OT: water heater repair

[Dave]

I went to take a shower yesterday afternoon and had no hot water, so I go down to the basement and find the control flashing 3 times, with a 3 second pause, then 3 more flashes. That means a problem with the power vent system. According to the owners manual it was probably a defective pressure switch that shut the system down. It could also be a clogged intake or exhaust pipe, so I hooked the discharge from my shop vac to the exhaust pipe and determined it was clogged with something. I tried running some water into the pipe and collecting it in a bucket, but only got a modest water flow and nothing that would clog the pipe. I finally hooked the vacuum side of the shop vac to the pipe, at the water heater and turned it on. I got nothing for awhile, then suddenly there's a big thunk. I removed the pipe fitting at the end of the pipe and there's a rabbit sticking out the end. The two vent pipes are both 3 inch diameter and run about 30 feet to get out to the west side of the house, so I pulled that rabbit through the entire length of the pipe and around a 90 degree bend, near the water heater.

[Hawker]

I've had hair clog my pipes....but never a hare!

[veloduffer]

Wascaly Wabbit soup ! (In my best Elmer Fudd impersonation)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bikser]

Holy cr@p. I have so many rabbits around my house I'm paranoid now, ha.

[zap]

Wow. That is something else.

[AngryScientist]

wow that's nuts.

probably nice and warm by the vent. that was a bad place to take a rabbit nap!

[mulp]

That is insane! I'll keep my eye out if I ever have similar problems!

[MikeD]

That's one hell of a dust bunny! I found a dead birdbin my dryer vent once.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[sitzmark]

Maybe?

[fignon's barber]

Did you revive him?

[Dave]

The intake air side of a power vent water heater can freeze-up if you put even some coarse 3/8" square mesh metal screen to cover the inlet. I drilled some holes into each of the vent pipes and ran some plastic zip ties across to keep any future big critters out.

It amazed me that the rabbit was able to negotiate a 90 degree turn at the end the pipe, to start with. Once he was past that, it was on to two 45 degree elbows, before reaching a long straight run of pipe. I doubt he got very far in before realizing he was stuck, but I never hit anything when I stuck the garden hose in the pipe.

[Tim Porter]

[parris]

duck season !!!

[clyde the point]

Did the hot water heater work?

[Ken Robb]

That really sucked!