New one for me.

[Robert Jones]

Inspected a new construction home this morning. The gas water heater installed in the garage was not elevated at least 18" off the floor. Was told by the builder that it has been "ok'd" by the muni inspector. I had a hard time buying it, but was sent the install specs for Ruud/Rheem that states it is ok. I am waiting to hear back from the local code guru to verify.

Download Attachment: Sc65010081312530.pdf

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[Marc]

This is from the 06' International Fuel Gas Code:

305.3 Elevation of ignition source. Equipment and appliances having an ignition source shall be elevated such that the source of ignition is not less than 18 inches (457 mm) above the floor in hazardous locations and public garages, private garages, repair garages, motor fuel-dispensing facilities and parking garages. For the purpose of this section, rooms or spaces that are not part of the living space of a dwelling unit and that communicate directly with a private garage through openings shall be considered to be part of the private garage.

Exception: Elevation of the ignition source is not required for appliances that are listed as flammable vapor ignition resistant.

And this is my 1,000th post. [:-party]

Marc

[Terence McCann]

This is from the 06' International Fuel Gas Code:

305.3 Elevation of ignition source. Equipment and appliances having an ignition source shall be elevated such that the source of ignition is not less than 18 inches (457 mm) above the floor in hazardous locations and public garages, private garages, repair garages, motor fuel-dispensing facilities and parking garages. For the purpose of this section, rooms or spaces that are not part of the living space of a dwelling unit and that communicate directly with a private garage through openings shall be considered to be part of the private garage.

Exception: Elevation of the ignition source is not required for appliances that are listed as flammable vapor ignition resistant.

And this is my 1,000th post. [:-party]

Marc

Congrats Marc - 1000 posts in so short of time. You officially have no life. []

[kurt]

If it's an FVIR water heater, the manufacturer's usually allow it to be installed directly on the garage floor, i.e., no elevation required.

That's the whole idea behind FVIR; Flammable Vapor Ignition Resistant.

I think the Rheem Guardian series is all FVIR, ain't it?

[Robert Jones]

Congrats on your 1000th post. I wish it could have been for something other than to tell me what I should have already known.[:-paperba

[mgbinspect]

This is from the 06' International Fuel Gas Code:

305.3 Elevation of ignition source. Equipment and appliances having an ignition source shall be elevated such that the source of ignition is not less than 18 inches (457 mm) above the floor in hazardous locations and public garages, private garages, repair garages, motor fuel-dispensing facilities and parking garages. For the purpose of this section, rooms or spaces that are not part of the living space of a dwelling unit and that communicate directly with a private garage through openings shall be considered to be part of the private garage.

Exception: Elevation of the ignition source is not required for appliances that are listed as flammable vapor ignition resistant.

And this is my 1,000th post. [:-party]

Marc

Congrats Marc - 1000 posts in so short of time. You officially have no life. []

Yeah, it took me four years to get to a 1000. Hard to believe isn't it? (two year sabbatical... but who's counting?...)

BTW, you can all blame Terence for my return. He's the one who shot me an e-mail and asked if I was still alive. That's gonna cost you a blanket party for sure, Terence. Sorry.

[Bill Kibbel]

All manufacturers have had to include FVIR technology since 2005. Only local amended codes would require FVIR equipped water heaters be elevated.

All of us here have no life.

[mgbinspect]

All manufacturers have had to include FVIR technology since 2005. Only local amended codes would require a FVIR equipped water heaters be elevated.

All of us here have no life.

(Or in the now famous words of Fireside Theatre, "We're ALL Bozos on this bus.")

[hausdok]

Yeah,

FVIR don't require elevation but some municipalities are still nonetheless requiring that the water heaters be elevated and there are some builders I've run into that are taking a belt and suspenders approach and are elevating them even when they don't have to.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Jim Katen]

It's still a good idea to raise them. If the shutters are ever called upon to actually do their job, the water heater will have to be replaced.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Erby]

Congrats Marc, you spend way too much time among the learned. Just don't post so much that it turns the board over like Guam!!![:-monkeyd[:-monkeyd[:-monkeyd

Don't let yourself fall into the trap some do of posting crap to increase number of posts. Ya know the ones.

"Nice post. I agree. Thank you for sharing!" on a post that's already a couple of years old.

By the same token, y'all new guys, don't let it stop you from reactivating an old post if you have a legitimate question.

-

[Bob White]

Great posts.

I agree.

Thanks for sharing.

[asihi]

One other argument for raising them is for keeping the screens clean. I feel like I'm constantly sweeping my garage floor, especially in the spiring when my neighbor's Cottonwood trees bloom. That would clog those screens screens in a second, which could cause the flame to over-fire and burn out the temperature sensor. Like Jim said, if that happens the water heater would have to be replaced.

Tony

[Plumber26]

If you see a gas water heater on the floor, look in the installation instructions for that heater and somewhere (most times on the cover page) there will be some language to the affect of .."conforms to

ANSI Z21.10.1" This is the standard that deals with the FVIR rating. If it's there, it's good. In my area, electric water heaters are required to be on stands because the lower element/ t-stat are considered to be an "ignition source".... go figure.