Up until 6 years ago, if you were in the market for a new gas water heater, a traditional gas water heater (with a draft hood) was the way to go. This was considered the standard in water heaters, the water heater you’d find in most homes.
Most of these water heaters used gas (not oil), and despite having to be replaced ever 10 – 15 years, they proved to be a great solution for domestic water heating needs. However, there was one glaring drawback: Standard water heaters with a draft hood had a bad reputation, and that was for being deadly.
This style had one defining feature – an open gas flame was exposed. While this made it easier to reach for maintenance, it also made it ten time more dangerous. With the flame exposed, multiple water heater explosions occurred. It also caused several deaths since so many water heaters are kept in garages (where guys hanging out happens a lot).
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 however changed the whole water heater scene, making things a lot safer. Instead of allowing traditional gas water heaters with draft hoods to be installed in residential homes, they made instead made sealed-combustion water heaters the new legal standard.
And what’s different about sealed combustion water heaters (also known as direct vented, power vented or induced draft combustion water heaters) is that they’re considered much safer because of the way air gets to the flame. In a sealed combustion water heater, air is supplied directly to the water heater via a duct so it’s able to prevent spillage and backdrafting of natural gas, which was the cause of those pesky explosions.
If you’re searching for a safe, sealed combustion water heater and live in the North Metro of the Twin Cities, please call Paul the Plumber for more information.