One condo owner who noticed a gas odor near a tankless water heater asked the internet for advice.
They quickly got alarmed responses suggesting the problem might be a safety issue, not just an unpleasant smell.
Here's what to know
In a Reddit post to the site's r/Plumbing forum, the original poster described "a gas smell coming from the condensing opening on exhaust duct" of a Takagi T-K4 non-condensing tankless water heater.
The OP later said the condo had been purchased with the plumbing installation already in that condition. They then asked, "Can someone help me diagnose the problem?"
Several commenters pointed out that an uncapped port and suspect vent materials are safety concerns, not merely cosmetic flaws.
One commenter suggested, "That is the condensate port that comes off of exhaust… If that port was piped in correctly and ran to a floor drain or condensate neutralizer, you wouldn't be smelling anything."
Another warned, "That is not installed correctly. Please, for the lives of your family, shut it off and call someone to your home to explain what needs to happen to fix this bad installation. Flue pipe is wrong and I can only imagine what else can also be wrong. That's one of the most important parts of an installation."
A third similarly added, "Looks like single wall flue piping under that tape. Shut that thing down." The thread also included a general upkeep reminder from another commenter: "Most manufacturers recommend servicing annually."
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A venting system moves combustion gases out of the home. When that setup is wrong, leaking exhaust and other hazards can post a risk, meaning a small-seeming defect can have much larger consequences.
The thread's overall advice was not to brush off the smell. Most commenters said to immediately stop using the unit and have a qualified plumber or gas fitter inspect the venting, the missing cap, and the overall installation.
Where can I learn more?
Commenters zeroed in on combustion gases escaping where they shouldn't, which points to the bigger concern of indoor air quality being negatively impacted by gas appliances and how air and fumes can move through a home. These articles dig into the health questions around gas equipment indoors and the airflow issues that can make those risks easy to miss.
• On TikTok, an engineer showed renters how to avoid harmful gas appliances indoors.
• In household kitchens, experts warned gas burners were like having a tailpipe indoors.
• A home energy audit can reveal invisible air leaks in a house before costs climb.
A smell around a gas appliance can be easy to dismiss. These pieces show how much airflow, fumes, and appliance choices can affect a home, which helps explain why commenters saw the condo owner's vent problem as a safety concern.
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