Installation Manual

6 720 608 542
Installation instructions
19
3.4 Combustion air requirements
Twin pipe
The GWH 2700 ES is designed as a sealed
combustion appliance. It is recommended that the
combustion air be provided by a dedicated 3” or 4” pipe
from the outside. The combustion air pipe may be PVC
or any other rigid sealed 3” or 4" pipe. The combustion
air piping must pitch down 1/4 inch per foot towards
termination to prevent rain water from entering the
appliance. The combustion air inlet, whether terminating
vertically or horizontally, must be located in such a
manner as to provide a minimum 3 foot clearance
from the exhaust vent terminator. See Fig. 10
Letter I, page 11.
The maximum length of the combustion air inlet
is 26 feet with one elbow. Subtract 2.5 feet for
each additional 90° elbow and 1.25 feet for each
additional 45° elbow. Maximum number of
elbows permitted is 3.
Single pipe
Note: This appliance requires 9950 cubic feet of
available combustion air, or a minimum of 1243
square feet of space with an 8 foot ceiling to
operate. If the large amount of air space, which
equates to about half of most average sized
homes, is not available, the appliance must pull
air from outside (see twin pipe system above).
Although it is permissible to draw combustion air from
inside the structure, it is not the manufacturer’s
recommended installation method. Always install a 3
inch elbow on the top of the combustion air inlet
adaptor to prevent foreign objects from falling into the
unit.
If a single pipe installation is utilized, follow guidelines
below for providing adequate combustion air for the
water heater as well as any other appliances that may
consume air in the space. Always follow local codes if
they are more stringent.
This Installation Manual specifies the minimum exhaust
vent length (Fig. 8, page 10) and the amount of
combustion air required for this unit. When all
requirements are followed, the unit will operate properly
and safely. However, there may still be a risk of freezing
due to negative draft if the other combustion appliances
in the building are not supplied with sufficient
combustion air. A wood stove or furnace can pull its
combustion air from the heater's vent pipe, allowing the
cold incoming air to freeze the cold water in the heat
exchanger. Supplying more combustion air for all
combustion appliances is the solution. A HVAC
specialist should be consulted to design solutions for
providing more combustion air. Observe the following
guidelines:
Installations in structures that have been tightly
constructed (air infiltration rate of 0.40 ACH or less)
must be provided with combustion air per the National
Fuel Gas Code. Consult a HVAC specialist if your air
infiltration rate is questionable.
The space must have two permanent openings, one
commencing within 12 inches of the top and one
commencing within 12 inches of the bottom of the
enclosure.
Each opening must have a minimum free area of one
square inch per:
• 1000 Btu/hr if all air is taken from inside the building
• 2000 Btu/hr if all air is taken from the outside by
horizontal ducts
• 4000 Btu/hr if all air is taken from the outside by
direct openings or vertical ducts.
Or the space must be provided with one permanent
opening or duct that is within 12 inches of the ceiling of
the enclosure.
This opening must have a minimum free area of one
square inch per:
• 3000 Btu/hr if all air is taken from the outside by a
direct opening or vertical duct.
Louvers, grills and screens have a blocking effect. If the
effective free area is not known, increase the sizes of
your openings by 300% if your louvers are wood and by
43% if your louvers are metal. Refer to the National Fuel
Gas Code for complete information.
Warning: In areas where outside
temperatures routinely come close to
freezing, sealed combustion operation
is required. Use separate terminations
for combustion and vent, which must be
installed on the same wall or roof
surface, however never facing the
direction of prevailing winds. Failure to
do so may result in heat exchanger
freezing up and bursting. This failure is
not covered under the manufacturer's
warranty.
Warning: When installed in an
environment where corrosive chemicals
or dirty air are present the twin pipe
system is required.
Warning: Vent terminations must
prevent rain from entering the
combustion air and exhaust vent piping.