A homeowner in Chief Garry Park, just east of downtown Spokane, needed a new gas water heater in the basement. This one was more than a swap. The new heater vents a completely different way than the old one did, so we had to build a vent system that did not exist before.
The Call
The existing heater was an older natural draft gas unit. Natural draft means what it sounds like. Hot exhaust rises on its own, up a flue and out the chimney, and no fan is involved. It is a simple arrangement, and it works until the flue is the part that stops working.
What We Found
We wrote the replacement up as a power vent instead of another natural draft heater. A power vent puts a blower on top of the tank. The blower pushes exhaust out through pipe, so nothing depends on a chimney to pull it. That gives you a sealed vent path you can run horizontally and end outside. In an older basement, that is worth a lot.
The tradeoff is the old flue. You cannot reuse it. Converting means new vent pipe from the heater all the way outside. It also means the gas supply has to be right, because a power vent will not tolerate piping that was only just adequate for the last heater.
The Replacement
We pulled the old heater and set a 40 gallon Bradford White power vent in its place. It sits on a drain pan, so any future leak goes somewhere predictable instead of across the basement floor.
Then we built the vent run. It leaves the heater, goes out through the wall and climbs the exterior of the house. We strapped it to the siding and ended it above the eave, where the exhaust clears the building. That is the part you can see from the street, and it is the part that takes the time.
On the gas side we brought the piping up to code and fitted a new gas cock at the appliance. On the water side we added a thermal expansion tank, a new isolation valve on the supply, and a replacement shutoff on a nearby line. Then we strapped the tank with earthquake straps and hauled the old heater away.
The City of Spokane permitted the job and inspected it afterward.
The Finished Install
Materials and Equipment
- 40 gallon Bradford White power vent gas water heater
- New vent system run to an exterior termination
- Gas piping brought up to code, new gas cock
- Thermal expansion tank
- Drain pan under the tank
- New isolation valve on the water supply and a replacement shutoff on a nearby line
- Earthquake straps
- City of Spokane permit and inspection
- Old water heater removed and disposed of
Warranty
The tank carries a five year manufacturer warranty. Our workmanship warranty covers the installation.
Serving Chief Garry Park and East Spokane
We work Chief Garry Park, Logan, East Central and the blocks between the river and Sprague, from Mission Park across to Napa and Stone. Houses here are old enough that the water heater and the chimney were designed together. So when the flue is the problem, a power vent conversion is often the cleanest way out. Our water heater team can tell you whether your existing vent still works or whether converting makes more sense. We also install tankless water heaters where the gas line and venting support them, and we offer financing on full replacements. Our Raptor Titanium membership covers an annual water heater flush and inspection, priority scheduling and a five year warranty on plumbing installations.
Need a water heater looked at?
If your water heater is due and the venting is the question mark, we will come look at what you have.