Rheem water heater vent - screws?

[GCC]

Hi all,

Sorry for the dumb question but the Rheem water heater has two screw holes to attach the vent to the heater - but did not come with screws. I have 3/4" self tapping screws but I am hesitant to screw into it. Will they be ok? Should I get 1/2"?

Thanks,

 

[Fitter30]

There fine. Normally three screws go into each joint.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[GReynolds929]

Sheet metal screws are fine. The Rheem screws are usually in the bag with the manual.

 

[GCC]

Sheet metal screws are fine. The Rheem screws are usually in the bag with the manual.

I looked but couldn’t find any. I was worried 3/4” was too long, but I will use those. Thanks!

 

[Themus]

Perfect question, which I have to follow-up on. My Ream vent has two legs with prongs which fit into top two slots fine. Then there are two legs with holes to apparently screw into the top of the gas water heater. "There" looks like two holes for them, but neither line up with the holes in the legs. There is not enough give to match up the holes if that is what they are therefore.

Standard practice is just to use sheet metal screws and drill through the top? Like the above post, there were no screws with the unit.

 

[GReynolds929]

Just move the legs till the holes line up and screw together, that's what the holes are for.

 

[Fitter30]

Run the screws in part way. Have side cutters. Cut the end of the screw off put back in.

 

[Themus]

Just move the legs till the holes line up and screw together, that's what the holes are for.

With the vent set in the slots, the other two legs cannot be turned to line up with those holes.

 

[Themus]

Run the screws in part way. Have side cutters. Cut the end of the screw off put back in.

Not sure I follow. Start a sheet metal screw into the top, then back it out and cut the top of the screw off? Why would I need to back it out?

 

[Fitter30]

Not sure I follow. Start a sheet metal screw into the top, then back it out and cut the top of the screw off? Why would I need to back it out?

Cut the threads to make it shorter. If you don't screw it in first there aren't any threads

 

[John Gayewski]

You don't screw the draft collar to the heater. The screws are for your vent pipe to connect to the draft collar. The draft collar just pushes into the slots on the top of the heater.

 

[GReynolds929]

With the vent set in the slots, the other two legs cannot be turned to line up with those holes.

Show a picture cause that's how they line up, never had a problem. If they're off by a bit the legs will bend and move to where you need them. They're just sheet metal.

 

[GReynolds929]

You don't screw the draft collar to the heater. The screws are for your vent pipe to connect to the draft collar. The draft collar just pushes into the slots on the top of the heater.

Rheem draft collar gets screwed to the water heater, and the vent gets screwed to the draft collar.

 

[Themus]

Show a picture cause that's how they line up, never had a problem. If they're off by a bit the legs will bend and move to where you need them. They're just sheet metal.

I flipped the Rheem draft collar 180' and looks like the holes can line up with a little pull. Just use short sheet metal screws? -- then screw the Selkirk appliance collar with three screws to the Rheem draft collar?

 

[Jeff H Young]

I flipped the Rheem draft collar 180' and looks like the holes can line up with a little pull. Just use short sheet metal screws? -- then screw the Selkirk appliance collar with three screws to the Rheem draft collar?

yes

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

sometimes i wonder why they even sell gas heaters in hardware stores
to anyone with money and absolutely no idea what they are doing........

It kind of scares me when you read threads like this and they are installing
gas heaters in their homes....

Someday HD and Lowes will probably get the pants sued off of them with some
huge lawsuit when someone blows themselves up or carbon monoxides their families
to death....

A while back I read of someone who installed a tankless heater in their home \
and they all woke up dead a few days later....