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Anyone have any experience with direct vent water heaters which use a PVC pipe to exhaust instead of a metal chimney. Are they worth it, last longer? I need to install quite a few feet of double wall pipe (approx $160 worth) if I go w/ standard gas heater because of no existing chimney to dump into. Thanks. Frank
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Yes, lots of them around here. If someone orders a house with a high-efficiency (condensing) GFA HVAC; then many builders offer a companion direct vent water heater. They work fine.
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We have recently begun to use these units since the Wisconsin Energy Star program requires the installation in new construction. No problems. Disadvantage is when the power goes out, no hot water.
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Anyone have any experience with direct vent water heaters which use a PVC pipe to exhaust instead of a metal chimney. Are they worth it, last longer? I need to install quite a few feet of double wall pipe (approx $160 worth) if I go w/ standard gas heater because of no existing chimney to dump into. Thanks. Frank