The Dean of Home Renovation & Repair Advice

COMMUNITY FORUM

johnzonh

07:10AM | 05/16/05
Member Since: 04/17/05
4 lifetime posts
Bvhvac
Hi everyone. We just bought a house that has a gas space heater in a finished basement...approx 7 feet below grade....with the exhaust line extendind 4 feet horizontally to an elbow....then straight up 6 or 7 feet to the exhaust.

Recently we discovered that the unit fills up with water everytime it rains.....so it shuts off automatically. I took it apart...drained it and then it works fine again until it rains.

The house has clapboard siding and it seems that the exhaust unit tilts slightly upward...perhaps contributing to the water problem. I have no paperwork with the unit....so I am not sure of a safe way to deal with the issue....try to tilt the exhaust another way....or build a hood over it? Is there something commercially available to deal with this? Thanks for the info....any insight is appreciated.

johnzonh

11:05AM | 05/17/05
Member Since: 04/17/05
4 lifetime posts
Ok I was away from home when I originally asked my question....here is a bit more information.

The exhaust / inlet is aluminum...and without a picture to show you it is approx 8 inches around flush mounted with a foam rubber seal against clapboard siding. At the center protrudes the exhaust stack about an inch.

The heater is a Rinnai Energysaver Model 431F.

This is all the information I have right now.

Thanks again.

johnzonh

05:15PM | 05/23/05
Member Since: 04/17/05
4 lifetime posts
Ok its only a heater in a basement 7 feet below the exhaust that is accumulating rainwater. My point is that is it safe to build something like a hood over that exhaust.

johnzonh

05:16PM | 05/23/05
Member Since: 04/17/05
4 lifetime posts
Ok its only a heater in a basement 7 feet below the exhaust that is accumulating rainwater. My point is that is it safe to build something like a hood over that exhaust.

Billhart

08:05PM | 05/23/05
Member Since: 04/25/05
1918 lifetime posts
You should get the installation manual.

http://www.rinnai.us/products/heatersfurnaces/products.asp

You need to be registered so I don't know how detailed it is. Or contact their customer service.

This gives some generic details of the units.

http://www.alsheating.com/Rinnai.htm

My guess is that the horizontal vent either is missing the termination/baffels (don't know what they have only looking at the picture) or that it is installed with downward slope instead of level.




Post a reply as Anonymous

Photo must be in JPG, GIF or PNG format and less than 5MB.

Reply_choose_button

captcha
type the code from the image

Anonymous

Post_new_button or Login_button
Register

Follow Us

horizontal divider
facebook
 
webapp1