Switching from gas water heater to on-demand heater + water softner

[mizzou]

I have really bad hard water, to the point that it destroys my faucets quickly. I've always wanted a water softner for that reason, also I like them in showers and for appliances.

Well I also have an issue with my water heater expelling gas into an unlined, very tall chimney. The chimney needs tuckpointing before I can line it, and that cost alone will be about $3,000.00 for everything. The tuckpointing is around $1600

So, I feel that it is quite silly to spend $3k on a chimney and line it just for a water heater. I got a quote for a on-demand water heater that expels gas to the outside and also a water softner for about $3,000.00.

I already looked into reidrecting the gas fumes from the water heater and I just don't have the clearance to push it out the side of the house...ceiling is too low and too many obstructions.

Any negatives? Other then cost I'm not seeing any. Eventually I will still need to tuckpoint the chimney, but without the corrosive gases from the water heater it should last much longer.

 

[boomerang]

I don't see why a chimney would need to be tuckpointed before installing a liner. Here they just use a corrugated pipe with a cap. Expand it, feed it down the chimney, connect it at the water heater, connect a cap and fasten that to the existing flue lining. No biggie.

 

[mizzou]

I don't see why a chimney would need to be tuckpointed before installing a liner. Here they just use a corrugated pipe with a cap. Expand it, feed it down the chimney, connect it at the water heater, connect a cap and fasten that to the existing flue lining. No biggie.

It's not a requirement, I could just drop a liner in it. It's still $1500 or whatever to do that, which kind of shocked me. Slim pickings in my area for chimney professionals

100 year old stack

 

[NetWareHead]

I don't see why a chimney would need to be tuckpointed before installing a liner. Here they just use a corrugated pipe with a cap. Expand it, feed it down the chimney, connect it at the water heater, connect a cap and fasten that to the existing flue lining. No biggie.

This. Unless your chimney is in such a state of disrepair, leaks, structural issues etc... A liner will just run down the inside and connect as stated.

Im confused by the corrosive gases portion of your post and why you cant vent into your chimney. You are burning natural gas which is the cleanest fossil fuel and least corrosive flue gas. Second a masonry chimney is the most resistant to corrosive flue gas. Sulfur in flue gas combines with water vapor to form sulfuric acid and this is what eats a stainless steel liner. Natural gas is processed to remove nearly all of the sulfur (has less sulfur than oil or coal) so a masonry chimney or steel liner is fine

IMO, based on the facts you have presented, get the water softener so you can save your faucets. Dont replace a good water heater for a tankless. Vent the existing into a steel lined chimney.

 

[mizzou]

thanks for the feedback. i think im going to wait till spring to make a decision. the issue with the current unlined chimney is that the gasses wont travel up due to the improper size. lining it would solve that issue.

All the chimney guys told me natural gas is corrosive.... "shrug"

 

[boomerang]

Check HVAC contractors for prices on a liner. They also do that type of work.

 

[NetWareHead]

thanks for the feedback. i think im going to wait till spring to make a decision. the issue with the current unlined chimney is that the gasses wont travel up due to the improper size. lining it would solve that issue.

All the chimney guys told me natural gas is corrosive.... "shrug"

It *is* corrosive because they can't process every last atom of sulfur out. If it were corrosion they were worried about, then you should stick with masonry. But of course, there is no money to be made there. Anyway it's understood a steel liner will survive for a long time exposed to gas exhaust.

What I suspect is your flue is oversized for the water heater and putting in a liner would shrink it down to the right size; appropriately sized to the BTU output. 100 year old chimney was probably built in the heyday of coal or wood heat which output more flue gases than natural gas. Or there were multiple stoves dumping into the same chimney and needed a bigger flue.

 

[waffleironhead]

Cheaper than going the liner route, have you considered just getting a powervent gas tank water heater?

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Cheaper than going the liner route, have you considered just getting a powervent gas tank water heater?

+1. That is what I did when faced with the same issue. Chimney was going to have to be lined. Stupid expensive. I think the power vent added only a couple hundred to the cost of a new water heater. Pretty easy decision.