I am renovating my basement and part of the project involves
relocating a HW heater. I was contemplating getting a tankless unit,
but I decided to stay with a conventional unit.
Here are some pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mikerock...eat=directlink

I would like to move it 3 feet to the left inside the furnace room to
gain more space by the window. As you can see the 3" HW heater exhaust
duct is to the right of the 6" furnace duct when it goes into the
chimney. So relocating it to that spot was my first choice.
But then I started contemplating possibly moving to the left of the
furnace duct. This would free up some space in the furnace room. But
the HW heater duct could not tie in to the existing duct in the
chimney because of the height of the HW heater( 50 gallon tall model).
Anotherwords I would have to go under the 6" duct, then back up, which
I know you can't do.
My question is can I tie in the HW heater duct to the existing 6"
furnace duct, possibly using a Tee of some sort?

For both options I have verified clearance for servicing/replacing HW
heater or furnace. Also I am not keeping my old unit since its 8+
years old and a 40 Gallon model out of warranty, I am getting a new 50
gallon unit and roughing it in.

"Mikepier" wrote in message
...
I am renovating my basement and part of the project involves
relocating a HW heater. I was contemplating getting a tankless unit,
but I decided to stay with a conventional unit.
Here are some pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mikerock...eat=directlink

I would like to move it 3 feet to the left inside the furnace room to
gain more space by the window. As you can see the 3" HW heater exhaust
duct is to the right of the 6" furnace duct when it goes into the
chimney. So relocating it to that spot was my first choice.
But then I started contemplating possibly moving to the left of the
furnace duct. This would free up some space in the furnace room. But
the HW heater duct could not tie in to the existing duct in the
chimney because of the height of the HW heater( 50 gallon tall model).
Anotherwords I would have to go under the 6" duct, then back up, which
I know you can't do.
My question is can I tie in the HW heater duct to the existing 6"
furnace duct, possibly using a Tee of some sort?

For both options I have verified clearance for servicing/replacing HW
heater or furnace. Also I am not keeping my old unit since its 8+
years old and a 40 Gallon model out of warranty, I am getting a new 50
gallon unit and roughing it in.

Knock out the furnace cement around both stove pipes, open the hole as
necessary, move the 6" pipe to the right side, and the 3" to the left, patch
it back with furnace cement and your done

On Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:56:14 -0800 (PST), Mikepier
wrote:

I am renovating my basement and part of the project involves
relocating a HW heater. I was contemplating getting a tankless unit,
but I decided to stay with a conventional unit.
Here are some pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mikerock...eat=directlink

I would like to move it 3 feet to the left inside the furnace room to
gain more space by the window. As you can see the 3" HW heater exhaust
duct is to the right of the 6" furnace duct when it goes into the
chimney. So relocating it to that spot was my first choice.
But then I started contemplating possibly moving to the left of the
furnace duct. This would free up some space in the furnace room. But
the HW heater duct could not tie in to the existing duct in the
chimney because of the height of the HW heater( 50 gallon tall model).
Anotherwords I would have to go under the 6" duct, then back up, which
I know you can't do.
My question is can I tie in the HW heater duct to the existing 6"
furnace duct, possibly using a Tee of some sort?

For both options I have verified clearance for servicing/replacing HW
heater or furnace. Also I am not keeping my old unit since its 8+
years old and a 40 Gallon model out of warranty, I am getting a new 50
gallon unit and roughing it in.

There's a few ways to do it, depending on codes and work involved.
Even if you don't care about the code, it might bite you if you sell.
You have the best look at the flue runs and can decide what's best.
Knocking out the fire cement might direct you one way or another.
I've seen some recommendations that the small flue should be above the
big one - don't know if it's code anywhere.
My HW vent is directly above the furnace vent.
My last house they were side by side.
Here's something about using a Y vent to exhaust both.
http://www.ehow.com/how_7506103_vent...same-flue.html
It mentions to check code.
Personally I would knock out the fire cement and see what it would
take to put the HW flue above the furnace flue, then decide.
Seems that fits in with your tall HW tank.
I would check the code first.
..

BTW your unpainted basement walls look like mine, even that window.
I've been wanting to paint the walls since I moved in 13 years ago to
brighten things up.
What paint did you use, and do you recommend it?

--Vic

BTW your unpainted basement walls look like mine, even that window.
I've been wanting to paint the walls since I moved in 13 years ago to
brighten things up.
What paint did you use, and do you recommend it?

Its not paint, it Throroseal. I buy the 5 gallon buckets of powder at
HD. You mix with water and use a masonry brush. Leaves a nice stucco
type of finish and seals the walls pretty good. I'm framing out the
walls and sheetrocking.

I just checked the specs on my Trane furnace and it actually calls for
a 4" vent, but they installed some kind of limit switch at the output
and used a 6" vent.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mikerock...eat=directlink

I really did not want to start breaking up the cement to move the
ducts. Maybe there is a reason why the previous owners could not put
the HW heater duct above the furnace duct. If the 6" duct is
oversized, perhaps that will allow me to tie in the HW heater.

?
"Mikepier" wrote
My question is can I tie in the HW heater duct to the existing 6"
furnace duct, possibly using a Tee of some sort?

No, that is a code violation and may be too much for the 6" to handle.

I'd go with what RBM suggested. Check out what kind of vent is needed on
the new one also. Rheem makes a power vent model that just needs a PVC
pipe. I have no idea of the cost or if they are as trouble free as most
water heaters are.

On Jan 16, 10:53*pm, Mikepier wrote:
BTW your unpainted basement walls look like mine, even that window.
I've been wanting to paint the walls since I moved in 13 years ago to
brighten things up.
What paint did you use, and do you recommend it?

