Furnace/water heating vent

[barlyhop]

I inspected this ranch home yesterday. The basement was finished over the years and the gas furnace and water heater were relocated for floor plan reasons.

The gas water heater vents into the furnace vent pipe on the horizontal about 10 inches from the furnace cabinet. The water heater vent pipe is about 6 feet long. I flame checked the draft at the water heater draft hood and barely found much of a draft at all but when the furnace burner kicks on, the draft is acceptable at that point.

Also, there was a single wall stovepipe from the furnace through the drywalled wall, then ran across an open hall and then up above a suspended ceiling system to the chimney. I called out the combustible clearance of the vent pipe to wood structure.

I recommended further evaluation of all of the venting system related to both appliances as it didn't appear to be all that safe to me.

What else am I missing here?

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[Chad Fabry]

What else am I missing here?

Site built tees or wyes are not allowed.

[Bill Kibbel]

Also, there was a single wall stovepipe from the furnace through the drywalled wall, then ran across an open hall and then up above a suspended ceiling system to the chimney.

It's not a stovepipe - it's a vent connector.

Vent connectors must be installed within the space the appliance is located. It can't pass through any floor or ceiling. It can't pass through a wall unless listed and labeled for wall pass-through.

Vent connectors should also be as short and straight as possible. Its maximum length should only be 1.5 feet for each inch of diameter. Between the chimney and the point where the second appliance vent connector is attached, it's often necessary to increase the size of the common connector.

[Darren]

What Chad & Bill said plus;

Is the furnace fan assisted draft & are the appliances tied into an exterior chimney?

[Greg Booth]

Is that copper water line touching the galvanized flue? looks like some dissimilar metal activity happening.

[barlyhop]

It's a non draft assisted furnace and the chimney is masonry block exterior chimney.

Yes, I also called out the galvanic corrosion at the vent pipe.

Thanks guys!