How to find replacement parts for a rusted water heater vent pipe
Rust on a water heater or boiler exhaust pipe can usually be fixed by replacing just the damaged vent sections rather than the entire appliance. The main difficulty is identifying the correct name and part for the pipe running from the unit up through the roof so you can swap out the rusted components safely.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Applying duct tape to the damaged vent
- 2Trying to identify the part as a wye, 90-degree bend, or adapter
- 3Replacing just the corroded pipe rather than the entire heating unit
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I have a boiler furnace and the main pipe coming out of the unit is rusting.”source ↗
“Can this pipe be replaced or will the whole unit need replaced?”source ↗
“It's for my water heater exhaust. It's the bottom end of my vent that goes straight up through the roof”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2Where to cut a cramped water heater cold line?
- 4How to patch an inaccessible vent pipe
- 6How to fix a leaking exhaust pipe with wrap on it
- 13How to fix a leaky plumbing valve that doesn't fit a new faucet
- 4What is this extra pipe dripping into my sink drain?
- 2How to remove stuck threaded pipes from an old boiler without breaking it