# Power Vent water heaters required in new homes



## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

So we don't do any new construction but my supplier told me that as of April, all new homes are required to have power vent water heaters. 

Are you guys adopting this code in your area? What are your thoughts?


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

plumberkc said:


> So we don't do any new construction but my supplier told me that as of April, all new homes are required to have power vent water heaters.
> 
> Are you guys adopting this code in your area? What are your thoughts?


They can take that code and shove it up in their....


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

That's how I feel about the insulation requirement on all hot water lines.


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## suzie (Sep 1, 2010)

Put in a majority of power vents. Number one if you don't have a chimney liner and your home is past a certain age they"ll make you drop down a liner. They meaning inspectors. In colder climates they are more efficient and utility companies pass along nice rebates for consumer


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## suzie (Sep 1, 2010)

plumberkc said:


> So we don't do any new construction but my supplier told me that as of April, all new homes are required to have power vent water heaters.
> 
> Are you guys adopting this code in your area? What are your thoughts?


I believe it is more a federal government energy standard that requires the builders to meet. I am more than happy to put them in more$$$ to run vent


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

Do you know the exact year in which they require a liner?


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## suzie (Sep 1, 2010)

No I do not but if a home is 50 years old and the chimney shows signs of needing tuck pointing I would call inspector first cause they have the say so. My home built 1949 has liner


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

suzie said:


> I believe it is more a federal government energy standard that requires the builders to meet. I am more than happy to put them in more$$$ to run vent


I think its more of the builders pushing it so they don't have to install chimmney.. as well the feds behind it to reduce the air infirlration(sp).. but those power venters suck in more air than the conventaial ones.


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## CaberTosser (Mar 7, 2013)

Here in Canada they're in all new homes I've seen as the federal government legislated that only condensing furnaces can be sold up here. Without a requirement for a large b-vent chimney it makes no economic sense to put in a small one through two storeys when they can more easily sidewall vent the water heater at less cost. That elimination also frees up the architects a little with regards to wall placements. That being said the replacement market of conventional draft tanks is still strong and nothing has been legislated about that.


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## Michaelcookplum (May 1, 2011)

I have had a lot of problems lately with State brand power vents. It seems like every other one I install has issues within the first few weeks. Thinking about switching brands. Have you guys had success with any brands in particular? Only installing 75 gal for these builders


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

What's all this all about chimneys. I have one for my fire place. But I'm thinking y'all mean one that the water heater and furnace both vent into ?? And maybe even more wh and or furnaces on mutable floors Strange to me to have a setup like that in res. here. The water heater vents trough the roof by itself. Power vent. PVC. Double wall vent pipe. It doesn't matter. I always vent VTR I'm I lost on this ???


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## plumber101us (Feb 25, 2013)

any unlined masonary chimney requires a chimney liner in kansas according to UPC


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## wyplumber (Feb 14, 2013)

We only Install power vents on our new Constrution the builder hates the look of the metal termination.


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## Fast fry (May 19, 2012)

I told you guys that code s%#t was a farce. Old wives tale or something.

I have seen the worst of the worst installs and rarely does it not function. I saw a trap arm that was going 1/2' per foot in the opposite slope and it still worked fine.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Fast fry said:


> I told you guys that code s%#t was a farce. Old wives tale or something.
> 
> I have seen the worst of the worst installs and rarely does it not function. I saw a trap arm that was going 1/2' per foot in the opposite slope and it still worked fine.


Sounds very Canuckistan here... lol


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## James420 (Nov 14, 2012)

I priced out a 50 gallon direct vent water heater on Tuesday, the parts orderer at my job said it would be in on Wednesday, which I questioned because down here direct vents are few and far between. Well I picked it up from our shop this morning and it was a standard vent, ( the kind that vents through a chimney). No one has a chimney here, most of the houses were built in the last 25 years. 

I've installed 100s of these in Wilmington, Delaware, old little city, up there I've even put in a bunch of oiled fired water heaters, they can put a tankless to shame.

So I called the companies rep, Bradford White btw, and he told me that yes he screwd up, but a direct vent water heater is the same as a power vent water heater. WTF? Long story short after I gave him the model numbers for the direct vent, he said it would take till Tuesday to get one, which of course is unacceptable. So today I put in the Power vent, and had to have an electrician run conduit in a garage for the outlet, and a carpenter come out to make the hole through the wall look decent since the vent size went from 6" metal to 3" PVC. All this at no extra charge for the customer.


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## Plumbus (Aug 4, 2008)

Michaelcookplum said:


> I have had a lot of problems lately with State brand power vents. It seems like every other one I install has issues within the first few weeks. Thinking about switching brands. Have you guys had success with any brands in particular? Only installing 75 gal for these builders


Since Stae, AOSmith and American are all made in the same factory, that leaves Bradford-White and Rheem to choose from. I would rather not use power vent, but with more and more interest for energy conservation, I think we'll be putting in a lot more condensing (plastic flue power vent) water heaters as time goes by, whether we like it or not.


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## Prof.plumb (Apr 5, 2012)

John Wood Evirosense units are wicked.


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