Part 2: RESULTS of quieting a water heater direct vent exhaust with muffler

This part two of my video, shows the results of installing a muffler/resonator in your direct vent exhaust - dropping the decibels (dB) from 70.5dB to 47.9dB on the outside! This was where all the noise was coming from - for us inside the house on the second story and for neighbors. In the basement it really didn't change the noise much: from 62.5dB to 58.4dB.
I used an app on my phone called "Sound Meter" to measure the sound from 3 feet away, for 30 seconds to get the average. When I measured it first (with the resonator in, I was a bit lower and it measured 52.3dB. When I took the resonator out, it was 70.dB. When I reinstalled it, and measured it again from from 3 feet away about 6"-12" (inches) above the vent, it registered 47.9dB - really quiet!
In just over a week, I had forgotten just how noisy this thing was without the muffler!! Hope this helps to to make your own resonator and install it!

[@robertklacza1160]

WOW !! Over 20 dB reduction in noise !! What a fantastic result !!!! I am going to try to duplicate this on my NOISY HOT WATER HEATER EXHAUST FAN !!!!! Thank you again for posting this video on youtube.com !!!!!!!

[@justayoutuber1906]

:) Thanks Robert for pushing me to video the second part with the sound levels. Hope yours is as successful as mine and you post a video of the installation! Good luck!

[@robertklacza1160]

Great results !!! Thanks again !

[@karlc2869]

@@justayoutuber1906 Again, Lindsay Lohan is OK now so please - as The Rock once said - KNOW YOUR ROLE AND SHUT YOUR MOUTH. Thanks and please say sorry to Lindsay Lohan, dude. Long live LiLo, dude.

[@003Notloc]

@justayoutuber1906 Do you live in a cold climate and, if so, have you had any issues with condensation? I would like to try this but am concerned condensation would build up inside the pipe.

[@ericduvall2459]

I was contemplating putting one of these in to replace a atmospheric vent/chimney HWH in preparation for moving the entire HVAC system to high efficiency but now I’m second guessing my decision. We live in a very old neighborhood where the houses are close and people are very opinionated. I don’t see noise like this being accepted very long. Is this so loud because the installation was incorrect? If done correctly with the right size PVC, would it not be this loud? I didn’t expect any noise so reading and hearing videos is making me think of electric or trying the go the route of a liner in the chimney and sticking with atmospheric venting.

[@justayoutuber1906]

Hi Eric. We bought the house and this system was already installed. My previous experience has been with atmospheric venting and I did like it better because it was quieter. Unfortunately, the direct vent is not an option the way this house was designed, so we are stuck with it in the basement. It was loud because the venting should have been 2" rather than 3" and it should have had a few more angles in it (per the water heater recommendations on the top of the system). That said, now with the glass pack I can't hear it at all inside, and outside I think it would be quiet enough for a neighbor (the neighbor house is vacant). I think you could install the the high efficiency system if the diameter of the pipe is correct, the MINIMUM run and rise are met, and the number of 90 degree angles is adequate. Good luck! Not sure if you saw part one. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnOUpKupot9mjM0

[@trinito97]

Where do buy the resonator?

[@incognitotorpedo42]

Thanks for posting this. That's a huge improvement! I got here from your previous video where you made the suppressor. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnOUpKupot9mjM0 I have a power vent water heater, and plumbed it with 2" pipe. The noise is not too bad, but yours sounds quieter with the suppressor.

[@adamyenser]

Lame. No wonder you are only quieting direct vent water heaters in backwater towns.