Natural Gas Hot Water Heater

[jeff13624]

We picked up an older, (1973), Mobilehome for my mother. It has a new Natural Gas hot Water Heater in it. The gas company said it was the wrong type for this home. He said it was an residentual model, not a Mobile Home model. 2 questions 1) What is the difference between the 2, and 2) can this unit be made to work for this application? The guy said it was not drafting properly, and could backdraft CO2 back into the home. I need input on this, we do not want to spend money on a new heater if we do not need to.
Thanks in advance
Jeff

[Greg]

Hi & welcome. the major difference between "residential" & Mobile home approved is that a MH unit will use an outside air intake for combustion. I am sure there are others as well, but that is the most important. You may or may not be able to make it a MH approved unit,However I would bet against it. Greg

[1987Commodore]

Be sitting down when you get the price of a new gas MH water heater. The MH heater has a sealed system, with the air intake under the floor, up through the flue going out. A residential heater will draw in room air for combustion, and has an air gap between the flue at the top of the heater and the flue going out the roof.
Depending upon your situation, you may have recourse against the seller for the home not being up to code.
This may be time to consider switching to an electric heater, depending upon what it will take to upgrade your electrical system to handle it.

[Greg]

Did the gas company red tag the meter? Often for something like that they will shut the gas off and tag it, it is a huge liability for them if something were to happen because of the water heater and it was brought up that they were aware of it. Greg

[JD]

If your gas water heater is accessed from inside of your home, either an access door or removal of a panel, then the water heater needs to be a direct vent water heater, which are the crazy expensive ones. Even as a direct vent, it must say approved for mobile homes on the manufacturer's label. Usually they are called a Mobile Home Water Heater since there is no reason for a stick-built home to spend the extra $$. If there is an exterior access door, then you need a standard water heater which is also mobile home approved. Either way, it must be an approved mobile home water heater.

There are design differences and a non mobile home water heater can be dangerous for a mobile home. If you look under a standard residential water heater, you will see a fairly good sized vent. I have heard that flames can back flash through that vent under certain weather conditions.

Still, many people have standard residential water heaters in their mobile homes. Other than the safety issues, typical problems could be voiding your insurance if damage is caused by the improper WH (fire or plumbing leak), gas company would probably shut the unit down if they see it, a responsible contractor may not be willing to bid on repairs and this could become an issue when it is time for you to sell the home or have a home inspection for any reason. Your local building codes may require direct vent units.

[jeff13624]

Thanks all for your comments. I guess I am still trying to understand what the big deal is as to why there are 2 different types of water heaters. I mean a stick built house, and a mobile home are structures, made with pretty much the same materials, and such. Is it because of the size of space that they are located in? Basically a closet as opposed to an open space? This is the stuff that confuses me, I am not trying to sound argumentive, just trying to get educated.

Even if we have to get a different water heater, the home was a heck of a deal. We paid $600.00 for the home, and it is warmer and more airtight than my stick built home, and it has an awesome deck, carport, most windows have been replaced with vinyl, a newer furnace, and newer problematic water heater, and a Shed/Barn that is worth 5 times what we paid for the home. If we have to replace this W.H. we can probably sell it for a resonable price.

[Greg]

The big deal? Your safety. There are some that believe that a Mobile home is more air tight than a stick built, obviously they have never lived in a "stock" mobile in the winter. There is the idea that since the home is smaller than most stick built homes there is a more limited air supply. There is the fire aspect as well, early mobiles were basic fire traps made from kindling wood.

I would price both a proper gas unit and an electric unit with the necessary electrical work and go from there. Greg