I have a new Rheem propane water heater that is not power vented. It has no vent hood. I can’t find installation instructions, model 24IR40DV1. Flue is single wall with a heat shield, venting through the roof. This is a modular home, new home inspection.
Appliance with heat sleeve pulled down over the flue:
I did not find it either, but I did find it is a direct vent for HUD.
Here is a tiny bit of information.
Product Info for LaSalle Bristol 24IR40DV1 Rheem Warrior Dv 40 Gallon Water Heater
Warrior DV are direct vent gas water heaters from Rheem certified for manufactured (HUD) housing and modular construction. FHR: 64 gallons for 40-gallon model, Recovery: 30.3 GPH at a 90 F rise. Field convertible controls for natural gas or LP operation included. Provides maximum design freedom since it can be placed anywhere within the home. Cold water inlet at side for fast, economical hook-up.
With that drip pan under the tank, I would doubt that there’d be a combustion air intake coming through the floor. That’s where a picture from floor level is very important to confirm whether or not it’s pulling combustion air from the crawlspace. It probably should be pulling combustion air from the crawlspace.
The exhaust flue components are consistent with other water heater installations that are manufactured specifically for manufactured homes. When you say “no vent hood,” I think that you are referring to the lack of a draft diverter. For this specific type of water heater, I don’t think that we should expect to see a draft diverter. Did you touch those “clamps” to confirm that they were loose? I’m not yet convinced that there’s a loose clamp in your photo.
@ruecker got it right. Thanks for this information! There is an air intake under the floor in the crawlspace. I wasn’t able to see how the pan was penetrated, but it actually had a drain. New WH conbustion configuration for me.
Would be for me too. I haven’t seen one in the field, just learned about them from researching the model number you posted. Thanks for bringing it to light for many of us!
Another concern I was aware of at this home comes from having 4 bathroom/kitchen vent fans, plus the dryer. The furnace was direct vent/sealed combustion with combustion air supplied from outside. With all those fans, and assuming this home is built tight enough to meet the MN Energy Code, there is a concern that all those vent fans could depressurize the home to the extent that flue gasses are drawn into the home. I’ve tested for this condition more than once with a resulting CO hazard being present. This direct vented water heater has the potential to solve that hazard.
I did talk to my client about CO and depressurization, emphasizing that if his CO alarm goes off, it’s the same as having an active fire. You need to get out! CO likely is in the 50ppm range when CO alarms sound. BPI standards (for energy audits) are to leave the home at 35ppm.
