Thread: crawl space water heaters---no more gas ones

hey all

talked to four plumbing companies today---because i had a question come up on gas crawl space water heaters---all four told me that they are not manufactoring or installing gas water heaters in crawl spaces anymore--they are going to electric heaters--which means new 220 v breakers in panel and wiring---anyone know anything about this----i will call the world tomorrow--but what have u heard---crawl space heaters are big here in colorado
charlie

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I have not heard this.

Originally Posted by CHARLIE VAN FLEET

...gas crawl space water heaters...

Gas crawl space say what? Must be a regional thang.
The only things I see in crawls are gas furnaces and spider/cricket conventions.

Is it a completely different water heater than a normal gas fired WH? We don't have that here except for a rare occasion, but then it's just a standard WH installed in a tall crawl space. We still have a lot of forced air furnaces in the crawl spaces in the older houses.

Originally Posted by CHARLIE VAN FLEET

hey all

talked to four plumbing companies today---because i had a question come up on gas crawl space water heaters---all four told me that they are not manufactoring or installing gas water heaters in crawl spaces anymore--they are going to electric heaters--which means new 220 v breakers in panel and wiring---anyone know anything about this----i will call the world tomorrow--but what have u heard---crawl space heaters are big here in coloradocharlie

Charlie, maybe you can reword this question because I think many of us are getting confused with the verbiage you are using.

nick

had a bad over age gas water heater in crawl space----recommend client have it evaluated by plumber---it was bad and needed replacing----plumber stated that they are no longer manuf. gas lo boy water heater---and are now only installing ELECTRIC water heaters----which adds a elctrical issue---i asked the question---if anyone heard of this---i did call the world and it has been answered---no more gas--only electric--in residental dwellings

clearer

Originally Posted by CHARLIE VAN FLEET

nick

had a bad over age gas water heater in crawl space----recommend client have it evaluated by plumber---it was bad and needed replacing----plumber stated that they are no longer manuf. gas lo boy water heater---and are now only installing ELECTRIC water heaters----which adds a elctrical issue---i asked the question---if anyone heard of this---i did call the world and it has been answered---no more gas--only electric--in residental dwellings

clearer

Charlie,

I suspect that what confuses people is the way in which you do your posts and answers ... incomplete sentences and thought strings. Your post above is an example of it.

You start out referring to "they are no longer manuf. gas lo boy water heater" and end up saying "i did call the world and it has been answered---no more gas--only electric--in residental dwellings".

Now, I don't know about the rest of the world you called, but *I* know they *still make gas water heaters and install them in residential dwellings* ... thus, to me, your reply makes no sense.

What I think you were meaning is that they no longer make low boy gas water heaters, and I did not know they ever did - but then I'm not a gas specialist, so not knowing they did does not surprise me - I've just never seen one.

I suspect that it would help if you posted in complete sentences and thought trains, that would allow us to better understand what your are asking/saying.

Your posts are easier to try to read now that you are no longer using all caps, but ...

Don't worry, I am not an English Major trying to correct your sentence structure and writing, I am only one of those trying to read and decipher what it is you are asking about, and I do not read, write, or speak any foreign languages - I have enough difficulty with Greek (English is Greek to me ).

gas water heaters in CRAWL SPACES

sorry jerry dont like to write long journals--just short bullets

I have run into crawl space gas water heaters all the time in the past. Still was able to find a replacment. As of recentl I have not, so I am not sure if what your saying is true. If a low boy heater is not made any more and I didnt want to have the home owner hire an electrion, I would consder a tankless heater. Or even a small boiler with a sideways installed storage tank. I do help this helps.

Charlie, how is this water heater vented? Is there a pit to house the WH?

Regardless, locating any heating equipment outside the thermal envelope of the home is less desireable from an energy standpoint.

Any pics?
Bob

bob

that was not the question----i was informing everyone that they are no longer installing or making lo boy water heaters for crawl spaces--it is done alot here in colorado----and part of the problem was combustion air venting-----only electric or tankless will be used from now on--it was just an fyi for all

charlie

Ya hear that Bob? NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!!!

Charlie, I want to thank you for that highly informative response to my questions. You see, I was curious to know how a category I gas vented appliance can be installed in such a tight space and still meet clearances. I was curious as to whether or not these are vented into masonry chimneys or B-vent. I was curious if they used single walled vent connectors or B-vent connectors. With a 3ft water heater plus draft hood and connectors, I was wondering how high your crawl space had to be to provide clearance to combustibles off the vent connector. I was trying to LEARN. I realize you are saying they won't be making these units anymore. However, according to you, there is a significant inventory of these installations, which you will be inspecting for a number of years. Please excuse me for asking you a question.

As for your "that was not the question", I don't think anyone on this forum has been able to figure out to what extent you were asking a question versus making a statement. I will, however, check with my HVAC supply house in the morning what info. they have on this but the last I heard, "lowboy" gas water heaters ( approx. 30-36" height) were being phased out simply because with the energy requirements, there was less and less demand for them to the point it did not make economic sense to build them. In general, you get more efficiency out of taller water heaters. Couple that with the energy losses from outdoor WHs and you see why these are being replaced with like units.

Just to show you what a good sport I am, you need to consider this: appliances installed in unconditioned crawl spaces should be listed and approved for outdoor installation.

Have a good day,
Bob
PS--I really do love soup, too.

sorry bob

didn't mean to ignore your question----again everything was within code-on this wh--bvents----we have alot of low clearence crawl spaces here----and the mini mits--lo boys are all they can use-----but they are discontinued- and not recommended because of the combustion issues--this total answer is still out there from my area-i'll bet there still some out there---but they are not recommended here in colorado--and here every city villiage town is under a different code year------we don't always find wh in pits--but relief valved to sump pits-----again it was just a fyi post---but as you can see sometimes fyis lead to english grammar corrections and get out of hand----sorry i didn't answer your question,appropriately-----soup is good for you
charlie

We also have lots of WH in crawl spaces and the AHJ is allowing a "like-for-like" replacement, but has banned most gas water heater installations in crawl spaces for new construction. Special permitting is needed even when the water heater is listed for outdoor install/provides for proper clearances/combustion air/etc, and a permit is always required whenever a WH is replaced.

In an ante-room area open to the attic (something like a storage closet without a back wall), I found a GOODMAN (HOUSTON, TX) HVAC unit mounted upright on a wooden box (obviously a plenum of sorts...no visible auxiliary overflow pan).

Finally found the pan in an adjacent air return (on the stairway no less), that is under the "box" which is under the HVAC unit. Auto shut-off switch in the pan. Like standing in a 30mph wind tunnel inside the return...never stood inside a return in operation...good unit.

No auxiliary drain to the exterior and no visible pan (as if the owner would ever go into the attic or open the air return to check for an auxiliary pan).

The installer made a "donut" pan to go around the bottom of the HVAC unit (under the coils) without interferring with the return air... and added another shut-off switch in the new pan....impossible to run another drain pipe from that area of the house to the exterior. Seems to be working. Comments?

Thanks,

Don

I think that Rheem discontinued their "Low Boy" model but the division of Rheem know as Richmond still carries a replacement as do other manufacturers. Not to be forgotten Rheem also sells a 30 gal. low boy style gas water heater.