Direct vent install problem

[jsbeckton]

I have an old wood burning fireplace in my basement that I want to add a DV insert to. While inspecting how I would get power/gas to the firebox I discovered that my hot water heater ties into the same flue a few feet above the firebox.

As I understand a DV insert would involve sealing the cap so just the in/out liners going directly to the insert would be open which means there would be nowhere for the hot water heater to vent.

Is this a common problem and if so is there any way to work around it? My gas boiler is in the same room as the water heater and ties into a seperate flue. Would I need to move the water heater over to that flue?

Thanks!

 

[DAKSY]

Every appliance REQUIRES it's OWN flue. If you move the water heater venting to the one with
the furnace, you may have to run liners for each one all the way to the top of the chimney structure.
Before you do that, check with your bldg inspector to see what the code is in your area.
Can you run the water heater venting DIRECTLY to the outside?

 

[jsbeckton]

Every appliance REQUIRES it's OWN flue. If you move the water heater venting to the one with
the furnace, you may have to run liners for each one all the way to the top of the chimney structure.
Before you do that, check with your bldg inspector to see what the code is in your area.
Can you run the water heater venting DIRECTLY to the outside?

I have read that you can have multiple gas appliances on the same flue as long as the smaller appliance is tied in higher. Is that not true?

I could probably vent the HWH to outside wall but there are windows directly above that point so I was trying to avoid that.

 

[jsbeckton]

Any other thoughts on this?

 

[Tech Guru]

Well the original theory behind the (assuming LP or Nat gas) hot water tying into the same chimney as the wood fireplace should not be right. DAKSY is correct in saying those shouldn't have been sharing a flue. Have you checked that it is not just a double flued chimney (one flue with the gas, and the neighboring flue for the wood fireplace)? The wood fireplace would never have worked if there was a gas B-Vent or liner run up it. Can you get into the fireplace to look up the chimney itself, to see if there is a clear path to daylight?

 

[jsbeckton]

If I shine a flashlight into the hot water heater clean out I can see the light looking into the fireplace flue so they are connected.