Water heater vent pipe scorching roof

[agcjoe]

I noticed this in my attic recently.
Is this a problem that needs to be corrected?
Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[agcjoe]

View attachment 27323View attachment 27323

I noticed this in my attic recently.
Is this a problem that needs to be corrected?
Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Guzzle]

Is the plywood sheathing charred & flaking off?

 

[oldognewtrick]

When the water heater is heating, feel the area for any leaking air flow.

 

[user 4883]

When the water heater is heating, feel the area for any leaking air flow.

Shoot the area with a non-contact thermometer. I don't think it is charring.

 

[agcjoe]

Is the plywood sheathing charred & flaking off?

No the sheathing is not flaking off, but it is getting pretty warm around where the vent pipe is touching the sheathing

 

[agcjoe]

When the water heater is heating, feel the area for any leaking air flow.

Thanks for your comment. I don’t feel any leaking air flow.

 

[agcjoe]

Shoot the area with a non-contact thermometer. I don't think it is charring.

Thanks for your comment. I don’t have a non contact thermometer yet, but the vent pipe is touching the sheathing, and the vent pipe gets pretty hot when burner is on.
And the sheathing gets pretty warm near the vent pipe.

 

[Guzzle]

Wood slowly chars at 120C. If you can touch it for a while it's proly less than 50C. But what is that stuff?

 

[Sparky617]

Is your vent stack a double wall pipe or single wall? Looks single wall and those can get pretty hot. You wouldn't want a single wall pipe touching anything combustible.

 

[billshack]

this is all wrong. Not to code . it should be done like this ,

with double walled b vent

 

[agcjoe]

Wood slowly chars at 120C. If you can touch it for a while it's proly less than 50C. But what is that stuff?

It is OSB board. I guess the black is charring ?

 

[agcjoe]

Is your vent stack a double wall pipe or single wall? Looks single wall and those can get pretty hot. You wouldn't want a single wall pipe touching anything combustible.

Yes, it is single wall. I did cut off some of the wood around the pipe. See attached photo

 

[oldognewtrick]

Does the vent extend above the roof flashing? It looks like daylight near the top.

 

[Guzzle]

It was probably 4:30 PM when whoever did this & he/she was tired.
I'd fix the daylight showing first, no roof fire yet may mean no roof fire ever.

 

[agcjoe]

Does the vent extend above the roof flashing? It looks like daylight near the top.

This is what is on the roof.

 

[agcjoe]

It was probably 4:30 PM when whoever did this & he/she was tired.
I'd fix the daylight showing first, no roof fire yet may mean no roof fire ever.

This is what is on the roof. I guess there is a top on the cap. The daylight showing may be light from the opening at bottom of cap ?

 

[Guzzle]

The caulking around the pipe roof flange may have dried and cracked. It sure has on our house.
Putting a new rubber boot over this pipe requires you to lift some shingles.

I already have roof anchors & a body harness & ropes & chains & couplers, I just have to get up there & do it.

Maybe in March after my overdue curbside oil changes.

 

[oldognewtrick]

There should not be a rubber boot on the water heater flue stack. It should be a metal flashing. There should be a rain collar under the spark arrestor that's above the top of the flange.

 

[Guzzle]

My bad.