# Whysome people put water heater in the attic?



## Allencat (Nov 27, 2012)

As a professional i've installed water heaters in many different homes.I love doing water heater jobs,but i don't understand why do some people have old gas water heaters the their attic instead of their garage?I mean when you have to take an old water heater with a new one you have to go up in the attic moving the water heaters up and down the attic and some attics have very limlited space to work in and you have to have somebody help you move the water heater.




When houses are being built,why not just put the water heater in the garage?That way when us plumbers have to come replace a heater we would have more space to work in and don't packing the heater up and don't the attic,that would be less work and more comfordable job.


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

heaters in attic cost more round here, thats a good thing


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

GREENPLUM said:


> heaters in attic cost more round here, thats a good thing


And stupid, mho


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## CaberTosser (Mar 7, 2013)

Heaters in an attic up here are unheard of, the winter weather would freeze the water lines. Ours are usually in the basement or lowest level, with occasional exceptions, usually in townhomes. Similar to the attic situation though is when I'd have a replacement in a very old house where the basement access consisted of a hatch in the kitchen floor. and the stairs more resembled a ladder. Headroom would be limited, probably because the excavation was done by hand back then. I'd usually find one or more old heaters down there and would remove them all for the client, seeing as I'd have a co-worker come to help between us we'd have cargo space for them all. Those were pretty rare though, the local trend to buy those old lots and level the house for a new build is well-established.


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## johntheplumber (Feb 11, 2013)

The real reason they are put up there is that the 9 square feet of floor space that it takes up is not in the garage or home. 

It is a VERY common practice here and a VERY stupid one. 

I enjoy heater work as well and the attic ones do get charges more.


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## phishfood (Nov 18, 2012)

Luckily, I haven't run into an attic water heater yet. Not on new construction, nor on service, just doesn't seem to be done around here.


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

One reason to keep them out of the garage is flammable liquids. I worked on a case where the owner lost a beautiful concours micro bus camper to a water heater fire. If the attic is set up properly I don't see a problem with having them in the attic. The problem of course is most of them are not.

Mark


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## johntheplumber (Feb 11, 2013)

ToUtahNow said:


> One reason to keep them out of the garage is flammable liquids. I worked on a case where the owner lost a beautiful concours micro bus camper to a water heater fire. If the attic is set up properly I don't see a problem with having them in the attic. The problem of course is most of them are not.
> 
> Mark


A big problem is that a lot of the pans to not drain properly when needed. They either get clogged with insulation or are slopped incorrectly . I've even seen bugs build nests in them.


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## johntheplumber (Feb 11, 2013)

That's why all heaters in attics should have an automatic water shutoff.


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## JPL (Feb 8, 2013)

We've relocated water heaters into the attic on some of our remodels. Our climate is mild so the main concern is structural. 600lbs-800lbs bouncing around during a quake. Usually the culprit is a "show room" garage or my personnel favorite, The architect draws a single tankless hanging on an exterior wall for a six bathroom 3000+sqft. house. I'm not saying it's ideal, but if you set everything up properly I don't see any problems.


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## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

Here it is common to have them half in half out above the washer dryer. I guess so you can adjust the temp from the ground. PITA


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## johntheplumber (Feb 11, 2013)

DesertOkie said:


> Here it is common to have them half in half out above the washer dryer. I guess so you can adjust the temp from the ground. PITA


We have some town homes that have this. It's a pain to replace them.


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## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

johntheplumber said:


> We have some town homes that have this. It's a pain to replace them.



Yes a big pain$$ for the customer too.:laughing:


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## The bear (Sep 27, 2012)

Plenty of water heaters in attics here. Just recently replaced 2 water heaters in attic at one home. The first was a 40 gal medium above kitchen. Heater was 20 feet from access hole behind a large duct and a 3" pvc horizontal vent. Relocated to area by access hole with 3/4" plywood,drain pan with 1"pvc run to outside. Second heater is a 20 gal over master bedroom being used as a booster. Bottom fed with no vacuum relief and no drain for water heater. Also possible check on cold water riser because we could not drain heater thru cold water faucets below.Had to build a walkway to water heater and take it out half full.Also relocated that one.


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## mires (Oct 14, 2012)

Will be removing a 40 gallon from an attic tomorrow morning and replacing with a tankless unit. A week ago, they had a contractor draining it for them and ended up breaking off the plastic drain bib. Talk about a mess.


