Replacing a power vent water heater

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Terry

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Some of you have a power vent water heater in your home.
You will notice that the venting is white plastic, with a motor attached to the top of the unit. It's important to know that the correct replacements come as a complete unit. It's not something that you can buy in parts.
An atmospheric tank can't use the old fan system and plastic piping from before. Very dangerous.

Here is a job I ran into, homeowner replaced with water streaming from an old expansion tank that had rusted through.

tocco_wh_2.jpg


They had taken the old fan system, with dangling wires and screwed it on the top.
The expansion tank was installed on the hot side. should have been on the cold incoming water.

tocco_wh_5.jpg


There was no place for the wires on the fan system to connect on the replacement.
Wrong pump for the wrong tank, wrong brand and wrong decade.

tocco_wh_3.jpg


The expansion tank had rusted through, and was spraying water, drenching the new tank.

tocco_wh_4.jpg


I removed the homeowners tank and replaced with a Power Vent model.
When installed and connected up, it's plugged in and self lights.
The fan knows when to come on and go off. It saves about $100 a year over an atmospheric heater using propane, which this was.
That winds up buying the new tank in time.

New Power Vent
Rheem PROG50-42P-RH67-PV, Propane
Rheem PROG50-42N-RH67-PV, Natural Gas
New expansion tank
 
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Master Plumber Mark

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that was a pretty stupid thing for those folks to attempt...they knew enough
to just get themselves in a mess

I like your brass Tee and fittings going off the top of the heater for the expansion tank
Those brass fittings have to be costing you close to 30 ++ dollars or more...

have you ever just used a galvanized Tee and galv nipples and galv elbow
it seems like they would work good for under a third of the cost
Have you had troubles with galv fittings ????

So what happenned to the new --old unit that they rigged up???
did you end up taking that unit in trade or did you just leave it with them???
 
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Terry

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Most of the time we use brass fitting for the expansion tank. I can't remember the last time I used galvanized. And yes, they do cost a lot more. :)
The galvy I pull out from old stuff always looks bad. Yuck!

I left their water logged tank with them. I kinda don't know what to do with those.
It sure looked like a dangerous situation to me.
And then later that day the Brookyn gas fire was on the news. Yep. Don't mess with gas. :(
 

hj

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quote; Those brass fittings have to be costing you close to 30 ++ dollars or more...

Where do you buy your brass fittings? At Tiffany's? But, since they ARE attached to the tank below the dielectric break, galvanized would work just as well.
 

Terry

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quote; Those brass fittings have to be costing you close to 30 ++ dollars or more...

Where do you buy your brass fittings? At Tiffany's? But, since they ARE attached to the tank below the dielectric break, galvanized would work just as well.

Galvanized will close off pretty bad on those pipes and fittings in that location. You should have seen what I pulled off from the old heater.

I showed the homeowner all the rusty water that poured out of the bad expansion tank too. Pretty nasty looking.
 

Master Plumber Mark

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we have been doing about the same thing as you do terry but I use the galvanized tees and galv nipples and elbows...
the stuff will last decades, which is much longer than the average water heater will last so it seems ok fine to me...
I will usually install some support under the arms like pvc pipe just for extra measure...

but I commend you for going the whole nine yards and spending the big bucks on those fittings.....
 

Cacher_Chick

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I am sure the customer paid for the good fittings. I would not be a happy camper if someone can into my place and installed any galvanized piping. The new stuff coming from Asia is not nearly the quality of the old stuff we throw out.
 

Chefwong

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Indeed on that. For black pipe, I tend to use Ward or Anvil. Still domestic made...
I can't think of anybody making domestic made brass though
 

Master Plumber Mark

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The funny thing about all this is the thermal expansion tank will wear out long before the brass fittings do
and so will the water heater,,, the brass fittings are basically good for your life time...

I really dont have a problem with the galvanized tee and galv fittings going to the thermal exp tank
but to each his own,..
 

Terry

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The funny thing about all this is the thermal expansion tank will wear out long before the brass fittings do
and so will the water heater,,, the brass fittings are basically good for your life time...

I really dont have a problem with the galvanized tee and galv fittings going to the thermal exp tank
but to each his own,..

Mark,
I've done it both ways. And you are right. Nothing wrong with using the galvanzied. They will last as long as the tank.
On the job above, there were trying to "reuse" the old with the new water heater.
New tank, new galvy, done that too. :)
 

Master Plumber Mark

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Its all in the sticker shock for me Terry.... I really , really like the brass fittings but

I would bet that the brass T is well over 15 bucks alone and that stoops me dead in my tracks..

also ...have you had a chance to think about those 18 +24 inch copper flex connectors from pacific
let me know what you can do on them
thanks
 

Master Plumber Mark

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Yes, I got your e-mail... Thank you

before I make a decision I am looking into the SS flex
connectors that we can get here from brass craft...

I never tried them till this week but they seem to be pretty good too
so now I am batting it all around in my mind which way to go

I wlll let you know by next week either way...

thank you
 
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