It’s an absolute necessity in any home, no matter what you use it for, which means that it’s always a good idea to ensure that your water heater is working properly, and is located in an environment in your home that is going to allow it to work and function properly.
One of the things that many people don’t realize is that some water heaters require ventilation in order to work properly, and without it, there can be serious problems.
In this guide, we’ll take you through everything you need to know about your water heater and ventilation, including whether or not your electric water heater needs ventilation in order to work properly.
So, let’s get started!
Why Do Water Heaters Need Ventilation?
It’s important when installing a gas water heater into your home that it is provided with plenty of ventilation.
This is because when the gas is combusted in order to heat up the water, emissions are created, and it’s not safe for them to linger around your home, as not only could they potentially cause health issues, but they could even be fatal!
As you can tell then, making sure that there is enough ventilation is crucial, so in the next section, we’ll take a closer look at the types of ventilation that can be used in your home.
Types Of Ventilation
When it comes to installing a water heater in your home, there are three different types of ventilation that you can usually choose from, so it’s worth discussing each one with the professional plumber installing your heater to decide which is best for you.
The types of ventilation include:
Chimney Ventilation
This type of ventilation is only usually used if your home already has a chimney built into the structure.
Both the intake and the exhaust emissions will use the pre-existing chimney for ventilation, sometimes it might utilize a fan, while other times it will simply depend on the hot air to rise out of it.
Direct Ventilation
A direct vent is one of the most common forms of ventilation for your water heater, and will simply use a hole made in your house in close proximity to the water heater in order to help expel any emissions, and to bring in fresh air too.
Because they don’t rely on pre-existing structures, this form of ventilation can be installed anywhere on the home, and typically use a fan in order to help ventilate.
Because they run horizontally, fans are needed due to the lack of pressure.
Power Ventilation
Similar to direct ventilation, power ventilation is installed close to the water heater, but instead uses the indoor air to help do so, pulling the air contained on the inside using a powerful fan, although the room the heater is stored in must have a good airflow for this to work.
If you’ve recently moved into a new property, it’s worth checking out what ventilation your water heater has. It used to be the case that they would share a ventilation system with the furnace in your house. However, this is no longer deemed safe, and would need to be changed immediately.
What about electric heaters then?
Do Electric Water Heaters Need Ventilation?
Compared to their gas water heater counterparts, one of the biggest benefits of opting for an electric water heater in your home is that they actually don’t require any ventilation whatsoever.
This is because the process that allows them to heat the water doesn’t produce any emissions or exhaust as a by-product, so there’s nothing to be ventilated in the first place.
Whether you’re concerned about the potential for emissions in your home, are unable to install adequate ventilation, or simply don’t have enough room to fit a gas water heater, electric water heaters make for the perfect alternative.
How To Store Your Electric Water Heater
While they might not need the level of ventilation required by gas water heaters, electric water heaters do have a number of requirements for the area of the house in which they are placed, which are all worth considering before you decide upon a location.
The first of which is that your electric water heaters need to be kept separate from any flammable liquids or materials, just in case there’s an accident, as it could soon spread to the rest of your house.
You should also ensure that your electric water heater is placed as close as possible to the water connection, such as a shower, which will help to ensure that you are able to access hot water as soon as possible when you want to.
Unlike gas heaters, electric water heaters cool themselves, which means that it’s a much more flexible option in terms of where you can place it. However, it’s worth trying to place the heater as close to the center of the house as possible, which prevents it from going cold in the winter.
Although if you live in a particularly hot climate, you might want to try placing your water heater outside, or in a garage, as you’ll use less AC trying to keep it at a stable temperature.
You’ll also want to consider ease of access. If something goes wrong with your water heater, you’ll want to make sure that it’s in a location where a plumber can easily access all parts of it without much difficulty, which will make servicing and repairing it much easier.
Final Thoughts
We hope that this guide has been able to help you understand more about electric water heaters, and whether or not they require any ventilation.
Just remember, that while gas heaters do require a form of ventilation in order to work properly, electric water heaters do not, which is why so many people prefer to use them!
Hi everyone! My name is Jason, and I am the founder of HeaterWise.com. Having run my own business as a Heating Engineer for 21 years, I have picked up a few things along the way.
I wanted to create Heater Wise as a place where anyone could come, from far and wide, to find the information that they need.
I hope you will join us here at Heater Wise, to get started on your own journey, to expand your knowledge, and make the best heating choices for you and your family.