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## johntheplumber (Feb 11, 2013)

mires said:


> Will be removing a 40 gallon from an attic tomorrow morning and replacing with a tankless unit. A week ago, they had a contractor draining it for them and ended up breaking off the plastic drain bib. Talk about a mess.


What brand tankless?


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## mires (Oct 14, 2012)

johntheplumber said:


> What brand tankless?


I'm 99% sure it will be a Rinnai.


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## johntheplumber (Feb 11, 2013)

mires said:


> I'm 99% sure it will be a Rinnai.


That's a good heater. Have you seriously looked into Noritz?


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## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

We use rinnai. I really wanna install an eternal tank less. Especially with a circulator. One day I'll get to I hope.


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## mires (Oct 14, 2012)

johntheplumber said:


> That's a good heater. Have you seriously looked into Noritz?


Honestly John, I am just the apprentice lol. Bossman says he has used Rinnai for some time now and we haven't had any kind of callback on one since I have been with him. I know he gets them for a great price too so I'm not sure he would look elsewhere unless the price on the Noritz was pretty competitive.


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## JPL (Feb 8, 2013)

johntheplumber said:


> That's a good heater. Have you seriously looked into Noritz?


The last five or six units I've put in have been Noritz. I like them more then any of the other units that we have put in in the past. I don't get much opportunity to use tankless because it never seems to be the best choice for our clients. Usually for guest houses or big tubs. I've only had two houses that were strictly tankless.


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## Tjruzicka (Jan 7, 2013)

Allencat said:


> As a professional i've installed water heaters in many different homes.I love doing water heater jobs,but i don't understand why do some people have old gas water heaters the their attic instead of their garage?I mean when you have to take an old water heater with a new one you have to go up in the attic moving the water heaters up and down the attic and some attics have very limlited space to work in and you have to have somebody help you move the water heater.
> 
> When houses are being built,why not just put the water heater in the garage?That way when us plumbers have to come replace a heater we would have more space to work in and don't packing the heater up and don't the attic,that would be less work and more comfordable job.


Alot of people in my town are requesting to put new water heaters up in the attic due to the recent hurricanes. Both hurricane sandy and hurricane irene flooded out a lot of basements/garages. Its worth it putting it up in an attic or 4-5 feet higher in the basement on some cinderblocks.


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## Kevan (Jul 5, 2010)

I'd guess that half the residential water heaters in Memphis are in attics. They're a pain, but I don't shy away from them, even though I work alone.

I will admit that the 50-gal gas units are sometimes just too heavy for me to get down the folding stairs by myself if they're full of sediment and their insulation is soaked from the leaking. Otherwise, the only serious drawback is keeping the house clean while moving the old one out.

Additional charges apply when the job is in the attic, but since I work alone, I get all the money :clap: So I won't complain. Like the architect, presumably, I consider it an efficient use of precious square footage.


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## Plumberman911 (Dec 23, 2012)

I've installed a lot of half in attic half out. Done a few completely in the attic. One was really hard took three guys to get the old one out. About tore up the attic because when they finished framing I guess they didn't leave a way to get the tank out. Then the attic latter broke. I inspected one it was about 30 feet back no walk way stick framing. I don't know how the plumbers got the old one out and the new one in. It sucked getting back there to inspect it. I don't like them in the attic. But there's a lot of them up there


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Plumberman911 said:


> I've installed a lot of half in attic half out. Done a few completely in the attic. One was really hard took three guys to get the old one out. About tore up


I don't recall any one asking u !!! And a pot if water with a candle under it isn't a water heater !!! Don't forget to blow yet candle out partner !!


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> I don't recall any one asking u !!! And a pot if water with a candle under it isn't a water heater !!! Don't forget to blow yet candle out partner !!


You sure?


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## Plumberman911 (Dec 23, 2012)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> I don't recall any one asking u !!! And a pot if water with a candle under it isn't a water heater !!! Don't forget to blow yet candle out partner !!


Don't be a hater just because you still burn cow chips for light


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

U666A said:


> You sure?


That's a OKC booster heater special. Installed by 911 new j man


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## Plumberman911 (Dec 23, 2012)

Lmao


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## Rando (Dec 31, 2012)

Whats worse, attic or crawler?
I've never seen one in an attic around here. lots in the crawl space though. that can suck pretty bad too.


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