High end clients worried about two water heaters in their attic busting a pipe and flooding the house. Thinking suggesting a ‘smart’ water flow/shut off device or linking a water sensor in the hot water drain pans to the security system. Any comments or suggestions welcome.
Let’s not confuse the issue with facts!
Replies
There are no pans under them?
"It is as hard for the good to suspect evil, as it is for the bad to suspect good."
-- Marcus Tullius Cicero, statesman, orator, writer (106-43 BCE)
No a bad idea. There are system to do that.
One is by Watts, but it is designed to for washing machine flooding and goes on the hot and cold outlets.
There is at least one other that has a whole house system.
I've never heard of a water heater in the attic. Is that a Southern thing or is the house wierd?
When I was renting, a couple of houses had the water heaters in the attic. Don't know if it's a Southern thing, but I am in the South.
Leigh
It's a put it where it will fit thing....
Wait till you find them in the crawl space that's too small. You'll think the place was built around it...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
You'll think the place was built around it...
They typically are.
The builder-designed houses in Houston, Austin, etc., all have heaters that will not go through the attic stairs (assuming that you could get them out of the attic for the jacks & hanging valley/ridge supports in the first place. About 2/3 are in pans, most of which are only washing machine-sized.
Near as I can tell, it's an "oops" thing. The three-page "stock" builder plan set has no thought for MEP in its design. So, when the "model" house for that plan gets built the plumbing contractor asks the site super "where's the DHW go?" The super then says "Dunno," and calls the main office. The head of the deisgn department (who may or may not be on day 11 of that job) goes, "Stick it in the attic." And, that's that.
The thing that still "gets" me is that most of the units are stuck up in attics that can reach 125°-140° for 60+ days a year, despite installation instructions (and on-tank labels) that clearly state not to operate at temps above 110° (or garage-warm).
Oh, and the other situation that makes me go "huh?" is the garage-turned-extra-room, where the pilot-lit gas WH winds up under a carport. Out in the wind, under the carport. Exposed to blowing rain under the carport. But up on its city mandated 18" tall stand, though.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
If done right is sounds like a great place to get it out of the way. You should make a custom pan that is deeper. There is a water sensor that will shut of the water supply to the water heater if it goes. They had one on This Old House.
Could you place the water heater on a pan and then plumb a line to the outside (say just below the eaves). This way if the heater leaks, the water would flow outside and not to the inside living space. This might be a good backup to the auto water shut off. Belt and suspenders. Our A/C in the attic has a similar setup.
--Rob
"Could you place the water heater on a pan and then plumb a line to the outside (say just below the eaves). This way if the heater leaks, the water would flow outside and not to the inside living space. This might be a good backup to the auto water shut off."
No, the pan plumbed to the outside should be the FIRST level of protection. Simple and not much to fail, but it can because of ice or insects.
The auto shutoff is the backup.