gas hot water heater

[Unregistered]

I have been informed by an "inspector" that my gas hot water heater is emmitting a high level of carbon monoxide (due to a lack of proper enclosure). His exact words on his report.
It sits in a room approx. 5'x10', right next to the furnace, which does not have a pilot light. the furnace is new, pilotless.
Is this guy trying to pull a fast one? What is code
on, or in an area?
Thanx for any info.
D.A.

[DUNBAR PLUMBER]

He is referring to a flue issue where the water heater is not venting; highly dangerous to human life.


I would have a chimney repair service or someone that deals with flue piping on a regular basis and do a draft test on the water heater to determine what the problem is.



Inspectors don't make up situations such as these.

[Wgoodrich]

You are also required vents through the door or wall top and bottom to allow combustable air to enter that room. May be the flame is eating up the air causing a vacuum in the room stopping your fumes from venting up the chimney.

You have reason to be concerned.

Wg

[Guido]

My house has a similar setup and there are no vents on the door or walls, but the ceiling is unfinished (you can see the joists) and you can look between the joists above the drywall ceiling in the adjoining rooms. This plus the fact that it's a 40 year old house "should" provide enough ventilation correct? FWIW I have a CO detector that never went off.

[Wgoodrich]

Combustion air may be obtained from a normal living type room. Never a bedroom or bathroom. However the key to combustion air is how large the room is and if adequate infiltration meeting minimum air exchange is present.

Problem is when a water heater or furnace with combustion is placed in a small room such as a storage or closet not enough air is allowed in.

With you ceiling joists open into the attic your attic most often is large enough to equal a normal sized room allowing combustion air to be used from the normal infiltration of air into the attic from outside.

If say you have a gas appliance in a tight closet as discribed above you are allowed to install a make up air pipe through the ceiling from the attic into that room for combustion air. If this is done two pipes must be installed one ending close to the ceiling and one close to the floor of that same room. No caps are allowed in this type make up air design.

You have open air to attic with larger cubic foot in attic you should be fine.

HOpe this helps

Wg

[Guido]

Definitely helps - thanks.
My furnace has dedicated cold-air intake from outside the house so it's only the hot water heater I need to worry about. But I believe it's OK because of the open ceiling and the door isn't air tight.

Thanks again.