Its not paint, it Throroseal. I buy the 5 gallon buckets of powder at
HD. You mix with water and use a masonry brush. Leaves a nice stucco
type of finish and seals the walls pretty good. I'm framing out the
walls and sheetrocking.

I just checked the specs on my Trane furnace and it actually calls for
a 4" vent, but they installed some kind of limit switch at the output
and used a 6" vent.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mikerock...eat=directlink

I really did not want to start breaking up the cement to move the
ducts. Maybe there is a reason why the previous owners could not put
the HW heater duct above the furnace duct. If the 6" duct is
oversized, perhaps that will allow me to tie in the HW heater.

Well if you live where it gets very cold, I would give serious thought
to a 95+ high efficency furnace that direct vents thru the wall. Your
furnace isnt pictured, but new furnaces cost less to operate and are
much smaller too. How old is your furnace?

Energy costs only go up

you would save energy, gain at least some space, be rid of the big
furnace exhaust pipe thats trying to heat the outside.....

At least its worth considering

I like the upgrade to the 50 gallon water heater, although it was only
a little cheaper than the 75 gallon 75K BTU tank I installed last
summer

Well if you live where it gets very cold, I would give serious thought
to a 95+ high efficency furnace that direct vents thru the wall. Your
furnace isnt pictured, but new furnaces cost less to operate and are
much smaller too. How old is your furnace?

Energy costs only go up

you would save energy, gain at least some space, be rid of the big
furnace exhaust pipe thats trying to heat the outside.....

At least its worth considering

I like the upgrade to the 50 gallon water heater, although it was only
a little cheaper than the 75 gallon 75K BTU tank I installed last
summer- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I have a Trane XR 80 furnace about 7 years old, so I'm not looking to
change my furnace now.

OK, after waking up this morning, I'm having second thoughts now. I
realize if I put the HW heater behind the furnace, it might cause some
servicing problems. Here are some pics of the furnace clearances
( don't mind the mess, its temporary).
http://picasaweb.google.com/mikerock...eat=directlink

The first pic shows where I wanted to put the HW heater, behind the
furnace to the left of the vent, but there is only 26 inches from the
furnace to the foundation wall. The HW heater is 20 inches round. That
might cause problems if I had to service the furnace. Originally I
thought it was fine, but now I realize it might not be.

The second pic shows where I originally wanted to put the HW heater,
to the right of the vent. Putting it there would leave clearance
around the furnace. The HW heater would be diagonally across from the
furnace. And plus I can use the existing flue pipe.

Just curious what everyone else thinks.

wrote in message
...
On Jan 16, 10:53 pm, Mikepier wrote:
BTW your unpainted basement walls look like mine, even that window.
I've been wanting to paint the walls since I moved in 13 years ago to
brighten things up.
What paint did you use, and do you recommend it?

Its not paint, it Throroseal. I buy the 5 gallon buckets of powder at
HD. You mix with water and use a masonry brush. Leaves a nice stucco
type of finish and seals the walls pretty good. I'm framing out the
walls and sheetrocking.

I just checked the specs on my Trane furnace and it actually calls for
a 4" vent, but they installed some kind of limit switch at the output
and used a 6" vent.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mikerock...eat=directlink

I really did not want to start breaking up the cement to move the
ducts. Maybe there is a reason why the previous owners could not put
the HW heater duct above the furnace duct. If the 6" duct is
oversized, perhaps that will allow me to tie in the HW heater.

Well if you live where it gets very cold, I would give serious thought
to a 95+ high efficency furnace that direct vents thru the wall. Your
furnace isnt pictured, but new furnaces cost less to operate and are
much smaller too. How old is your furnace?

Energy costs only go up

you would save energy, gain at least some space, be rid of the big
furnace exhaust pipe thats trying to heat the outside.....

At least its worth considering

I like the upgrade to the 50 gallon water heater, although it was only
a little cheaper than the 75 gallon 75K BTU tank I installed last
summer

I had a problem when renovating a bathroom that had a bump-out around the
water heater's class "B" vent. I changed the water heater to a A.O. Smith
Vertex high efficiency tank style, just two 2" pipes through the basement
wall, no need to bother with the chimney. It was a little pricey, but it is
so fast that you cannot use the water fast than it can heat it up and it
just sips the gas, my bill has gone down about $25.00 a month.

"Mikepier" wrote in message
...
I am renovating my basement and part of the project involves
relocating a HW heater. I was contemplating getting a tankless unit,
but I decided to stay with a conventional unit.
Here are some pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mikerock...eat=directlink

I would like to move it 3 feet to the left inside the furnace room to
gain more space by the window. As you can see the 3" HW heater exhaust
duct is to the right of the 6" furnace duct when it goes into the
chimney. So relocating it to that spot was my first choice.
But then I started contemplating possibly moving to the left of the
furnace duct. This would free up some space in the furnace room. But
the HW heater duct could not tie in to the existing duct in the
chimney because of the height of the HW heater( 50 gallon tall model).
Anotherwords I would have to go under the 6" duct, then back up, which
I know you can't do.
My question is can I tie in the HW heater duct to the existing 6"
furnace duct, possibly using a Tee of some sort?

For both options I have verified clearance for servicing/replacing HW
heater or furnace. Also I am not keeping my old unit since its 8+
years old and a 40 Gallon model out of warranty, I am getting a new 50
gallon unit and roughing it in.


A Y fitting is usually used and the only rule that I know of is that the
merged pipe must be able to handle the exhaust of both appliances. Mine does
that in my basement, a code approved and inspected installation in 1995. A
6" pipe seems large for a furnace so it may already be oversized.


--
Colbyt
Please come visit http://www.househomerepair.com