Vent draft hood rusted damaged separated Exhaust vents are found on all fossil fuel burning appliances. An exhaust vent is used to exhaust the combustion by-products into the atmosphere safely that is, high enough above the building that the byproducts are not released into the living quarters. The main considerations when venting appliances that have fires within are that the vents not be so close to combustibles as to set fire to them (the vent can get very hot) and that they not be split or rusted out so that by-products are released into the building. If vents penetrate the ceiling or a wall, they should be the double-wall type and be at least one to two inches from any combustibles. A combustible means, of course, anything that will burn.
Sometimes vents have to be built so long that they come apart at their joints under their own weight. These should be screwed together at the joints with sheet metal screws usually three per joint. Installing exhaust vents is one of the easier jobs in a building, if the vent is readily accessible. Parts are available at almost all building supply outlets all you need to take with you is a drawing of the setup and the diameters of the vents involved. If the inspector indicates that the vent is too close to combustibles, it may be necessary to chisel away some of the combustible or route the vent around the combustible. Consider contacting a sheet metal contractor for further assistance if you feel this is beyond your abilities.