A friend has asked me to help him install a new oil WH. I’m fine with the plumbing and electrical work. I’ve never done a connection into a chimney flue though. What’s the preferred way to do this? He has an existing furnace ducted into the chimney. Is there a good way to “T” or “Y” into that duct, or do I punch a new hole through the chimney and liner and then grout a new duct into place? Thanks for any advice!
PaulB
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Replies
Better read the instruction manuals for both the furnace and the new water heater...they're pretty finicky, with good reason , about the size of the flues and sharing chimnies.
Do you have the proper equipment to (re)calibrate the barometric dampers?
Fighting Ignorance since 1967
It's taking way longer than we thought
:|
ummmm... that's a no.
(Why do I feel a lecture coming on? ;) )
PaulB
I posted a similar question a week or so ago. Trading out a furnace/ boiler with something equivelent. I was told what was installed 25 years ago has nothing to do with what's available today and its requirements.Flue is existing. It is basically a swap. Am told this is rarely the case. I will trade labor with you. I'll help you on your, you help me on mine (Mom's actually - Hamden). We can do yours first.Check out my thread at The Wall:http://forums.invision.net/index.cfm?CFApp=2And do a search for "mom needs" during the last 14 days. That is my original post. I can't find the responses/ rest of the thread but all the responses were emailed to me. I will forward them to you.What about disposal of the existing unit?FrankieThere he goes—one of God's own prototypes—a high powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die.—Hunter S. Thompson
from Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
Hey Frankie,
Thanks for the offer. I'll pass it on to the friend who asked me to help him out. Are you familiar with the various balancing requirements for the flue, etc? I'm in Hamden also. Wonder if we've met? Did you know Atlantic Filmworks on Putnam Ave? That was me...(until a year ago).
PaulB
No clue on balancing requirements... but how hard can it be? HAR! HAR! HAR!AFW sounds familiar. How long were you there?FThere he goes—one of God's own prototypes—a high powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die.—Hunter S. Thompson
from Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
Oh man... I was there over 20 years Frankie...biggggggg photolab on Putnam Ave. That was my place until digital cameras :S
PaulB
"Thanks for any advice!"
Politely tell your friend that you don't know enough to do this job properly and safely, and let a knowledgeable professional do this job.
I have to agree with rjw (Bob and I seem to agree on little, but here's the exception that proves the rule ;-) and Tim on this one.
Oil is different than gas (yeah, I know, no kidding), and setting up an oil burner properly requires equipment you likely don't have. Low pressure manometer, combustion gas analyzer (you're supposed to do that with gas too, but gas units are usually set up "close enough" by the factory and less finicky with the particulars of your site -- like vent and makeup air idiosyncracies of your site).
If you do it "wrong" you won't get near the efficiency out of the unit that it would otherwise give you (not to mention burning the place down or killing someone).
It ain't rocket surgery but you do need the the tools to do it right. Maybe get it installed and then call a pro with the right tools to fire it and do the final set-up if you feel you have to do it yourself.
"Let's get crack-a-lackin" --- Adam Carolla
Edited 4/10/2006 4:55 pm ET by philarenewal
Thanks to all who took the time to reply. Frankly, I was pretty skeptical about taking this one but I hate saying no to a friend. I have a strong feeling that getting a good burner tech to come out and set the new HW heater up after a DIY installation will be difficult at best. I'm trying to gently explain to my friend (who is unbelievably cheap and stubborn) that this just isn't a job for us to tackle...
PaulB