Originally Posted by
Jerry McCarthy
I'm not aware of a single AHJ that allows a gas fired water heater to be installed less than 18 inches above a garage floor. This doesn't mean there are none, but be careful and check around your area of practice.
While I disagree with them (but the code agrees with them) ... all, or they should anyway, allow for the newer sealed combustion type water heaters to sit on the garage floor.
I always told / asked my clients if they have ever seen or found something which was "sealed" but which did not "leak" at some point in time? They were smart enough to recognize that, in time, those newer types might just become a problem setting down there on the garage floor - and if the builder did not raise them, they (my clients) typically did anyway.