Venting
in Vancouver WA
Every gas appliance in your home has to put its exhaust somewhere. Venting is the part of that system nobody thinks about until something goes wrong with it — and what goes wrong is carbon monoxide.
This is combustion venting, not ventilation. If you are looking for air filtration and fresh air, that is our indoor air quality page.
If a CO alarm is sounding now
Get everyone outside into fresh air and call 911. Do not go back in until the fire department clears it. Call us once you are safe and we will get a technician out.
What we install and repair
- Direct vent — two concentric pipes, sealed firebox, no chimney needed
- B-vent for atmospheric appliances
- Chimney venting and liners, including relining for a new appliance
- Collinear retrofit for converting a masonry fireplace to gas
- Furnace and water heater flues
- Combustion air supply, which is as important as the exhaust and more often missed
Worried about your venting?
Contact Tri-Tech Heating, Inc. to schedule repair or annual service.
When venting needs attention
- A carbon monoxide alarm has sounded
- You are converting a wood fireplace to gas
- A new high-efficiency furnace is going in where an older one came out — the venting requirements are different
- You see rust or staining near a flue
- An appliance has been added to a shared vent
Why venting is the part you cannot see and cannot ignore
Anything that burns fuel produces combustion gases, carbon monoxide among them, and venting is the system that gets them out of the building. Unlike a furnace that stops working when it fails, a venting fault can keep running quietly while it puts those gases somewhere they should not be. That is the whole reason it is permitted, inspected and not a DIY job.
What goes wrong
- Disconnected or separated sections. Vent pipe works loose over years of heating and cooling cycles.
- Blockage. Bird nests, rodent nests, leaves and debris — most common on a vent that has been unused over summer.
- Corrosion. Condensing appliances produce acidic condensate that attacks the wrong material.
- Wrong material or wrong size. Very common after an appliance swap, where new equipment was connected to the old vent.
- Orphaned water heater. When a high-efficiency furnace goes in and stops sharing a chimney, the water heater is left venting alone into a flue now far too large for it. This is one of the most common and least noticed problems we find.
- Termination too close to a window, door or intake. Which puts exhaust straight back into the house.
What we install and inspect
- Assess the appliance and the vent together. The right vent is determined by what is connected to it, not by what is already there.
- Category-correct materials. B-vent, PVC and stainless liner each belong to particular appliances, and mixing them is not an option.
- Correct sizing, slope, support and termination. Including clearances from windows, doors and fresh air intakes.
- Permit and inspection where the work requires it.
- Verify draft. The appliance is run and the vent checked to confirm it is actually drawing.
Carbon monoxide alarms
If an alarm is sounding, get everyone outside into fresh air and call 911. Do not go back in until the fire department clears it. An alarm that sounds and then stops is still worth a call — intermittent is not the same as harmless.
Working CO alarms on every level of the house are the cheapest safety measure in a home with any fuel-burning appliance, and they are not a substitute for having the venting checked.
Related work
Venting is decided by the appliance on the end of it: furnace installation, furnace repair, fireplace repair or the fireplace catalog. The fuel side of the same appliance is gas piping, and the air distribution is ductwork — a separate system that is often confused with this one.
Where we work
Vancouver, Salmon Creek and Camas, and across Clark and Cowlitz Counties — including Woodland, Kalama, Longview, Battle Ground, Hockinson and Ridgefield. If you are just outside that, call and ask; the office will tell you straight.
Licensed, insured and guaranteed
- HVAC license #TRITEHI952LL
- CCB license #161426
- N.A.T.E. certified technicians
- Licensed and insured
- We guarantee our work 100%
- Financing available through Synchrony, subject to application
Venting questions we get
Is venting the same as ductwork?
No, and the difference matters. Ducts carry conditioned air to your rooms. Vents carry combustion gases out of the building. They are separate systems doing opposite jobs.
Can I reuse my existing vent with a new furnace?
Sometimes, often not. High-efficiency equipment usually vents differently from what it replaces, and connecting new equipment to an unsuitable old vent is one of the more common faults we find on other people’s installs.
My chimney is fine for the fireplace. Is it fine for the furnace?
Different appliances, different requirements. A flue that works for one can be wrong for another, particularly after an appliance has been removed from a shared chimney.
Is an estimate free?
Estimates on new installations are free. Inspecting or repairing an existing vent is a service call.
How often should venting be checked?
Whenever an appliance is replaced, whenever a CO alarm goes off, and as part of regular maintenance on the appliance it serves.
Have your venting checked
Call (360) 891-2002. The office is open Monday to Thursday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, and Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm. Emergency service is answered 24/7 on the same number. You can also send us your details and we will call you back.