# Can I remove this natural gas wall heater myself safely?



## LadeeDIY (Feb 20, 2018)

Am the landlord of this 700 sq ft unit. Long story short, the contractor put a BW vent into the wall in March and not a B vent. Did not City pass inspection. 



Unfortunately, this contractor had his license suspended and can't do update. i've called 15 HVAC guys - no one will swap out the vents due to former contractor suspension. Am guessing they don't want to be blamed if unforeseen problems come up due to the incompetence of first contractor.



The gas source has been capped. Can I safely remove the unit myself? Am tired of being asked what happened. I tell them on the phone, the HVAC guys show up promising an estimate, and I never hear from them even if I call back. Tired of being brushed off here. 



I want to rent the unit and can't until I have a legal heater. Really, really frustrating!


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

Strange, I don't understand other licensed HVAC techs won't remove it and run proper B venting.... is there something else involved that we don't know about.

You say the gas is shutoff/capped ,,,,outside the unit or within the unit.... ????

If caped outside and you shut off any electric to it, I don't know why you can't remove the unit...

BUT.... who is going to run the new venting for you.


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## LadeeDIY (Feb 20, 2018)

No, there is nothing else. I assure you. I have documents from the city inspector office stating as such This has been really frustrating. You look like you're a professional contractor. Would it make sense to say the thing was broken and I had it removed? I am a woman and know they are trying to take advantage of a minor situation. I am getting nowhere with these contractors.



i'm in the SF Bay Area and am thinking they don't want to waste their time doing a job that doesn't pay much. 



The gas is capped off inside the heater itself. Natural gas is still available in the unit for the stove and for the water heater. 



I did have a few who gave me the hard sell for a mini split, for 15K+. The AC portion would be useless for the tenants since it's foggy all the time.


Sorry if I sound upset. Again it's frustrating when I'm honest and not finding much help or honesty out there.


Thanks and appreciate your post!!


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

As long as the gas is cut off at a valve and that valve capped, you can remove the unit. Where it is abandoned will be butt ugly, so plan on doing something to make it more palatable for the tenant. What are your 4 month plans when heat is needed in the unit?


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

Ladee.....

Oh ...SanFrancisco.....that explains alot.

Wow.... I don't know SF building department....(have done small permitted work in Tiburon and San Mateo and major work in SoCal...but as a quazi homeowner (my kid's places).

As a possible suggestion, I would pretty assuredly assume that a homeowner (maybe not on a rental though) is allowed to perform their own permitted work regardless of trade.

I don't know your venting run, but perhaps a legit good handyman/friend might be able to "teach you how to do it....of course he would have to be present to show you how to do it."

(I've never used that BW oval stuff...but I think your unit has to be rated for it...and I think there is extra fireproofing involved when you run that in a framed wall...which is the reason I presume that the other HVAC guy did.)

Perhap's in your future involvement with contractors, hold back at LEAST the final payment or at least 10%+ untill final inspection. I'm surprised the inspector did not catch the issue while your walls were open.

Good luck


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 11, 2010)

chandler48 said:


> As long as the gas is cut off at a valve and that valve capped, you can remove the unit. Where it is abandoned will be butt ugly, so plan on doing something to make it more palatable for the tenant. What are your 4 month plans when heat is needed in the unit?


Larry.... My guess is that the cutoff to the unit is within (a separate chamber) of the unit.

Ladee...Everyone can instruct you how to turn off your main gas, cap the unit's feed, and check for leaks.... BUT you are playing with gas and if you are not familiar with the procedure, probably not something you want to try for the first time.


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## 57TinkerMan (Jun 17, 2018)

BW vent is commonly used for wall furnaces. Did you actually fail the inspection for using BW vent, or was it a clearance to combustibles issue?
Linked below are installation procedures for BW vent. From the link below:


"Type “BW” vent is four inch oval B-vent."


www.hartandcooley.com/assets/files/19l/804005.pdf




2016 California Mechanical Code: BW vent pipe is not specifically excluded. (SF may have adopted a stricter interpretation)



https://archive.org/details/gov.ca.bsc.title24.2016.04/page/130


Post a copy of your inspection report.


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## 57TinkerMan (Jun 17, 2018)

Oval pipe does not need 1" clearance in a 2x4 wall stud cavity. Clearance is determined by the use of the proper spacers associated with the brand of pipe you've used. I suspect that the proper spacers and stops were not used when the oval pipe was installed leading to the failed inspection. Easy enough to fix as a DIY person, but you would have to open up the drywall to make the repair.

