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Diagnosing The Causes Of Water Heater Back-Drafting With Your Trusted Water Heater Repair Technician | Harvey, LA

Diagnosing The Causes Of Water Heater Back-Drafting With Your Trusted Water Heater Repair Technician | Harvey, LA

Do you have a gas-powered water heater? One of the problems that you’ll likely experience is back-drafting. If the water heater starts to back-draft, the hazardous exhaust gases aren’t leaving your Harvey, LA home. Determining that the water heater is back-drafting is the easy part. Determining the reason why it is back-drafting could prove a difficult issue. Therefore, it is recommended that you hire a water heater repair technician. The professional will inspect the system for various defects causing the back-drafting and repair it within no time. Since there are many reasons for this, the technician might install a power ventilation system, a solution that addresses this problem once and for all.

Vent Connector Problems

The vent connector is the component that takes those exhaust gases produced by gas combustion during the water heating process. It takes these gases from the draft hood to the ventilation system. If the water heater repair pro increases the likelihood of the water heater back-drafting, it does not appropriately install it. The vent connector issues include the following:

Improper Pitch

Improper pitch is among the most common vent connector installation defects. This is why it is recommended that homeowners have experienced water heater repair technicians do the installation. This is because the vent connector should pitch upwards in the direction of the vent and have a slope of about 0.25″/ft. Additionally, there shouldn’t be dips or sags.

Insufficient Rise

The other vent connector issue that could result in back drafting is an insufficient rise. However, the code requires that there be about 0.25″/ft. If there’s a quick right-angle turn at the top of the water heater’s draft hood and the vent connector has a minimum pitch, there’s a high probability that the water heater will not draft properly. There should be some rise in the vent; professional water heater repair technicians know this.

The two designs of atmospherically ventilated water heaters that are most common are tall and short. Short water heating systems are a few inches wider and almost a foot shorter than tall water heaters. A “short” water heater replaces a “tall” one, adding almost a foot of rise to the vent connector, increasing the likelihood that the water heater will draft adequately.

A Long Horizontal Run

The other common problem with the vent connector is when there’s a too-long horizontal run. If the venting connector runs horizontally, there will be a higher likelihood of back drafting. A water heater repair technician can help you with the problem of horizontal run by replacing the single wall vent connector and installing a Type B venting connector. It will help the vent heat up faster.

Induced draft fans are used in mid-efficiency furnaces to draw exhaust gases from the furnace heat exchanger. When the vent connector is placed immediately across from where exhaust gases are routed, the exhaust air from the water heater is ‘pushed’ back down the vent by this fan. The majority of water heaters won’t draft appropriately in this setup. Rearranging the common venting so that the water heater venting connector is distanced from the furnace is one technique to address this.

Chimney or Vent Problems

Here is a common issue for water heater draft problems, when a water heater repair technician replaces the aged 80% efficient heating elements with high efficiency, the new furnace that vents via the side of your Harvey, LA home leaves the water heater’s vent an orphan. The small burner on your water heater might not generate enough heat to warm up the vent or chimney. Unfortunately, this will result in back-drafting. In many instances, the technician will install a new vent liner, allowing the water heater to vent into the smaller space.

An obstructed vent or chimney is another reason that will certainly result in back-drafting. Leaves, squirrels, and acorns might find their way into the vents and chimneys. The birds might nest or die in the chimney, blocking the water heater’s draft hood. The water heater repair technician can install a listed cap at the vent terminal at the outer part to help in preventing the possibility of this happening. Installing the right cap can help prevent debris from entering the vent and keep the rain from the vents. This will be effective at preventing downdrafts that a strong outdoor wind causes.

Insufficient Makeup Air or Combustion

For the water heater to properly draft, it should have enough air. Some water heating systems will be almost back-drafting even when properly installed, and all it will take is one bathroom exhaust fan for them to pull in sufficient air from the house for the water heating unit to begin back-drafting. Even for those Harvey, LA homes with water heating units that draft well, you can have a water heater repair technician check the system and devise a good repair plan.

The situation of insufficient combustion/makeup air is one that many HVAC professionals and plumbers need help identifying. When they receive a call to fix a back-drafting water heater, they immediately go to the basement to find the issue. They see that all the ventings are in line with the code. They see that a combustion air duct is installed, a good rise in the venting connector well before the chimney, and no indications of previous back-drafting. They’ll open a few windows to watch what happens. After doing that, if the water heater begins to draft properly, there is certainly an issue with the makeup or combustion air. Hiring a knowledgeable HVAC or water heater repair technician with a thorough grasp of homes is the solution to this problem

Only professional inspection can help diagnose any underlying problem. The technician will look for signs of back-drafting or inspect the water heater using their next-gen tools. Do you need a water heater inspection, repair, or installation? Contact us at bluefrog Home Services of New Orleans.

See our previous blog post here!

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