Gas Hot Water Heater leaking (Power Venting)

finesstan · Jan 4, 2011

I have a State Select water heater that recently started to leak. The heater itself is 7yrs old with a 6year warranty. Just my luck it decided to go bad a year after the warranty expired. I decided to take on the task of replacing the unit myself. My water heater is a power venting unit 40gal/40,000 BTU.

Can anyone advise if the power vent from my (old) unit can be retrofitted on a new water heater that I purchase? The power vent still works good on my (old) water heater. I didn't know if I need to buy a new water heater that has power venting.

Thanks

Gsalet · Jan 4, 2011

You need to buy a new power-vent water heater which includes the power-vent unit. When you install your new water heater you may consider installing a second anode rod. how is your water quality? Did you Flush your heater?

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

Basement_Lurker · Jan 5, 2011

IMO a homeowner should not be messing with gas appliances! Saving a few bucks DIY'ing is not worth the risk to yourself, family, and neighbors when it comes to working on gas lines/appliances. But if you are experienced and insist on proceeding, then I hope you are careful and TEST TEST TEST! But I really urge you to hire this out to a professional.

finesstan · Jan 5, 2011

Gsalet said:
You need to buy a new power-vent water heater which includes the power-vent unit. When you install your new water heater you may consider installing a second anode rod. how is your water quality? Did you Flush your heater?

The water quality is very hard were I live. I had a water softner installed a few months after we moved into the home. I failed to do the yearly maintenance of flushing the water heater so this probably lead to the water leak.

Jimbo · Jan 5, 2011

Power vent units are built as such from the ground up. You can't just take a fan and plunk it onto any heater. First off its dangerous. Second, it violates the UL cert. of a water heater to modify it in any way, and hence is illegal.

Don't feel like you missed out on too much on the warranty. Although you might have got something on the tank, you would have paid a major labor charge to have it changed out under warranty.

hj · Jan 5, 2011

quote; Although you might have got something on the tank, you would have paid a major labor charge to have it changed out under warranty

In addition, the new heater would only be warranteed to the date the old one would have expired, which in this case might have been a month or so if it had failed a year earlier. ALSO, there is often additional fees and labor to exchange the tank from the distributor, which can make replacing one under warranty cost almost as much as a new heater with a full warranty would cost.

Ballvalve · Jan 5, 2011

6 year heaters have a cheap and 1/2 length anode. Likely gone by year 3, and just enough time for it to die by 6.1 years.

Flushing with a full port brass valve and a 15$ magnesium rod, full height, could get you 12+ years easy.

KellM · Jan 20, 2012

Selling PowerVent?

I was in the same situation as the first post...had to replace a GE Powervented Gas Hot Water Heater. The powervent is still working, just had issues with the tank. My question:

Would anyone have use for just the powervent? Do you think it would be possible to sell this part of the unit?

Hackney plumbing · Jan 20, 2012

finesstan said:
I have a State Select water heater that recently started to leak. The heater itself is 7yrs old with a 6year warranty. Just my luck it decided to go bad a year after the warranty expired. I decided to take on the task of replacing the unit myself. My water heater is a power venting unit 40gal/40,000 BTU.

Can anyone advise if the power vent from my (old) unit can be retrofitted on a new water heater that I purchase? The power vent still works good on my (old) water heater. I didn't know if I need to buy a new water heater that has power venting.

Thanks

Change to electric and I promise you will not need a power vent.

hj · Jan 20, 2012

I have never heard of anyone needing a powervent unit, so its value is probably zero.

Gary Swart · Jan 20, 2012

They are not interchangeable anyway. Not would probably not fit another heater, it would be illegal to do it.

hj · Jan 21, 2012

its only value would be to replace an existing one on the same model heater by that manufacturer, although, since manufacturers make MANY brands which are identical other than the name tag it might not be the same "make".

Gas Hot Water Heater leaking (Power Venting)

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