Propane heater and water heater-venting/exhaust

SecondChanceHomes

I'm wrapping up a renovation of a small cape cod style home.  Early on we decided to convert to high efficiency propane heat and had that installed.  We wanted to install a propane water heater, but don't have a place we can run a second set of pvc piping for intake and exhaust.  Can we not split off the intake and exhaust inside the basement wall to run to both appliances?

Bob Harper

common venting mechanically vented appliances

No, common venting and interconnection of two mechanically vented appliances is not allowed. These are balanced, sealed systems. To tap into either pipe would allow it to shunt the wrong way.



Is there a chimney that could possibly be used for venting? Check with the appliance listed instructions to see if they allow vertical venting. If so, you may be able to reline the chimney and vent one up instead of horizontally.

HTH,

SecondChanceHomes

no chimney

Thank you for the quick response, greatly apreciated.  No, there is not chimney.  It was a 1950's cape and to maximize floorplan and dormer addition, we removed the old furnace's chimney since it ran up through the middle of the house.  We may end up having to go with the electric water heater since we'll be hard pressed to find a suitable spot to run the pvc vent/exhaust where it's not too close to another or to a window.

Jean-David Beyer

Instead of electric water heater, ...

... can you consider an indirectly fired water heater run off the heating boiler? An indirect requires no ventilation as it has no burner, but is cheaper to run than an electric.. At least with natural gas it is; I do not know about propane.

CMadatMe

Can you run

Atleast the vent pipe out? Can you use combustion air from inside the room? If so, you could use a Nortiz instantaneous hot water htr. They do sell a draft induced version and you can vent pretty far away.