Z-Vent Stainless Steel Venting for Marey 5L, 10L & 16L Tankless Water Heaters

Globaltowne is a supplier of Z-Flex Stainless Steel Venting material and carries a large variety of sizes ranging from 3" - 24" single wall stainless Steel venting.  Globaltowne can also get 3" - 24" diameter double wall stainless steel venting.  Marey Gas Tankless Water Heaters come in 3 different sizes from a small 5 Liter gas tankless, a 10 Liter gas tankless and a 16 Liter gas tankless.

All venting must be done in accordance with local codes and regulations. Local building codes from city to city and state to state will vary. Some jurisdictions may allow venting material not allowed by other jurisdictions.

All jurisdictions in North America allow for Z-Vent material to be used for venting tankless hot water heaters. The condensation of a tankless water heater is slightly more acidic than that of a standard water heater. Z-Vent is double walled stainless steel vent pipe made specifically for venting tankless heaters. Z-Vent is intended for lifetime use and will never corrode or rust.

Some jurisdictions in North America allow for B-Vent to be used. B-Vent is double walled galvanized vent pipe made for standard water heaters and stove vent pipe. B-Vent is not lifetime material and will eventually corrode after extended use. Before deciding what material to use, you MUST check your local building codes to see what is allowed in your jurisdiction. If you choose to use B-Vent, you MUST check it at least monthly for corrosion and replace vent pipes immediately if corrosion is detected.

Diameter of the vent pipe is 4” for 5L, 4” for 10L, and 5” for 16L units. Use the coupler provided with your unit for installation on the 5L and 10L units. Vent pipe attaches directly to the unit in 16L models.  For the 16L tankless when using the Z-Flex stainless steel venting you may also need a 5" stainless universal adapter and then a 5" single wall to double wall stainless adapter if you are going to use 5" double wall stainless steel venting.

For more information about the venting material you may need for your Marey tankless water heater, please consult the Marey Corporation or refer to the installation manual with the heater but the most important fact is to check what your local code requires!!

To order any of the Z-Vent single wall or double wall stainless steel venting pipe, adapters etc.  please call us at our toll free number 888-726-9752.

Replacing an older 125FX LP with a Bosch 660EF LP

The older Bosch Aquastar model 125FX LP (Liquid Propane) was 117,000 BTU and was a direct vent unit that was good for one major application at a time.  The 125FX LP had electronic ignition and was fan assisted and took it's combustion air from the room it was installed in.  The heater had a built in fan so the heater could be vented right out the sidewall of the building.  The 125FX LP had to be vented with a 4" sealed stainless steel venting going a maximum of 15' out the sidewall of the building into the FXHood.  The FX Hood was a termination hood specifically designed for the 125FX LP and had a built in flapper to keep cold air from penetrating the vent pipe and freezing the heater.  The Bosch Aquastar 125FX LP is discontinued now and has not been made for over 8 years or so.  The replacement model for the older 125FX LP would be the Bosch 660EF LP.

Bosch 660EF LP



The Bosch 660EF LP can be used for a direct replacement for the older Bosch Aquastar 125FX LP.  The 660EF Lp is also a direct vent unit, it is 140,000 BTU and has electronic ignition and is fan assisted to vent right out the sidewall of the building.  The 660EF LP has 3/4" water and gas connections on the bottom of the heater.  The 660EF LP also takes it's combustion air from the area where it is installed.  The 660EF LP is designed for 3" stainless steel venting and has a special 660EF adapter required for the top of the unit to attach the venting to.  You would then need to use a 3" to 4" increaser so you could go to 4" stainless steel venting and can then be adapted to hook up right to the existing FXHood.

If the older Bosch Aquastar 125FX LP was originally installed with 4" galvanized venting and there was no FX hood in place then the installer could use the AQ5EF sidewall vent for the new Bosch 660EF LP.  The AQ5EF sidewall vent kit comes with the 660EF adapter, 3"x90 degree elbow, 3oz tube of high temp sealant, wall thimble, termination box, a 3"x12" piece of stainless pipe and a 3"x18" piece of stainless pipe.



Z-Flex 3" & 4" Silicon Seals for Stainless Steel Venting

Z-Flex Inc. is a major manufacturer of category 3 stainless steel venting material (AL29-4C).  All of the stainless steel venting is a sealed vent pipe.  The stainless steel vent pipe has a seal on one end inside the female end of the pipe.  The vent pipe has a built in clamp on the female end also. 

The seal on the inside of the 3" & 4" stainless venting keeps the vent pieces sealed when connecting them together.  If there is ever a need to take the venting pieces apart then the gaskets would have to be replaced as they would be damaged by the prior heat and condensation.

Globaltowne has extra 3" & 4" replacement silicon seals in stock in case the venting has to be taken apart.  These seals are required for all the stainless venting and prevent any gasses from getting out into the home.

