Thread: 18inches or not?

Gas WH located within a closet of a laundry room which has a door to the garage.
Should WH be 18" from the floor or not? Code reference if possible.
Thanks, Mama M.

Is the laundry in the garage, or in the house, with access to the garage?
In the garage, yes, 18".
In the house (heated/ cooled room) with access to the garage, no.

But the door should be a weather stripped type. Not something with a 1 inch gap at the bottom that gas fumes could get through.
irc 1307.3, 2801.6 18 in above

irc 2005.2, 2406.2 fire door

Originally Posted by wayne soper

But the door should be a weather stripped type. Not something with a 1 inch gap at the bottom that gas fumes could get through.
irc 1307.3, 2801.6 18 in above

irc 2005.2, 2406.2 fire door

Not quite that easy.

1) If the laundry room is also open to the living space, no, it is not required to be raised 18".

2) If the laundry room only opens to the garage, yes, it does need to be raised so that the ignition source is a minimum of 18" above the garage floor.

3) If 1) above, the door is part of the thermal envelope of the house and needs to be weather stripped - whether or not there is any gas appliances in the laundry room.

4) If 1) above and the clothes dryer is gas ...

5) ... What "fire door"? There is no "fire door" between the garage and the house - we have been over this so many times I figured that knowledgeable home inspectors would have quit calling that a "fire door".

4) If 1) above and the clothes dryer is gas ... "


Gas or electric, no difference