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My dad is attempting to install a cheap ebay Tankless water heater...

K

Ksyder

Golden Member
My dad has been talking about putting in a tankless water heater for awhile now, and his old one finally went out so he got one. He is a cheapskate so he bought one off ebay and decided to put it in himself. It's not quite done yet, he has to finish up the water line connections tomorrow.

Any thoughts on this? He had a problem brazing the copper pipes. Apparently if there is water in the lines you can't get them hot enough to melt the solder, or so I'm told. He decided to switch to plastic and got some fittings that are supposed to join copper pipe to plastic. Also he just duct taped the metal vent on the top and there is a hole where the joint is and he just covered it all in duct tape. Is this going to be a problem?

That tankless water is seriously cheap, it was like $250 with shipping.

UPDATE: After reading this thread, my dad said he felt extremely stupid and hired a plumber to finish the job.
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Ksyder said:
He had a problem brazing the copper pipes. Apparently if there is water in the lines you can't get them hot enough to melt the solder, or so I'm told. He decided to switch to plastic and got some fittings that are supposed to join copper pipe to plastic. Also he just duct taped the metal vent on the top and there is a hole where the joint is and he just covered it all in duct tape. Is this going to be a problem?
Click to expand...

LOL. Gas powered, too, huh? I hope you're not living in that house.


More helpful comments: When duct tape gets hot, the glue softens and it no longer seals. He'll get water vapor, CO2, and carbon monoxide in the basement when that happens. While the copper-to-plastic fittings aren't a problem *per se*, the fact that he tried to braze copper pipes that were full of water doesn't give me a lot of confidence that he will get quality fittings and install them correctly. Furthermore, I hope he's qualified to install gas lines, because I shouldn't have to tell you the dangers of a gas leak.

It's pointless to ask if this is permitted work, because I already know the answer.

/further edit: And just to make sure that I'm clear, this isn't just internet worst-case-scenario speculation. Even if he DID manage to install the gas and water lines correctly with no leaks, present or future, that vent WILL start leaking once the duct tape gets hot.
 
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That exhaust vent is not good 😵.

Each gas appliance should have a dedicated flue exhaust.

edit: and it should be insulated near the appliance as well, unless you want to start a fire.
 
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Drako said:
That exhaust vent is not good 😵.

Each gas appliance should have a dedicated flue exhaust.
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I believe that you can combine under certain circumstances, but only within category (condensing or non, power vent or gravity) and only if the combined vent is appropriately sized (ie, big enough to handle both exhaust streams simultaneously).

But I'm not a professional and don't know the code for sure.
 
jagec said:
I believe that you can combine under certain circumstances, but only within category (condensing or non, power vent or gravity) and only if the combined vent is appropriately sized (ie, big enough to handle both exhaust streams simultaneously).

But I'm not a professional and don't know the code for sure.
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I think that the word 'code' is not valid in this thread 😀.
 
WOW this is a disaster waiting to happen...I just had one of these installed, it was a Navien 240A unit @ $1300 and my friend who is a gas fitter installed it for $650. He was there 7 hours. Hope your dad has good house insurance, if he's not gas certified and an explosion happens, his insurance is void...GL with this
 
jagec said:
LOL. Gas powered, too, huh? I hope you're not living in that house.


More helpful comments: When duct tape gets hot, the glue softens and it no longer seals. He'll get water vapor, CO2, and carbon monoxide in the basement when that happens. While the copper-to-plastic fittings aren't a problem *per se*, the fact that he tried to braze copper pipes that were full of water doesn't give me a lot of confidence that he will get quality fittings and install them correctly. Furthermore, I hope he's qualified to install gas lines, because I shouldn't have to tell you the dangers of a gas leak.

It's pointless to ask if this is permitted work, because I already know the answer.

/further edit: And just to make sure that I'm clear, this isn't just internet worst-case-scenario speculation. Even if he DID manage to install the gas and water lines correctly with no leaks, present or future, that vent WILL start leaking once the duct tape gets hot.
Click to expand...

You shouldn't use duct tape for something like this. They sell flue tape that is designed to work in very high temperatures.
 
Well I'm not surprised. This is why I asked. Thanks by the way for those for who are being helpful.
 
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Yes, duct tape will be a problem there.

Some code violations are no big deal but using duct tape in this circumstance really is not acceptable. You can get a roll of aluminum tape which is for this for under $10. Even then, the tape shouldn't be used to plug a huge hole like he has, but at least it won't melt and detach from the ductwork.
 
Well luckily my dad is not that stupid... I showed him this thread and he's having a plumber come on Monday to fix it.
 
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