leading brands when it comes to water heater vents. AO Smith offers high efficient and various water heater vents models. On the other hand, Rheem offers several types of direct water heater vents for easier installation and residential purposes.
Moreover, water heater vents are essential in your water heaters. It ensures safety for your whole family. Seek the best water heater vent for you, but if you’re having a hard time choosing, asking for professional help might work.