Tankless Water Heater In Attic Code

Facts about tankless water heater venting.

Tankless water heater in attic code.

How much does a water heater permit cost. Attics containing a water heater shall be provided with an opening and unobstructed passageway large enough to allow removal of the water heater the passageway shall be not less than 30 inches 762 mm in height and 22 inches 559 mm in width and not more than 20 feet 6096 mm in length when measured along the centerline of the passageway from the opening to the water heater. Code expert glenn mathewson describes 10 common water heater code issues including confusion about drip pans and drains unsupported expansion tanks and plastic vents lack of combustion air and more. Tankless water heaters can be vented in two ways.

This is as easy as heading down to the local planning or building department to ask for one. Gas tankless water heaters don t have to use indoor air for combustion. I randomly picked san jose california as an imaginary location for us to do our home installation. This drain pan must be equipped with a pipe at least 3 4 of an inch in diameter which drains into a floor drain.

The first permit is for the water heater itself. Every major manufacturer of tankless water heaters specifies that a catch pan and drain piping be installed under the unit if leakage would cause damage to the immediate area and that is certainly the case when one is installed in an attic. Before you decide against a tankless water heater for your next project consider these tankless water heater venting requirements. When installed water heaters must be equipped with a drain pan at least 1 5 inches deep large enough to catch condensation and other drips from any spot on the bottom of the water heater.

My contractor recently suggested that instead of having 2 tankless water heaters at opposite sides of my almost new construction single story house 4 5 baths laundry and kitchen i may want to consider a single larger unit in the attic. You re only looking at 20 to 100 out of pocket as opposed to several hundred dollars to call in a plumber. Since it would not be economical of me to provide the codes for every town in the united states and canada let me just give an example. Cpc 508 4 required access clearances to combustibles and vent termination location per manufacturer s instructions.

Not installed in attic or other spaces where damage may result from a leaking water heater without an approved safe pan beneath the water heater with a minimum inch drain to an approved readily visible location. The installation code for a tankless water heater varies a lot by location. Tankless water heater location code. Installing a tank water heater might seem easy but homeowners who refinish their basements often create a number of code violations with respect to the water heater.

Often low flow showerheads or fixtures cause the problem so the aerators inside should be removed.