Venting requirement for Bosch AQ4 Powervent Kit

The Bosch AQ4 Powervent Kit with built-in freeze protection is designed for the Bosch 1600H (Hydro Ignition) and 1600P (Pilot) tankless water heaters. This accessory allows the Bosch 1600H and 1600P tankless heaters to vent horizontally out the sidewall of the home. The AQ4 does require power to operate and operates on 120V and comes with a 3' cord to plug into the outlet.

The AQ4 is a power vent kit and will allow a horizontal vent run of up to 25 feet with one elbow (subtract 5 feet for every elbow). This kit includes the power vent motor. There is also a vent hood with damper that gets mounted on the outside of the home and this built in flapper prevents the cold air from coming in when the heater is not in use. Please make sure to refer to the installation manual and that the hood is properly installed so that the flapper stays closed all the way when not in use.

The AQ4 powervent kit comes with a 5" to 4" reducer. This reducer fits right on top of the heater and then you would use 4" type B, C or stainless steel AL29-4C venting (not included) to go to the powervent motor. There is a minimum of 2 feet of straight pipe required between the reducer and the blower motor. Any venting (if needed) "after" the powervent motor must be 4" sealed stainless steel AL29-4C. The Blower motor should be placed right at the opening where the termination hood with damper is to be installed on the sidewall of the home.

The AQ4 powervent kit is activated by a flow switch and gets attached to the cold water pipe on the right side of the unit just before it goes into the heat exchanger.

The blower motor for the AQ4 has a new design and includes a delay setting that goes from #1 - #5 and this lets the installer set the blower motor so that when it senses flow it can be delayed for 1 - 5 seconds before the blower comes on. This will help to ensure the pilot and burners light without getting sucked out by the blower motor.

There is also a built in safety spill switch that gets attached to the tankless water heater and this will detect high temperatures from any flue gases in the case the blower motor does not activate and will shut the unit completely down.

Selkirk 5 Inch Type B Venting Double-Walled Galvanized

GlobalTowne stocks 5" Selkirk Metalbest Type B Double-walled Galvanized vent pipe for the Bosch AquaStar 1600H and 1600P tankless water heaters.

The Selkirk Metalbestos 5" Type B vent pipe will connect up directly with the 1600H and 1600P tankless hot water heaters and will also connect up directly with the Bosch H/P VVT vertical vent kit.

The Bosch H/P VVT vertical vent kit contains all of the venting parts needed to vent the Bosch 1600H and 1600P heaters through the roof except for the straight pipe.

Our customers have found that ONLY the Selkirk Metalbest vent pipe will mate up with the H/P VVT vent kit piping, so this is the 5" Type B venting that we stock.

Steve

Z-Vent Installation Tips and Hints

GlobalTowne is one of Z-Flex's largest distributors in the US. We carry all of the Z-Flex Z-Vent stainless steel vent pipe that is needed to exhaust tankless water heaters and boilers.

Here are some generic Z-Vent Installation Tips and Hints directly from the vendor:

1. A venting system that exits the structure through a sidewall or the like, shall terminate not less than 12 inches (254 mm) above the ground.
2. The termination of a system shall be located above the snow line in geographical areas where snow accumulates. The termination area should be kept clear of snow and ice at all times.
3. The vent shall not terminate less than 7 ft. (2.13 m) above a paved sidewalk or driveway.
4. The termination shall be 6 ft. (1.8m) or more from the combustion air intake of any appliance.
5. The system shall terminate more than 3 ft. (.91 m) from any other building opening, gas utility meter, service regulator or the like.
6. Exterior mounted venting systems should be enclosed below the roof line with a chase to limit condensation and protect against mechanical failure.

Always refer to your tankless water heater or boiler's Installation Manual as their requirement may differ from these Z-Vent Tips.
Steve

Indoor 2700ES/2400ES Installations with Outdoor Piping

The Bosch 2700ES and Bosch 2400ES tankless water heaters can be installed indoors and vented out the side-wall using the AQ3ES Vent Kit or up through the roof using the ES VVT Vent Kit.

These two high efficiency Bosch Tankless Water Heaters can also be installed outdoors using the AQOK Vent Kit.

One question we often get asked by customers who want to vent out through the side wall is whether or not they can use additional 3" stainless steel venting parts on the outside of their homes. Most often these customers want to vent out the side wall and then use a 3" 90 degree elbow to then add vertical vent pipe to bring the venting termination point higher up the side of their home.

Gas codes do not allow vent pipe to run along the outside of the house in cold climates due to condensation problems and interference with draft. The heaters are designed for sidewall termination only (not sidewall penetration with vent continuing outside).

The likely outcome of installing in cold climates with additional outdoor piping will be significant condensation leading to heater damage, particularly to the gas valve. Theoretically, adding extra condensate drains would help reduce the chances for this type of damage, but Bosch does not recommend rigging up extra drains for what would be an improper install in the first place.

You may consider building an insulated exterior chase to run vertical vent pipe through. Consult your local Gas Code to see if this is allowed. When heaters are not installed according to Gas Codes then they are generally not covered by a warranty.

Here is the proper way to exhaust the Bosch AquaStar 2700ES or 2400ES tankless water heaters:



The following diagram shows both the exhaust and intake air (combustion air):



Steve