The difference is that a power vent water heater pulls in combustion air from the space.
Can i vent my gas water heater through the wall.
Direct vent water heaters with a direct vent system air for combustion is drawn from a vent pipe that runs through an exterior wall or the roof.
You can t vent a standard gas heater like that.
Yes you can vent a gas fired water heater out of the wall if it is either a power vent unit.
To avert this problem you can vent the water heater to the largest hole in the chimney and cap the remaining holes.
Gas or oil fired side wall power vents are provided by several manufacturers listed at the end of this article.
Venting a conventional or typical gas fired water heater straight out through a sidewall using plastic pipe would be failure to follow the manufacturer s instructions and most likely would be unsafe.
Here s how to vent a water heater to a chimney.
They do make two models of power vent units one is called a direct vent power vent as bob harper pointed out it draws its combustion air from outside unlike a standard power vent unit which burns its combustion air from the dwelling.
Instead both systems typically expel exhaust through a pipe that runs outside through an exterior wall.
What your doing can be very dangerous.
Exhaust gases are vented outdoors through a separate vent duct or through a separate chamber of the same pipe this requires a double wall vent duct.
All solid liquid or gas fueled water heater whether they are tank type or tankless must vent through the roof unless they are direct vent.
Single wall natural draft gas water heater vent pipe cannot be used in unheated areas like attic or garage even if only partially penetrating that space because such vent pipe installation will cause excessive condensation on vent pipe walls and compromise proper drafting double wall pipe b vent type is required.
Most building codes require 4 inch flue pipes on water heaters.
If your water heater is near an outside wall you can go with a direct vent water heater.
Direct venting or side wall vent chimney and flue systems are a method of venting the exhaust gases from a heating appliance directly out through the side wall of a building while eliminating the need for a vertical chimney of any sort.
They depend on draft which you won t have.
Be sure to check your gas water heater annually for cracks or leaks in the flue.
They are a bit more expensive but do not require electricity to run a power vent.
On 2019 11 11 by mod vent gas water heater out through side wall with pvc.