Vent on the cold side of water heater when fixtures are lower than heater ?

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Dave Carpentier
Dave Carpentier Posts: 706
in Plumbing

Saw a video recently saying that a vent should be installed on a water heater's inlet side, when a sink or such is lower than the heater.

The notion was that the sink could drain water (if you didnt have supply for some reason) and collapse the heater ?

30+ yrs in telecom outside plant.
Currently in building maintenance.

Comments

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Posts: 21,329

    Could be.

    MA where I am requires a vacuum breaker on the cold water line inlet to a tank type water heater between the cold water isolation valve and the tank.

    I know some states do not require this. Connecticut I think is one of them.

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Posts: 18,399

    whichever model code michigan's is adapted from requires a vacuum breaker but only if the inlet to the tank is at the bottom.

  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Posts: 4,210

    Hi, I'm on the other coast and vacuum breakers are only used here on plastic Marathon tanks. I never see them on glass-lined steel tanks. In the old days, tanks were often made of copper, so the vacuum breaker made good sense.

    Yours, Larry

    Mad Dog_2
  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Posts: 8,755

    Very rare occurrence. Mad Dog

    Consulting by Mad Dog & Matt Jr.

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