Water heater (right) with vent pipe
The vent pipe on a water heater carries off noxious fumes generated by the burning of natural gas in gas water heaters. The fumes rise naturally, are funneled through a vent hood and into a ductwork system. From there, the ductwork carries the fumes to a roof vent, where they are safely dispersed. One of the last steps in home water heater installation is installing a vent pipe.
Instructions
1. Measure the path of the vent for the water heater through the home. Start at the top of the water heater and trace a path to the underside of the roof. This will give you an idea of how much venting is needed. It will also give you the type of venting to buy. For example, if you need to make a sharp bend through a crawl space with the vent pipe to reach the roof, you know you'll need to buy a 90 degree elbow bend.
2. Cut out any holes needed in walls, floors or crawlspaces to run the venting through. Use the vent as a guide for the hole size. Cut out the hole with a jigsaw or rotary drilling tool with a blade attachment. Sand the edges of the holes with sandpaper.
3. Cut a hole in the roof for the vent. Remove any shingles or other roof materials to reach the subroof for a cleaner cut. Sand down the edges of this hole as you did with the venting holes. Insert the vent exhaust and mount to the roof with screws.
4. Mount the vent hood on top of the water heater. These may screw into place on top of the water heater or they may slip into clips on top of the heater. Check to make the hood level during installation, using a spirit level.
5. Connect the vent pieces from the vent hood through any holes as needed and all the way to the roof exhaust. Secure the pieces together with foil tape or duct tape. Steady the venting by securing it to nearby studs or joists with straps.
6. Seal the spaces around the roof exhaust with asphalt or weatherproof silicone caulk dispensed from a glue gun. Trim off the end of the asphalt or caulk before inserting it into the gun.
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