WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT - COVINGTON KENTUCKY - DUNBARPLUMBING.COM

[massari4u]

no chimney liner. , most likely requires a 5" liner. THE MOST Common obstacle that we come by when dealing with a conventional vented water heater.

[fathergratwick]

@massari4u it must be depending on other environmental factors as well, My house was built in 1870,s and I've no liner in either chimney, I have had NG tanked water heater in my kitchen closet running to the chimeny then up two stories and out without any noticeable plugging of the chimney, I have lived here for 33 years and nothing was done to the interior of the chimney it was checked out 7 years ago when recapped and pointed and I was told it was fine. I went tank-less this month for space.

[wuerp]

Hi, my water heater stopped working after the water service was interrupted. it stayed on for about a day without water pressure n most likely that 's the reason. Can someone help me figuring out what's wrong with it and how to fix it

[stpkeaton]

Install Electric or use a power vent.

[x2malandy]

I think I would try a m80 in the pipe first while holding a 4 x 4 against it to help push out the clog, then wad as much newspaper up as I can, pack it the pipe and light it. Then take my leaf blower right away and shove it in the pipe. I;m thinking I would then take my garden hose and seal it inside the pipe with a lot of duct tape and hit it for a 10 minute flush and see what happens. I havent tried these things but where thers a will theres a way.

[fathergratwick]

@x2malandy WOW..others reading do NOT try these very stupid ideas! unless you want to blow up your pipes/chimney or start your house on fire!

if anything I would think a simple plumbing snake might have helped... repairing the gas installation would have been the smartest thing to do vs inefficient electric setup which will cost more in the long run. just my 2 cents though. I went with a direct vent tankless unit myself which vents right out the wall.

[DUNBARPLUMBING]

@fathergratwick - Customer didn't like having a gas fired appliance in the basement, that's why the decision was instant for them to switch to electric. A plumbing sewer snake doesn't guarantee the flue will stay open, only a flue liner and they don't make flue liners for 4" cast iron pipe used in plumbing DWV systems. Direct Vent Tankless cannot overcome installation/retrofit charges to the savings they purport. Periodic cleaning charges wipes out those efficiency savings completely. Lime scale

[fathergratwick]

@DUNBARPLUMBING I understand where your coming from especially if the customer is elderly, Here in NY, just about everyone here has a furnace in the basement as well which also uses a flammable fuel.

As far as tankless maintenance, The many videos here show anyone capable of turning a wrench can do it in minutes with a cheap pump and white vinagar. The plugged flue would seem to be from moisture issues in that basement they should get fixed anyway.

[armorhelix]

Why not just run a new flue?

[DUNBARPLUMBING]

@armorhelix - We gave that idea as a first option, which would of involved exterior double wall B-vent running from the exterior (bottom) to the top, reaching 2' above the ridge of the roof. This involved another contractor (we won't do any work on ladders that high) and the major concern was 1. Cost 2. the condition of that degrading 100 year old brick and mortar that would be anchored to with over 20+ feet of B-vent. The customer did not like gas fired appliances either. Gas stove went first.

[ronaldcheshire]

how did they resolve the problem

[DUNBARPLUMBING]

@ronaldcheshire - The customer was very uncomfortable with the gas water heater when they bought the house, and didn't know they had options to explore when I discovered the issue with the flue obstruction. They opted for an electric conversion which eliminated the flue pipe issue permanently. They also have an electric stove that they had the gas stove removed immediately after purchasing the home.

[kc8grp]

G.E., we bring bad things to life!

G.E. sucks. I won't use any of their garbage products.

[brill24161]

Water heater (50 gal) not filling with water. Pilot light still lit -- water not coming out of hot water taps throughout the entire house. When cold water taps are turned on, water comes out of faucet okay. Tested drain, hooked up hose, empty. No water in it. Water line enter into the water heater is "on" position. One story home, no frozen pipes -- live in southwest. Home warranty company doing everything in power not to have to repair it. Any input?? Thanks!

[DUNBARPLUMBING]

@brill24161 If the water heater has dielectric unions installed on the heater, they might be completely clogged, not allowing water to enter the water heater. Do they have the exact same connections as the one I removed in this video?

[brill24161]

@DUNBARPLUMBING -- thanks for your reply, had a plumber work on it. You were correct, there was a clog. He said it was mineral buildup..what can I do to prevent this? also, is this something I could have easily repaired myself? thanks for your help!

[ahutf]

Haha, boy here where I'm from there are many No-no's in that situatuon. For one there is no Swing Joint on the water heater gas supply. second, a flue that is not approved period. (venting a Gas chimmney on the outside wall is a no-no). As well there was no Tee there for the inspector to look up the chimmney. I guess you had to either install a power vented one, or an electric. Funny the Inspector didn't raise a big issue long time ago.

[altimaguy03]

hi, I have this bad gas sewer smell in my house at time's, and I cleaned my sewers and vents, and still get that nasty smell at times and I notice when it rains sometimes the smell gets worst, I don't know what to do it's soooo frustrating can it be my water heater I do notice it smells near the area where it's at?

[DUNBARPLUMBING]

@altimaguy03 Sorry for the delayed response. Do a smoke test on your DWV (drain system) and you'll most likely find smoke emitting from a floor drain or cracks in the floor. You mentioning that smell after rains would instantly tie it to a drainage problem.

[EB8301]

hey dunbar are you sure thats not the Cast Iron stack that was to the right of the water heater in the basement? im sure thats a terricotta flue crock and not that C.I. stack on the outside of the building. i could be wrong but thats what i saw.

[DUNBARPLUMBING]

@EB8301 Nope, that stack traces the corner of the wall and on up. I measured off the exterior wall to the opening into the ground and matches perfectly to this now abandoned pipe.

[yellowgroove]

That is an accident waiting to happen, you did the right thing there and may of even saved their lives. i hope you got it resolved. the original water heater looked bad, real bad.

[DUNBARPLUMBING]

Check out this next video I just uploaded. We installed an electric water heater in its place to get away from the problem altogether.

[yellowgroove]

Checking it out now, going with electric was the smart move! very good idea. i told friends and family to use Dunbar when they need any plumping services