Is $7,000 to upgrade to a tankless water heater a fair price?
Project Details
I recently bought this home and discovered that my Rheem natural draft (Category I) gas water heater, model XG50T12HE40U0, has a potentially dangerous and non-code-compliant venting setup. It's installed in the garage, and the vent pipe is a long flexible metal connector (15-20 feet) that runs horizontally across the top of the garage wall and terminates through a side wall vent. I understand natural draft water heaters should vent vertically, and flexible connectors are only for short, upward-sloping runs, which makes me believe this setup breaks mechanical code and poses a carbon monoxide risk. I'm trying to figure out if this can be brought up to code without tearing up the ceiling, and if I can legally reuse the existing sidewall vent if I switch to a power-vent or direct-vent water heater. I'm also wondering if my home inspector or seller should have flagged this issue. I want to fix this ASAP but don't want to get upsold.
Quote Details
This quote is for a tankless water heater upgrade. The homeowner is considering this upgrade to address a potentially dangerous and non-code-compliant venting setup of their existing Rheem natural draft (Category I) gas water heater (model XG50T12HE40U0). The current setup involves a long flexible metal vent pipe (15-20 feet) running horizontally across the garage wall to a side wall vent. The homeowner is also inquiring if the existing sidewall vent can be reused with this upgrade, implying the tankless unit would likely be a power-vent or direct-vent type.
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