Gas Hot Water Boiler's Flue Cap installed incorrectly?

Ritzy

About 2 weeks ago, I had a chimney sweep install a new flue liner in my exhaust chimney leading to a Rheem Gas Hot Water Boiler (50 gallons) & my Weil McLain gas boiler. 

My house is over 70 yrs. old & the chimney was filled with disintegrating debris when the chimney sweep opened the flue entrance. 

The sweep detached both the hot water boiler's flue cap & the flue attachment to the gas boiler in order to complete the installation of the new flue liner.

However, when the sweep re-attached the hot water boiler's flue cap, it looked too close to the top of the hot water boiler (in my non-plumber opinion).  When I questioned the sweep about the flue cap's re-attachment, he told me that is the way it should be.

Now, my faucet is shooting with pressure when I open the hot water faucet.  I was wondering:

IS THIS HOT WATER TANK"S FLUE CAP INSTALLED IMPROPERLY...TOO CLOSE TO THE TOP?  WILL THIS ENDANGER MY FAMILY'S SAFETY?

I am attaching photos of the "before flue cap removal" & the "after the flue cap reinstallation."

I would appreciate any expert opinion on this, as I do not want my family endangered.

Thank you so much!

Ironman

No, That is Not Right

It should be as it was in the first place. After it is corrected, it should be checked for proper draft and tested with a combustion analyzer. Ditto for the boiler.



Have someone competent check it at once! You could have a potentially dangerous or deadly situation. Call your gas supplier if you don't know of a good gas tech with an analyzer.

Mark Eatherton

Hot hot water...

is not related to the venting issue. Turn the temperature down. And get Carbon Monoxide detectors for your home if you don't already own them.



ME

icesailor

Flue Connections:

I don't need no stinkin' license. I know what I am doing. Been doin' it like this since the old guy I worked for showed me.

Heaven help us.

Hot water pressure has no bearing on the flue exhaust problem. It is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!!!. If you live in an area where there is an authority having jurisdiction, They "should" loose their mind over it. It is WRONG!!!!!.

That draft hood has a function. There are some that are arguing that it isn't needed. It was approved with a draft hood. It was installed with a draft hood. Was the chimney sweep licensed to modify an existing installation? Does he have a license to do so?

Ritzy

Gas Hot Water Boiler's Flue Cap installed incorrectly?

Please let me say, "Thank you," for all of your responses. 

To answer the last question:  No...the chimney sweep was only a chimney cleaner.    I had no idea that plumbers, also, install chimney flues.  If I thought

that plumbers installed chimney flues, I would have had a plumber do the

job. 



Today, as per Ironman's suggestion, I had a licensed plumber evaluate the issue.  It seems that the "hat" of the hot water tank is so "crushed down" now (when it had about a 4" clearance before the chimney sweep touched it) because the flue-liner was installed "too low" into the existing chimney.

Now, I am being told that I need to change the whole hot water tank...change it to a "low boy" model to lower the tank height & accommodate the descending metal vent....as the descending/ascending metal vent from the tank to the chimney, now, does not ascend evenly...it ascends up & down on its path...because the flue-liner was inserted too low into the chimney!  

I have attached another picture of the "connection." 

Imagine, from simply having a chimney flue-liner installed, I, now, have to have a perfectly working water heater replaced!

Ritzy

Gas Hot Water Boiler's Flue Cap installed incorrectly?

Please let me say, "Thank you," for all of your responses. 

To answer the last question:  No...the chimney sweep was only a chimney cleaner.    I had no idea that plumbers, also, install chimney flues.  If I thought

that plumbers installed chimney flues, I would have had a plumber do the

job. 



Today, as per Ironman's suggestion, I had a licensed plumber evaluate the issue.  It seems that the "hat" of the hot water tank is so "crushed down" now (when it had about a 4" clearance before the chimney sweep touched it) because the flue-liner was installed "too low" into the existing chimney.

Now, I am being told that I need to change the whole hot water tank...change it to a "low boy" model to lower the tank height & accommodate the descending metal vent....as the descending/ascending metal vent from the tank to the chimney, now, does not ascend evenly...it ascends up & down on its path...because the flue-liner was inserted too low into the chimney!  

I have attached another picture of the "connection." 

Imagine, from simply having a chimney flue-liner installed, I, now, have to have a perfectly working water heater replaced!

Jean-David Beyer

I do not have a license, but

I suggest you get someone who has to give you a second opinion.  My unlicensed opinion is that something will surely need to be done. But my intuition would be to keep the hot water heater and have the chimney liner installer, or someone who knows his business, to reinstall that liner so that the outlet(s) into the chimney are at the proper height so those pipe(s) can have the proper slope and those "flue caps" (could that be their right name) properly located.



I though a flue cap was the thing I had installed on my chimney, at the very top, to keep the squirrels out.

icesailor

Opinions:

I don't agree that you need a new water heater. You need a second opinion.

My aged brain can't remember where I heard it, I think at my CE class for my license but someone was arguing that draft hoods are counterproductive for reasons I won't go in to but that double acting draft dampers are more effective. A double acting barometric control is more accurate and gives you better control.

Don't change the heater.

Larry Weingarten

thoughts

Hello:  Looking at the photo, I see the legs of the draft hood are straight and don't seem to be crushed down.  The pipe looks like four inch and the hood looks to be three inch.  Switching the pipe to three inch might allow you to get some rise and better draft. Or tying into thew bigger line further back towards the chimney might help a bit.  I'd fire it and test for spillage at the draft hood.  I'd do the same with the boiler running.  Let us know!



Yours,  Larry

Ritzy

Gas Hot Water Boiler's Flue Cap installed incorrectly?

Thank you for your advice.  I was wondering:  How do I test for spillage?  Also, the original vent-cap at the top of the boiler "stood" up significantly higher than what the sweep left it as after installing the new flue-liner.  I have attached another before & after picture. 

Thank you, again, for your input!