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I have a small opening between my vent and water heater. Instead of buying a draft hood, is there any harm in using duct tape?enter image description here

Jason
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    A draft hood serves a particular purpose, that somebody else may be able to explain, but do not do what you ask, BAD NEWS!!! – Jack Jun 28 '14 at 17:19
  • And to further what @Jack says, it isn't duct tape. You would use exhaust taping. But don't. – DMoore Jun 28 '14 at 17:55

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Unless your hot water heater is positively vented (i.e. an exhaust blower), you need a draft hood in order to prevent back pressure in the vent line. If you connect directly to the hot water heater without a draft hood, you are risking having the pilot light blown out by pressure in the vent (think wind) or letting exhaust gases escape into your house. It's a bit fuzzy in your picture, but it appears that the heater has attachment points for a draft hood. If that is correct, don't omit it in your venting.

Comintern
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