Water Heaters - gas exhaust duct /chiminey

I live in a two level house and want to install a gas water heater on the lower level. my supplier has told me i need to run a chimeney all the way up the side of the house from the lower level....... :wall: cant accept that as a solution need to know if there is a solution that will allow me to have a device like a car air filter on the outside of the wall from the gas heater to release the unburned gasses into the atmosphere or is there anothe better solution?

You could get a high efficiency water heater with a power vent right out the side of the house. Or you could get an electric water heater.

Your supplier is 100% correct. Conventional gas water heaters must be vented above the roof line of the structure. Another alternative is into a chimney, only if the chimney is used to other gas or oil appliances (with certain conditions). It can not be vented into a chimney also used to burn wood.

Additionally, any vent pipe from the water heater must be B vent. Not the single jacketed vent that the big box / home improvement stores sell.

As has been stated, if you are set on a gas heater, the only other alternative is a power vent. This incorporates a built in blower that blows the exhaust out of the house. In most cases, you have to hook up PVC pipe out the heater and through the outer wall (with restrictions). It is not required to go above the roof.

No mater which type of gas heater you use, the exhaust must be vented outside the structure.

If you use a direct vent there are restrictions on the placement of the vent with respect to doors and windows.