Bad PVC Venting-PGP

Paul Pollets

We're about to replace this system which is only 8 years old. The PVC vent terminations from the Voyager does not have 2 ft separation...you can see the fresh air vent is within 2" of the flue gas vent. The flue gases get sucked immediately into the CFA. This is a large home with the heating system designed and stamped by a mechanical engineer. That the system uses a water tank without a heat exchanger to separate the potable from the non-potable is only part of the story. The pumps are all cast iron; the mixing valve is way oversized...
We'll use a Viessmann Vitodens and VitoCell tank for the replacement. I found another route for the CPVC vent pipe for flue gases, without having to take apart the chimney.

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Dave Stroman

I like to run my pipes up the chimney when possible. I came up with this configuration. The double ell on top keeps the hail from knocking out the plastic bird screens and allows heavy winds to pass through it instead of pressurizing the vent. The air intake is tucked up under the metal cover to avoid having the flue gas sucked back inside.

This 2 pieces of PVC are about 40 ft. long each and weigh a lot. They are suspended with 2 riser clamps supported on a brick ledge just under the sheet metal cover. In the boiler room the pipes exit through the brick and attach to the boiler. I then brick in the opening which also provides some support and prevents any downward stress on the boiler.

Dave Stroman

Paul Pollets

Nice!!

Wish the installer had done this! If only the instructions were read.

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Henry

Manufacturers instruction

The Voyager installation did not follow the certifed manufacturers instructions! The old instructions required at least 8 inches between inlet and outlet.

By putting sheet metal over the intake, even if it looks very nice, is contrary to the instructions. You would be tagged for it, here. Another thing to worry about is the expansion of PVC! A 100 degree temperature change will expand 3.6 inches over 100 feet of PVC and 4.56 inches for CPVC. We have found cracked fittings in vents that were cimented in. We caulk a large joint around the plastic vent.