Hot water heater in attic = insane

[GPintheMitten]

My son and I put a hot water heater in the attic of a vacation home. We put a large pan under it and plumbed a large drain line to it. Don't remember the drain size. I think it was a shower drain and we probably put a 1 1/2 or 2 " drain line on it.

I would be no harder to replace than when we installed it. It was a good space saver in a small house and allowed us to put in a washer and dryer.

A water leak alarm is a good idea which we didn't think of.

 

[JDgreen227]

I have done a lot of construction and plumbing and remodeling, and the idea of putting mechanical systems in an attic is so stupid I cannot believe anybody would actually do that UNLESS there is no garage, basement, or utility room.

Oh, I am going to tell you guys something the local code official here did. Back when we added on, we combined a first floor laundry room with the shower stall and toilet in that room. The local building inspector approved our plans that clearly showed a GAS DRYER right next to the toilet. Well, then the plumbing inspector came out, he told us we were not permitted to have a fuel fired appliance in the same room as a toilet...we have several friends and relatives that have a half bath combined with laundry rooms with gas dryers...go figure.

Anyhow, what I did was get the small portable electric dryer (115 volt) out of my barn and plug it in after moving the gas dryer to the garage, and then call for the final inspection.

 

[chucko]

I don't know that putting mechanical and even the hot water heart up there is stupid if it is done right. and Min code most of the time and right are not the same thing

Right means it is in the right place and serviceable and that unexpected things like leaks should have ways of dealing with them. Alrams are fine if your home when something happens.
Anytime a water heater is somewhere other than a garage it can (it will) leak and cause damage.

Where mine is if it leaks it will flood the laundry room and run out the outside door but should cause no real problem. I don't take credit for this I did not put it there someone before me did but given my house that was the best place. It's all about managing the risk

 

[GPintheMitten]

I don't think what I did was stupid. It was good use of limited space. Would I do it at my home where there is a basement? No. But it was fine in the summer home. Back in the old days, some people thought it was stupid to put a toilet in the house.

 

[sandman2234]

Three homes I have bought have had water heaters either in the attic or the pantry. The first one they moved the hot water heater to the kitchen just prior to closing. Now that was STUPID! Space in that old house was at a premiun and they put it right in the way. It is still sitting there.
The attic isn't as bad a place as most think, as long as a suitable pan is installed. It would sure have made the wife's work in the kitchen a lot easier. There was no garage, no utility room, no laundry room, and at 825 square feet, not much space for a growing family.
If putting one in the attic, put a good size pan under it, make sure of you joints and plumb the drain out of the attic to a point where if it is leaking, you will see it. I would suggest dropping it out right in front of the kitchen window or in front of the T.V. or computer screen. Good insulation probably not a bad idea for most parts of this country.
David from jax

I moved this house's hot water heater from the pantry to the utility room. Wife really liked that thing out of her way.

 

[JDgreen227]

A full 40 gallon hot water heater would weigh about 410 pounds...so I wonder what kind of framing they use to support them. Do they normally try to install them over a load bearing interior wall? Secondly, do codes permit a heater with a standard pilot light that needs to be relit by hand should it go out, or do they mandate electronic ignition?

 

[2manyrocks]

After a house is built, your options are limited if you want to relocate a water heater or install central hvac.

The common problem with attic hvac ducts is they are exposed to attic heat, and you don't get the same efficiency as you'd get if those same ducts were located in a crawl space. If there's no crawl space, however, then the attic is probably all you have to work with unless you use a ductless minisplit.

 

[Bird]

A full 40 gallon hot water heater would weigh about 410 pounds...so I wonder what kind of framing they use to support them. Do they normally try to install them over a load bearing interior wall? Secondly, do codes permit a heater with a standard pilot light that needs to be relit by hand should it go out, or do they mandate electronic ignition?

Or do they only put electric water heaters in the attic?

 

[JDgreen227]

Or do they only put electric water heaters in the attic?

Good point, Bird...Op said he purchased a 40 gallon gas water heater...but if I recall right, most electrics are at least 50 gallons...another 85 pounds overhead.

 

[Kays Supply]

Amen to the drain valves. A full heater in the attic is about as bad as it gets. Lucky for me, the owner is the Lumber Yard owner and he is furnishing his own heaters and has agreed to putting the new ones up there and getting the old ones out. I wasn't born yesterday.