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Hot Water Tank in Attic?

| Posted in Construction Techniques on September 16, 2002 07:10am

Can you install a gas hot water heater in the attic?  If yes what precautions do you need to take?  I have seen pans for washing machines on the second floor of a house but not for a hot water tank.  The home plan that my wife and I like shows the hot water tank in the garage, and I have been there once, and didn’t like it in the garage (every time you opened the garage door the pilot light went out).  Thanks ahead of time for any help.

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  1. DavidThomas | Sep 16, 2002 08:02pm | #1

    Yes, pans for HWHs are readily available. You run a 3/4" line from them to daylight somewhere you will notice if there is a drip or a gush of water.

    There's a good way to avoid pilot lights blowing out. It also avoids the chance of gassing yourself with carbon monoxide. Get a direct-vent water heater. All the air for combustion comes from outside. All the air that goes back outside is combustion by-products, no additional warm air from inside the house. Especially nice in a tight house when you are more concerned about fans or wind creating imperfect venting in a traditionally vented HWH. You can also place a direct-vent HWH in more places (check locally on this) - bedroom closet, garage floor, without access to main house air, etc. They often have to be close to an exterior wall to vent (many vent to the side rather than up).

    David Thomas   Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska
  2. whoover | Sep 16, 2002 08:55pm | #2

    Since water heaters fail be leaking, putting a water heater in the attic seems like a bad idea to me but it is done commonly in much of the country...Texas.  It is true you can put a pan under them but often after 8 or 10 years, the drain pipe is clogged by bugs who have found it to be a good home.

    While I do not like water heaters in garages either, I would prefer it over one in the attic.  If you put it in the garage, please make sure you comply with codes have have it on an 18" stand.  Furthermore, if you really want a great set up, get a unit with direct vent and outside combustion air.  AOSmith makes a heater known as the Sealed Shot which would be a good choice.  I am sure other companies make similar models.  They will cost more but they should be more reliable.

    Bill

    1. Snort | Sep 17, 2002 01:20am | #3

      I'm curious about the "18" stand," what exactly is that, and does it only apply to gas H2O heaters? It's okay, I can fix it!

      1. archyII | Sep 17, 2002 01:33am | #4

        From my experiance any appliance with an open flame must be located 18" above the floor of a garage.  The idea is if there are gas fumes from the cars gasoline they settle along the floor and won't be ignited by the appliance.  I don't know if its true but it has been the code around here in Chicago.

        1. Mooney | Sep 18, 2002 03:15am | #14

          Its the law ! atta boy

          Tim Mooney

          1. archyII | Sep 18, 2002 03:27am | #15

            Do I detect sarcasm?

            Try to get a building permit in Chicago.  My latest project has been in the process for 6 months.  The last comment was that the owners letter stating that they would maintained the exit lighting was not sufficient.

            Oh well

          2. Mooney | Sep 18, 2002 04:24am | #16

            No sarcasm . It is the law . Im serious .

            Tim Mooney

          3. rez | Sep 18, 2002 04:36am | #17

            Working section 8 housing in oklahoma. Small old houses on slabs with the gas waterheater in their own closet usually off the main hall going to the bedrooms. Inspector started saying the gas waterheaters had to be put on a stand 18 inches. Still that way. Maybe government regs overshadowed local I don't know. Federal rent money.Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.

            Forget the primal scream,  just Roar!

      2. joeh | Sep 17, 2002 01:33am | #5

        BB, code is 18" for gas only. Theory is vapor from a vehicle fuel leak in the garage will stay on the floor and not be ignited by the water heater. Makes changing an old one a bitch as usually the drain is absolutely locked solid, so you have a partial tank of water to lift down. Not as bad as getting one out of an attic though..........Joe H

        1. User avater
          Lunicy | Sep 17, 2002 01:38am | #7

          In many commercial projects, The tank (usually for a small bathroom) is sometimes located above the drop ceiling. I'm not 100% sure on the codes (I'm the ceiling guy, not the plumber) But it's common practice. Saying that, an attic should fall under the same guidelines.

          Can't I go 1 day without spilling my coffee?

        2. Snort | Sep 17, 2002 02:02am | #8

          So, is the 18" thing only in a garage? Reason I ask, I'm looking at a remodel. They're thinking of putting a gas water heater in the crawl space, and height is an issue...well, now that this 18" thing has come to light...I want to do 'em right... It's okay, I can fix it!

          1. DavidThomas | Sep 17, 2002 07:43am | #9

            A garage (where gasoline-powered cars, tools, lawnmowers, and propane-fueled torches, BBQs, etc are stored) needs 18". A basement does not.

            David Thomas   Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska

          2. whoover | Sep 17, 2002 03:18pm | #11

            I believe the coade says 18" in all garages and other places where the use of flamable fluids would be expected.

  3. geob21 | Sep 17, 2002 01:37am | #6

    Why is it called a hot water heater????

    Shouldn't it be a cold water heater???

    Why would you want to heat hot water????

    Great .....now my brain hurts!

    1. whoover | Sep 17, 2002 03:16pm | #10

      If you notice, those of us in the water heater business call them water heaters not hot water heaters for exactly the reasons you observed.

  4. Jamie_Buxton | Sep 17, 2002 07:38pm | #12

    Have you considered tankless water heaters?  Because they don't store water, they're small, and can fit in places where a conventional heater can't.  

    1. hgates | Sep 18, 2002 12:56am | #13

      Actually, I was thinking of doing this same thing with my third floor bathroom. It is a long way to the basement (where the current tankless heater is), and I want to upgrade to 3/4" pipe when I redo the bathroom, which will hopefully help some with the water pressure issues... But make the wait for hot water even longer and waste ~2X more water.

      Anyway, one thing I thought of was sticking a small tankless heater in the attic, like an aquastar 125 with electronic ignition. My main concern would be having plumbing run in the attic, which is unfinished and presumably pretty cold in the new england wintertime. I'm also way over budget on this project already so I'm not sure if my girlfriend would go for the extra cost of another water heater.

      -Holly

    2. booch | Sep 18, 2002 07:32pm | #18

      Ever notice the warranty is really short compared to traditional tank type water heaters? Anyone have a history on how long they last with direct vent? The Aqua Star series, I think, is 5 years compared to the 8 to 15 I see on the tank type elsewhere. Kinda spooked me.

      As for the HW in a remote place. I got beat out buying a major remodel, (1850's federal style stone beauty). The guy who bought it, had installed a return pipe on the HW line from the 2nd floor bathroom back to the cold water inlet on the tank in the basement. He said it worked like the old fashioned "gravity" boilers. "Gravity" being Hydronic heat w/o the circulating pump. I thought it was steam heat that worked that way but I never found out if it worked.

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