Hot water heater in attic = insane

[SandburRanch]

Amen to the drain valves. A full heater in the attic is about as bad as it gets. Lucky for me, the owner is the Lumber Yard owner and he is furnishing his own heaters and has agreed to putting the new ones up there and getting the old ones out. I wasn't born yesterday.

Does he charge more if you watch?:laughing::laughing:

 

[AGGIE00]

With a spray foamed house havac in the attic is fine since the attic is essentially conditioned space. All the ductwork is operating in the same temperature as what is in the living space. To each his own on the placement of the water heater in the attic, but it seems like a good use of space to me if a proper drain pan is installed. And again, with a spray foamed attic there is no chance of freezing pipes associated with the water heater.

 

[2manyrocks]

A guy I knew a couple of years ago said he had a heat stroke and passed out while servicing a HVAC unit in an attic. There were other guys on the job who pulled him out of the attic. If he had passed out without anybody around to pull him out, he might have died.

Summer attic heat is a pretty good reason not to put any plumbing or HVAC equipment in an unconditioned attic space.

 

[ultrarunner]

A guy I knew a couple of years ago said he had a heat stroke and passed out while servicing a HVAC unit in an attic. There were other guys on the job who pulled him out of the attic. If he had passed out without anybody around to pull him out, he might have died.

Summer attic heat is a pretty good reason not to put any plumbing or HVAC equipment in an unconditioned attic space.

True enough...

In my area, none of the homes have A/C and climate is mild... the copper water lines are exposed and never freeze.

I can see where in harsher climates the temps will fluctuate to a greater degree... it would be problematic

 

[2manyrocks]

Our outdoor temps hovered near 100 degrees for a couple of months in Middle Tennessee last year. Factoring in humidty, the heat index was worse. No telling what the attic temps were. I can't imagine what they would be in Texas.

But I suppose you could live in a climate where the attic temperatures aren't dangerous.

 

[ultrarunner]

Our outdoor temps hovered near 100 degrees for a couple of months in Middle Tennessee last year. Factoring in humidty, the heat index was worse. No telling what the attic temps were. I can't imagine what they would be in Texas.

But I suppose you could live in a climate where the attic temperatures aren't dangerous.

Very mild in Oakland CA...

 

[s219]

Here in VA, the attic is unbelievably hot in summer, and you just can't go up there for more than a couple minutes. God forbid if I had to replace the water heater in summer -- I guess I should be thankful I did it in February. But that tells me that it's a stupid place for the HVAC ducts to be in summer when you're running cool air through them.

It would be the opposite problem in winter, with the cold temperatures working against the heat flowing through the ducts. I measured attic temperatures during the winter last year, and they dropped to within a couple degrees of ambient temperature. I was trying to figure if we could install a humidifier on the furnace. But since the overnight temperature up there would routinely drop into the teens, and rarely single digits, that was a no-go. Based on that, I think even having water lines up there is marginal.

 

[Sackett2]

I had never heard of water-heaters being in attics.. Dosnt seem right.
If i were to build a custom home the Washer/dryer would be on a cement slab 1/2 inch below the floor level with a drain, Water heater something similar.
Mom and dad had a custom house built in 1979; the Contractor who took over from the architect was a wise man. As the house was being built on a hill, he suggest cutting into the bank a bit and creating a area under the house to put the hvac and both water-heaters. They set on a cement slab, but if anything leaks it runs to the ground. no way they can harm the house.

 

[GPintheMitten]

I built 2 custom homes and remodelled a few including a 2 vacation homes.

I've put in 5 main floor laundries, put a water heater in the attic of one vacation home (it had been on the main and only floor) and put a water heater on the main and only floor of the other vacation floor.

Sure, things can go wrong, pipes can burst, appliances can go toes up, and an airplane can fall out of the sky and hit your house.

But in each of my projects I considered the risks and advantages and took precautions I thought were needed.

 

[kenmac]

I guess this one those to each his own. Sometimes that's what the plans call for & sometimes it's the best place for it. I wouldn't go as far as saying it's stupid. I've never had an insurance claim for water damage caused by HVAC or W H that I installed in an attic.

 

[Bird]

I guess this one those to each his own. Sometimes that's what the plans call for & sometimes it's the best place for it. I wouldn't go as far as saying it's stupid. I've never had an insurance claim for water damage caused by HVAC or W H that I installed in an attic.

I can understand the installer not having an insurance claim, because it's after the warranty before the poor homeowners have claims and damage and I've certainly known of that happening. And of course, it's not the installer's fault if that's what the plans call for, and I guess it's not stupid. As I said before it's all about money and if the homeowner gets stuck, the designer and installer aren't concerned with that.

