Gas Water Heater Draft Hood

[warrenh]

This is such a dumb question, I hate to ask it but it's not covered in the owner's manual.

I just installed a GE gas water heater in my girlfriend's house. The draft hood has two legs with tabs that fit in slots on the top of the tank. The other two have bent, drilled tabs as if for screws. Corresponding to these tabs are two small holes in the tank top with small plastic plugs in them. Do I put sheet metal screws in here to anchor the draft hood?

[LazyPup]

That would depend upon your local code. In most instances setting the draft hood in place with the pegs in the knockout holes will suffice, but some local codes require all joints on a flue to be screwed together.

The two screws are cheap and easily accessible so the best rule of thumb, when in doubt install the screws.

[warrenh]

Thanks. I was more concerned with damaging the tank than with overdoing it.

[LazyPup]

The outside of the tank is only a sheetmetal covering. Under that is an insulation layer that is typically 1" or more surrounding the steel pressure vessel. Securing the draft would would only require sheet metal screws long enough to pass through the two layers of sheet metal. A small #8 x 1/4" or 1/2" sheet metal screw would more than sufficient, yet pose no threat to the pressure vessel.