Water Heater Installation / Repair & Replacement
Do you need a new water heater installation service in Columbus, Ohio or need water heater repair? Call the Columbus water heater professionals at Crawford Mechanical Services. Our Columbus, OH water heater services include water heater repair, water heater installation and regular check-ups. At Crawford Mechanical Services we can ensure that you will have hot water when you need it and that your water heater system won’t break down during the winter season. Sping time in Columbus, Ohio is the season that puts the most stress on your sump pump. Read our spring sump pump tips to make sure your basement stays dry this spring.
Hot Water Heaters
An apparatus, usually fuel burning, electric or solar powered, in which water is heated to be used directly as domestic hot water or process hot water (but not for supplying space heating, calorifiers etc, for which a boiler or furnace is used).
Difference between Direct Vent and a Power Vent Hot Water Heater
It can be quite overwhelming purchasing a water heater with all the different terms that are used to describe them. Confusion of what type of water heater is best for homeowners can also be troublesome, as there are many different variations of water heaters.
Two of the most popular water heater types is the direct vent water heater and the power vent water heater. The difference between the two water heaters is combusted from the burner to the vent system. A direct vent water heater vents these combustion gases to the atmosphere, while a power vent water heater removes them with the aid of a powered venting fan.
In a direct vent water heater, fuel is burned and the heat from this combustion process is used to heat the water. The exhaust gases are then transferred to the outside of the home via the exhaust pipe or chimney.
Direct venting works because heated air is lighter than cool air and in turn will rise naturally due to the difference in buoyancy between the hot and cold air. This is a nice simple system that works well when the exhaust gases can be vented vertically. No extra power is needed, and in turn the overall hot water heating costs are lower.
A power vent water heater uses a fan or blower to assist in the removal of exhaust gases from the hot water heater. If the water heater is installed in a location that doesn’t have access to a vertical vent or chimney, a power vent water heater may be your only choice. With the use of a fan or blower, exhaust gases can be pushed through horizontal exhaust vent pipes.
The main benefit of a power vent water heater is the ability to locate the water heater away from a chimney. Or if there is no chimney available, to save money by horizontally venting it to the outside through inexpensive venting pipe instead.
Some of the drawbacks of a power vent water heater versus a direct vent are that the power vent heater will cost more initially due to the extra equipment (fan/blower) needed. Not only that, but you’ll also need to run a power line to the fan. This too will add to the cost.
Another drawback is that the blower portion of the water heater will need electricity to operate. This will increase your hot water heating costs throughout it’s lifetime.
And finally, some people often complain about the sound of the fan running when the hot water heater is operating. While it’s probably only a minor concern, it’s something that should be seriously considered. Proper installation can help to eliminate, or at the very least minimize most of this.
So as you can see, there are a fair amount of differences between these two types of water heaters. Which one is right for you depends mostly upon your situation with respect to access to a vertical vent (vent stack) path or chimney.