From AmeriVent:









www.ameri-vent.com/products/bw/type-bw-installation-kit


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

This post is NOT directed to the OP...

JMO, but I cannot help to think the inspector just had a personal opinion about the heater and he does not like it. How old is it ? Does it have the modern safety oxygen depletion shut off sensor on it ? Probably does not have a fresh air intake on it. 

A 700 sq. ft. living space is a small space for a person to live in, while a gas heater is depleting the rooms oxygen level. Plus the "remote" possibility of a roof top gas vent getting clogged up by a critter etc, If the heater is as old as it appears to be in the pic above, then IMO it reeds to be updated to the more modern, safer wall units.

If I am even close here, I cannot blame a inspector for not liking these old gas wall heaters. I would have a hard time living with my self, knowing I signed off on a old gas heater, where the tenant(s) may possibly die from CO poisoning from it in the future.

Yes, I am being an alarmist here, but there are no do overs for equipment caused CO deaths. 

I cannot help to wonder also, if the apt. even has a CO monitor/alarm ? 

All JMO


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## 57TinkerMan (Jun 17, 2018)

Gregsoldtruck79 said:


> Yes, I am being an alarmist here...



Not really, your concerns are quite valid and should be taken seriously.


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## user_12345a (Nov 23, 2014)

Vented heaters do not normally deplete oxygen and the indoor air used to support combustion and venting is replaced by air that leaks in.

You can get backdrafting if the place is too tightly built and there isn't a fresh air supply. i haven't touched a wall heater but new ones may have vent safety switches which cut power (be it 24v or millivolt system) to the gas valve when backdrafting starts.


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## LadeeDIY (Feb 20, 2018)

Gregsoldtruck79 said:


> This post is NOT directed to the OP...
> 
> JMO, but I cannot help to think the inspector just had a personal opinion about the heater and he does not like it. How old is it ? Does it have the modern safety oxygen depletion shut off sensor on it ? Probably does not have a fresh air intake on it.
> 
> ...


Hi, it's a brand new heater and all fire safety regulations are being followed to the letter. Thx for your concern!


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

LadeeDIY said:


> Am the landlord of this 700 sq ft unit. Long story short, the contractor put and used the BW vent into the wall in March and not a B vent. Did not City pass inspection.
> 
> 
> 
> ...





LadeeDIY said:


> Hi, it's a brand new heater and all fire safety regulations are being followed to the letter. Thx for your concern!




…………………………………OP edited in blue text….....................


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## LadeeDIY (Feb 20, 2018)

Hey, what do you want to say here? This has nothing to do with the wall furnace.


I'm reporting this to the mods for removal, and reporting your behavior. This is sexual harassment.


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

What ??? I just put that you installed a new heater in your OP. Just so that anyone else reading the last post in the thread would not do as I did, and just assume the heater in the OP was a exising unit. 

But fine go ahead and report me. But to call my above post sexual harassment ??? . Geezzz…

What I just read now in the TOS rules, is that I am in violation for editing someone in a quote and for this I do apologize to you.

Hopefully a mod while they are banning me, can edit my post quoting the OP here. As its too late for me to do so.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

If you find the wholesale outfit where the heater was bought, they may be able to help you find some one to look after you.


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## JPeters (May 14, 2015)

If the Gas line is capped and you feel comfortable. Remove the unit. If not... Pay someone to remove it. I wouldn't think you need a lic. HVAC tech. to do the demo... Best of luck.



LadeeDIY said:


> Am the landlord of this 700 sq ft unit. Long story short, the contractor put a BW vent into the wall in March and not a B vent. Did not City pass inspection.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## supers05 (May 23, 2015)

JPeters said:


> If the Gas line is capped and you feel comfortable. Remove the unit. If not... Pay someone to remove it. I wouldn't think you need a lic. HVAC tech. to do the demo... Best of luck.


SF will have different rules then there, but we would require a licence to remove a fuel fired appliance. 

I also have no idea why a proficient tech would shy away from this. Maybe let them know that you understand that they may need to make holes in walls, and that you'll have someone what fix those holes. (I don't fix drywall that I need to demo.) Some contractors are more comfortable dealing with this kind of stuff on an hourly basis. (just make sure you do your math first, so that you're prepared. Things add up quick. )

Cheers!


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## 57TinkerMan (Jun 17, 2018)

57TinkerMan said:


> Post a copy of your inspection report.



All we know is that the installation failed because of the use of BW vent. You may have a properly installed system and the inspector was not familiar with BW vent pipe so it failed. You may have to provide the (BW vent pipe) installation manual to the inspector to prove it was done correctly. If you have it, a little more info from the report would be helpful.


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