September 9th, 2024
Hi everybody, Cosmo again! Today The Boss was talking to a customer about “orphaned water heaters” – you mean some water heaters have parents!?
What is an Orphaned Water Heater?
In a typical standard-efficiency installation, a furnace or boiler and water heater share the same chimney. Chimneys work by convection; that is, the hot gases from the connected appliances heat the chimney, and convection (hot gas rising) creates draft, forcing gases to go up the chimney and out of the structure. The structure’s chimney is sized and designed to accept the total output of both the water heater and heating appliance, so that there is sufficient natural draft to carry the flue gases up and out.Although it may seem counter-intuitive, a chimney that is too large can be as dangerous as one that is too small because it won’t get warm enough to create sufficient draft. Replacing a chimney-vented furnace with a high-efficiency direct-vented furnace will upgrade your heating system’s efficiency. Because high-efficiency furnaces use a condensing process and power-venting, they require separate vent piping, usually made of PVC and exiting through the wall of the home. This removes the heat the furnace or boiler fed into the old chimney. The water heater is left all alone on the chimney – it has been “orphaned.” Now, without the additional heat from the furnace or boiler, the chimney is too large to create draft with just the input of the orphaned water heater. This sets the stage for negative pressure or insufficient drafting to prevent the old chimney from expelling the flue gases. This means carbon monoxide and other hazardous substances may end up inside your home! When cold weather comes, the problem is exacerbated.
How to Prevent a Water Heater from Being Orphaned
An experienced contractor will be aware of the dangers associated with orphaned water heaters and take steps to mitigate the issue during the installation of your new furnace. The simplest way to do this is to replace the water heater at the same time and install a high-efficiency power-vented water heater. Many contractors will discount a new water heater when installing it at the same time as a new heating system, so this approach can save you money. If you decide to keep your current water heater, other solutions are having the chimney relined to decrease its size, or installing a power venter. In general, tank-type water heaters last about ten years, so unless your water heater is relatively new, replacing with a power vented water heater is usually the best option.In an Installation is Done Properly, It Won’t Leave a Water Heater Orphaned
A properly permitted and installed high-efficiency heating installation will generally address an orphaned water heater. If you have had a heating appliance replaced with a high-efficiency model, but still have a chimney-vent water heater, and you aren’t sure if the chimney was lined or is properly sized, you should have it checked. In fact, all heating and water heating systems should be serviced annually to ensure safety.Looking for a water heater installation in the West Windsor, NJ area, a new furnace in the East Windsor area, NJ, or both? Contact us today for an estimate, one that will take into account all of your home’s current systems so that one does not negatively affect the performance of another. Call us at 609-448-1273 or fill out our contact form to make sure your water heater doesn’t end up orphaned!
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