Thread: Water Heater Location

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From the 2003 IRC:"M2005.2 Prohibited locations.Fuel-fired water heaters shall not be installed in a room used as a storage closet. Water heaters located in a bedroom or bathroom shall be installed in a sealed enclosure so that combustion air will not be taken from the living space. Direct-vent water heaters are not required to be installed within an enclosure."From the 2003 IMC:"303.3 Prohibited locations.Fuel-fired appliances shall not be located in, or obtain combustion air from, any of the following rooms or spaces:1. Sleeping rooms.2. Bathrooms.3. Toilet rooms.4. Storage closets.5. Surgical rooms.Exception: This section shall not apply to the following appliances:1. Direct-vent appliances that obtain all combustion air directly from the outdoors.2. Solid fuel-fired appliances, provided that the room is not a confined space and the building is not of unusually tight construction.3. Appliances installed in a dedicated enclosure in which all combustion air is taken directly from the outdoors, in accordance with Section 703. Access to such enclosure shall be through a solid door, weather-stripped in accordance with the exterior door air leakage requirements of the International Energy Conservation Code and equipped with an approved self-closing device."


The important part of the above code is highlighted (bold) to identify that the combustion air shall not be taken from the living space. Clearly, if there is a door that opens into the sub-closet and the closet opens into the bedroom-- this is not a good install.

Rich

Jeff,

Why they didn't make a door access from the hallway and close off the closet side of the water heater

That's what they should have done with the appropriate combustion air requirements.

As Richard pointed out, can't be open-able to the bedroom.