bringing a water heater up to code?

possible your looking at a power vent heater that is vented wrong or to close to a window or something.your talking pipes so it could be a deal were the gas line isn't big enough ? lots of ?

Unless the water heater was installed incorrectly initially, or something has knocked it out of compliance somehow, it is almost certainly fine as is and "up to code".

Have the gas company come out and have a look for a more impartial opinion. As far as I know, all gas utilities do this for free as part of their service to promote gas usage. They will even make simple repairs for free.

Gas water heaters to tend to age much more quickly than electric water heaters and ten years seems to be about when the weakest begin failing.

$750 strongly resembles the cost of a replacement gas water heater, but without labor. What is the $750 actually for?

Given what you have written so far, I would *not* treat this as an urgent issue. Get another opinion or three. Find out specifically what needs to fixed.

Hmm, ..., we just replaced ours two years ago, so, understand.

1) More than likely it's a vented gas water heater. So, right off the bat they're more expensive.

2) Next NC changed regulations on the cut off valve so I have no doubt they're having to upgrade to the new more expensive cut off valve.

3) NC Now requires a stop in from of the water heater (if its in the garage) so that's another expense.

4) The feeder pipe has to be of a certain make now so more that likely that's adding to the expense as well.

Just as a cheaper alternative ... have they considered what it might cost to have an electrician add and extra 220 circuit so they could convert the water heater over to electric? In the long run it may be a more cost effective alternative. I do know electric water heaters are a whole lot cheaper to replace and easier because you don't have to worry about the gas.

Good luck.

sounds like a shyster, get more opinions

Maybe you should have the person that owns the home give more information something about c/o gases and something about pipes ? is vague? what exactly did they say? and what brand name of water heater do they have. To guess which of the hundred thousand gas waters heaters on the market they have is a waste of time.Leaking pipes will put out C/O gases very deadly. They won't be getting married if they are dead.

And up to code ? the water heater installed is up to code otherwise the home would have never passed inspection when built and no structure is required to be up to current code, if that was the case every 10yrs You would be required to rip down the structure and rebuild it which can take a 200k home and turn it into a million dollar home because you would have to rebuild it every time and is ridicules, Homes wouldn't be worth owning I would have your son check his buyers warranty if it was not built to code in the first place it all should be covered

hope it helps

Lr

Here are the current requirements........

http://www.ci.winston-salem.nc.us/Assets/CityOfWS/...

It says they use the International Fuel Gas Code, a pretty standard code in the US.

http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/ifgc/2012/i...

Specifically Type B venting.

http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/ifgc/2012/i...

I doubt code has changed much in ten years, it could be a case of undersized pipe needing to replaced because a larger heater was put in at some point in the past???

Just my ramblings....

boy you don't take time to explain much how do you expect to get answers on no description except the present heater is sitting on blocks. so what does the 750 include doing???????????????????????????????????????????