Water heaters with power vents. Question....

[NM_Shooter]

I have a water heater with a power vent. 

This is a propane heater, with a pilot flame, and is in a basement 

When the hot water has not been used for awhile, the exhaust from the pilot flame doesn't exhaust the closet that the tank is in.  This leaves a bit of a wet-burned gas smell in the closet which also seeps through the basement.  It makes me nervous. 

I'd like to arrange for the vent on the tank to run for, say... 2 minutes every half hour or so, just to drag some of the stale air and pilot light smell out. 

What is the control signal for the power vent? Does the thermostat on the tank provide a low voltage call to a relay that turns on the AC power, or does the thermostat actually switch the AC power?

Also, this closet / room has a door which is well vented, two large PVC vents to fresh air.  It also has a large opening under the access door.  Maybe 1" or so.  Is this opening under the door required?  I'd like to seal it off, but I realize that crack allows propane to escape into the basement if there is a leak. 

Thoughts?  Comments?

[MountainDon]

I'm  not sure about the fan activation; how to make it run every so often. If it is built like a RV furnace, the control board sequences everything after the thermostat calls for heat.  But I believe the door should be well sealed. The inlet venting should be all the venting that is needed. 

Too bad it is not a newer pilotless model. 

[NM_Shooter]

Yeah... no kidding.  I wish it was pilotless too.   I may be putting in an electronic ignition model, but that would probably start around $1500.  I also thought about doing an on-demand unit, but I would need huge capacity for this house. 

This all started because my tenant told me yesterday that they smelled propane.  I think they smelled the burning pilot light, but I have to send a plumber out to make sure. 

-f-

[Bob S.]

would a bathroom vent fan and a timer work?

[NM_Shooter]

would a bathroom vent fan and a timer work?

Yes... maybe.  I'd want it to draw from the floor rather than the ceiling.  Not a bad suggestion!

[NM_Shooter]

So the plumber came out, and he verified no propane leak.  He said that the ptrap on the heater unit had stale water in it which smelled like sewer gas. 

Sigh....

 

[hpinson]

Still... what about one of these cheap programmable AC timers found on eBay and a vent fan?

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR6.TRC0.A0.H0.Xprogramable+timer.TRS0&_nkw=programable+timer&_sacat=0

[NM_Shooter]

That would work, but I don't have a way to vent it to the outside easily.  The walls of the basement are concrete.  I'd need to get up into the joists somehow and then duct to the outside.  I'm going to take a look soon and see if there is an easy way to make another penetration. 

My initial plan of attack is to seal off the room well.  There is a gap under the door of about 1.25" that I have to close, and I bought door seal strip as well.  If I can do that and figure out how to turn on that tank blower every hour for 5 minutes, I think my problem would be solved.

I might even be able to use the AC timer with the hot water tank blower too.  Just want to make sure that I don't screw up a code item. 

Thanks for the help!

-f-