lhort

We have a problem with exhaust coming back out through the draft hood on top of our LP gas water heater. It is pretty cold outside about 15 F degrees. We have single wall pipe on the interior and double wall pipe on the exterior, this pipe runs outside the house and it’s about 4 or so feet above the edge of the roof/gutters and it is capped. The pipe inside, above the water heater also has condensation on it and feels kind of cold. Our basement it around 60-65 degrees. There is no blockage in the vent pipe. We also have a CO detector which the alarm HAS NOT gone off due to this. I do realize the danger with the CO and the tank is on vacation mode. This has happened before when it is really cold. Once it warms up outside the issue resolves itself.
Any ideas on how to fix and what caused this to happen would be appreciated. Thank you.

Wuzzat?

You might try
a thermostatically operated exhaust fan for forced air or
a thermostatically operated heat source for convection, like a small bulb.
The t'stat would sense outside temps.

With the bulb you can experiment as to size but if the bulb is small enough it may not pay to control it with a 'stat.

I though CO was the main danger, not CO2, but CO2 is considerably heavier than air.
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/molecular-weight-gas-vapor-d_1156.html

You might also have an exhaust fan somewhere in the house that is pulling the LP exhaust back into the house.

ajr4997378

Warm air rises. So when you have a cold chimney, you get what's called a downdraft because all of the cold air is being forced down the chimney. When it's warm and the chimneys warm then the air will be going up the chimney

lhort

Thank you. My mistake, CO not CO2.