[stadry]

i opened ours as i wanted to change the air filter & found the false floor was wet,,, turned out to be poor insulating tape over the furnace openings,,, that 'empty space' acts as a buffering air handler,,, omo, you don't need the 4cf of space it will provide at the expense of more work for the hvac mechanicals

[Worldseries27]

Originally Posted by bumpygreens

pipes from my hvac go into it. There is also a pan under the water heater with a drain pipe that goes into that space. It also seems like a good idea to keep people from accidentally bumping into their utilities with a vehicle. Another thought is it probably keeps people from storing stuff too close to the furnace and water heater so we don't have to pay overtime to firefighters.

and also a highway for palmetto bugs

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by Choro&Swing

It used to be code that water heaters with pilot lights had to be elevated in case of gasoline drips from cars, but that has changed. See quote below:

“ Only older gas water heaters located in a garage are required by the International Residential Code (IRC) and Florida Building Code (FBC M1307.3) to be elevated. It is not necessary for electric water heaters or gas water heaters manufactured after mid-2003.

The code states that “appliances having an ignition source shall be elevated not less than 18 inches (457 mm) above the floor in garages,” and the purpose of this stipulation is fire safety. Any gasoline leaking from a car parked in the garage creates flammable fumes that are heavier than air and settle near the floor. An open flame close to the floor, like the pilot light in a water heater, can set off an explosion and subsequent house

But, even with the requirement to elevate any source of ignition up above the floor, numerous house fires continued to be attributed to the gasoline fume ignition in the garage. So the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) mandated that all 30, 40, and 50 gallon gas-fired water heaters manufactured after July 1, 2003, have Flammable Vapor Ignition Resistant (FVIR) technology.”

From: Are water heaters required to be raised off the floor?

I wish my house was wired for electric water heater, much safer and easier to replace.

[mrf6969]

Originally Posted by vintageogauge

When it's time replace your water tank with a on demand system and you will have lots of room in that closet.

At 3 times the cost of a tank water heater, would many of us live long enough to pay for that system?

[Ladays1978@gmail.com]

pull out the air filter element and look inside.

[Chuckw]

When we installed a tankless water heater and removed our water heater tank, I grabbed my sledge hammer and prepared to reclaim the floor space the tank had occupied.... I quickly discovered that there was drywall covering a concrete pedestal! Well DARN! Not quite what I expected.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by mrf6969

At 3 times the cost of a tank water heater, would many of us live long enough to pay for that system?

It would also take some planning and more time to install. It think you may need an electrician and a plumber. When you are out of hot water, you want it back as soon as possible. Often, a tank type water heater can be replaced the same day. I would also be concerned that, if a tankless heater needs to be repaired, are most plumbers going to have the parts needed to do the repair immediately, or will they need to order them? Some things to think about.

[Ndomines]

Leave it alone its part of the air return system

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

It would also take some planning and more time to install. It think you may need an electrician and a plumber. When you are out of hot water, you want it back as soon as possible. Often, a tank type water heater can be replaced the same day. I would also be concerned that, if a tankless heater needs to be repaired, are most plumbers going to have the parts needed to do the repair immediately, or will they need to order them? Some things to think about.

Thanks for info, guess when our water heater goes it will be replaced by a water heater

[Terialexander]

We opened up and got a tankless Hot water heater we now have a huge closet there was nothing underneath that space

[Kenswing]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Thanks for info, guess when our water heater goes it will be replaced by a water heater

Well you certainly wouldn't want to replace it with a microwave..

[Worldseries27]

Originally Posted by warren

gas hot water heaters are elevated to prevent ignition of gasoline fumes that may be emitted from storage of gasoline in the garage. Apparently they are concentrated a foot, or so from the floor and up.

therapy fee

[Worldseries27]

Originally Posted by worldseries27

therapy fee

was in the natural gas industry for over 40 years. Main complaint with water heaters were by being at floor level they were susceptible to wind drafts from entering and departing vehicles thus blowing the pilot flame out. If this happened simultaneously with the gas valve staying stuck open the result would be a full throated pouring of gas into the garage with detonation a probability. That is why they started to use spark ignition instead of pilots. Best way to deal with these issues is to install natural gas / carbon monoxide detectors
in nys the water heaters were also elevated to prevent any flooding from extinguishing the pilot flame. The water heater is THEmost dangerous equipment in the home. A customer because his water heater relief valve was dripping decided to put a plug in it to stop the drip upon the floor. Well the drip was occurring because the wh was becoming over pressurized. A few months later it blew up in the basement went thru the first floor and exited thru the roof. Moral of the story when it comes to any gas appliances, or tanks and lines do yourself a favor. CALL YOUR PLUMBER
ALSO ASK YOUR PLUMBER TO INSTALL A SPILL SWITCH WHERE FEASIBLE
IT SHUTS OFF THE APPLIANCE IN CASE OF MALFUNCTION Call in a professional
session OVER
NEXT STORY WHEN BILLIONAIRE CUSTOMER IN 150 YEAR OLD MANSION DECIDED TO PLAY GAS MAN

[Mikekim74]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Due to a clog in the line we recently had occasion to open it up and found a nice pool of water had collected down there.

Stu, we have that problem. Where was your clog and how did you fix it?

[dadspet]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC View Post
Due to a clog in the line we recently had occasion to open it up and found a nice pool of water had collected down there.
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Sometimes I'm not as smart as I think I am.
I learned the hard way to flush the AC drain located next to the AC unit and Hot water heater. The drain clogged and flooded the house > what a mess. The house was only about 6 yrs old when this happen and I never did follow the advice given about poring water down that drain pipe. Now I pore water down that drain pipe every month or 2 to free up anything clogging the system. It's really easy to do and will help avoid a water backup from the AC.

Right now I'm trying to be pro-active and replace a good 6yr old hot water heater after a neighbor had a flood from their 6 yr old hot water heater. Our house is 7 yrs old and another lesson I learned the hard way in NY was there is a reason they warranty hot water heaters 6 yrs and not 7. Your results may vary and I hope it does but I'm convinced the manufacture has a reason for their warranty and by the way, it doesn't cost that much more for a 12yr warranty than a 6 yr warranty on a hot water heater and the labor to install/remove, which isn't cheap, is the same for both.