Typical to many homes, these chimney-vented water heaters are very common here. They are what I call a “builder grade” water heater, so expect to replace them every 5 to 8 years on average. The advantage is their availability and relatively lower installation (or replacement) cost, although tighter homes and combustion air needs are making this more complicated as time goes on. The big disadvantage is their very low efficiency rating (just a bit over 50%, if you can believe it).
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