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WH elevated off floor with wood


Marc

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There was a thread a while back that a code forming committee was concerned that a small leak would go undetected until the wood framed support rotted, causing the WH to fall.

Maybe it's that old timer's. Turning 56 today.

Marc

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Happy Birthday Marc. [:-party]

A rotten stand? Seriously? A stand needs to be wet to rot and rot doesn't happen overnight. By the time a stand rots out without a water source getting it wet, they'll be on the 60th water heater since the home was built and people will be making bank deposits with brain waves.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

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Happy birthday!

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Here's a little help with the candles!

Ah, the candles remind me of a Monty Python episode where the older than dirt character announced a birthday. When one of the other cast members asked if he blew all the candles out, he replied, "I tried to, but the heat drove me back." [:-party]

Happy Birthday Marc!

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So the question was a thinly veiled way to announce your birthday?[;)]

Seriously, though, happy birthday Marc. I'm just a little over 5 years behind ya...

Actually, No. This was yesterday's inspection....

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Marc

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Marc, I often see wooden stands under the tank here, usually just a table built from 2 X lumber.

Only the gas units need to be elevated in my northern neck of the woods. We can have electric water heaters sitting right on the garage floor.

On another note, we don't like to see PEX pipe crimped directly to the tank like that. It is better to have 18" copper stubs there between the tank and the plastic pipe.

Edit: That may not be a requirement for electric tanks in your area, but it is usually done that way here. (Nevertheless, I have found electric water heaters with the PEX directly attached with no visible sign of trouble.)

Welcome to the 55+ club!

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It may be a stretch in a garage but I always call out a lack of a drain pan if the structure can be damaged by a leaking heater. This installation is very typical here and it is also quite common to find a water damaged wall and mold since the platforms are always built as part of the wall construction that is the common wall to the house. Water heaters fail because they leak. The structure WILL be damaged every 12-15 years as part of the normal and expected function. The AHJ does not require a pan if the heater is located in the garage (which I could agree with IF it was a metal stand) but if they looked at the code by the intent of preventing damage to the structure, it is pretty easy to support requiring a pan.

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Marc, I often see wooden stands under the tank here, usually just a table built from 2 X lumber.

Only the gas units need to be elevated in my northern neck of the woods. We can have electric water heaters sitting right on the garage floor.

On another note, we don't like to see PEX pipe crimped directly to the tank like that. It is better to have 18" copper stubs there between the tank and the plastic pipe.

Welcome to the 55+ club!

Happy b-day Marc.

Copper stubs would not be necessary on an electric tank.

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It all hinges on manufacturer's specs. According to the Plastic Pipe Institute design guide:

PEX tubing may be connected directly to residential electric water heaters, if the local code and manufacturer’s instructions allow. When connecting PEX tube to gas water heaters, the tube must be kept at least 6 inches away from the exhaust vent of the heater. Flexible metal water heater connectors may be needed in some instances.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

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