 

[Kays Supply]

Well, 7 hours later, two heaters back in the attic.

 

[kenmac]

I can understand the installer not having an insurance claim, because it's after the warranty before the poor homeowners have claims and damage and I've certainly known of that happening. And of course, it's not the installer's fault if that's what the plans call for, and I guess it's not stupid. As I said before it's all about money and if the homeowner gets stuck, the designer and installer aren't concerned with that.

It's because I install beyond what the min. code requirments are. That's why I haven't had a claim

 

[2manyrocks]

I can understand the installer not having an insurance claim, because it's after the warranty before the poor homeowners have claims and damage and I've certainly known of that happening. And of course, it's not the installer's fault if that's what the plans call for, and I guess it's not stupid. As I said before it's all about money and if the homeowner gets stuck, the designer and installer aren't concerned with that.

Homes should be designed with a mechanical room that is easily accessible, but that's not always the case. It's almost like the installation of water heaters and HVAC equipment is an afterthought.

Now the other thing that is commonplace is installing clothes washers with rubber hoses and no drain pan under the washing machine in an upstairs living space. Homeowners go on vacation and come back to a flooded house because they don't shut off the valves and the hoses always seem to fail when no one is around.

 

[radioman]

well- look at it this way - if the attic space is NOT conditioned and owner lives in southern area, hot water tank in attic would make sense as far as efficiency. Its hot up there right? less electric or gas required to heat water? :thumbsup: As for leaks, there should be a drip pan with large drain. makes sense?

However for the northerners like me, it doesnt make sense unless it was a summer home with limited space as it can be drained before cold weather hits.

 

[turnkey4099]

It is a space saving thing.

If the house is so small that 4sq feet can't be found to use...

Harry K

 

[sandman2234]

Here in VA, the attic is unbelievably hot in summer, and you just can't go up there for more than a couple minutes. God forbid if I had to replace the water heater in summer -- I guess I should be thankful I did it in February. But that tells me that it's a stupid place for the HVAC ducts to be in summer when you're running cool air through them.

It would be the opposite problem in winter, with the cold temperatures working against the heat flowing through the ducts. I measured attic temperatures during the winter last year, and they dropped to within a couple degrees of ambient temperature. I was trying to figure if we could install a humidifier on the furnace. But since the overnight temperature up there would routinely drop into the teens, and rarely single digits, that was a no-go. Based on that, I think even having water lines up there is marginal.

We ran some wiring in the attic during August a couple years ago. It was about 90 degrees outside, and the attic temp was about 130. I grabbed a hose and sprinkler and set it on the roof, allowing it to cool the roof that way. Then I took off a flex hose from the main trunk line on the A/C system and allowed it to cool the attic from the inside.
It got to be pretty comfortable after a while.
David from jax

 

[JDgreen227]

We ran some wiring in the attic during August a couple years ago. It was about 90 degrees outside, and the attic temp was about 130. I grabbed a hose and sprinkler and set it on the roof, allowing it to cool the roof that way. Then I took off a flex hose from the main trunk line on the A/C system and allowed it to cool the attic from the inside.
It got to be pretty comfortable after a while.
David from jax

My original house was a 1 1/2 story, it had eave vents but they did little to ventilate the attic. When I resided the house using vinyl, I installed a 24X36 vinyl window at each end of the gables, and it served 3 purposes:

Admitted a lot of light to the attic.

Made it possible to get up there easiy using a ladder instead of going through the access hatch in a closet. And when I added another 9 inches of fiberglass insulation, it was much easier to get it up there from outdoors.

Last, during the summer, I can open each window halfway and by using the screens, provide a lot more attic ventilation.

 

[sandman2234]

My original house was a 1 1/2 story, it had eave vents but they did little to ventilate the attic. When I resided the house using vinyl, I installed a 24X36 vinyl window at each end of the gables, and it served 3 purposes:

Admitted a lot of light to the attic.

Made it possible to get up there easiy using a ladder instead of going through the access hatch in a closet. And when I added another 9 inches of fiberglass insulation, it was much easier to get it up there from outdoors.

Last, during the summer, I can open each window halfway and by using the screens, provide a lot more attic ventilation.

Not sure how to get a 1 1/2 story house, maybe the second story is for midgets, lol. Mine might fall under the same size, as it has single story walls and is two story under the roof, which gives it a lot less attic space than typical of a single story house. (or full two story).
I actually have a top attic that is almost tall enough for midgets,(3rd floor) and a front and rear attic that is the cutoff from the walls. Those are belly only and where the majority of the ductwork runs.
David from jax