Hot water heater in attic = insane

[oldnslo]

How many of these houses are built on slab with no basement or crawl space? If this design you either have to run the lines under the concrete, through the walls or in the attic. Any of these three are bad when something breaks.

 

[V1Rotate]

A lot of you guys think putting HVAC in the attic is crazy so please help me out. I am planning on putting central AC into my ranch style house which has hot water heat (no air ducts). My contractor wants to put the air handler in the attic with ductwork going to each room with registers cut into the ceiling.
This seems like a simple way to do the install. What are the downsides?
Thanks

 

[xtn]

What are the downsides?
Thanks

As described already: Serviceability and likelihood of extra damage from leaks.

My fan coil / furnace and tanked water heaters are in my attic. Although they were installed by a builder's sub-contractor, I demanded some design input and redlined their HVAC and Plumbing drawings to get equipment locations and pan installations that made me happy. All units have stand-up and working room around them, was well as adequate decking around them and back to the attic hatch. So while replacing any of them would have the extra work of moving them up/down the attic ladder, otherwise they would be no more difficult than any other reasonable installation.

 

[Bird]

How many of these houses are built on slab with no basement or crawl space? If this design you either have to run the lines under the concrete, through the walls or in the attic. Any of these three are bad when something breaks.

Yep, nearly everything built in this area in the last 50 years was built on a slab foundation. I bought a new house in 1972 and another in 1977 in which the air handler, and the water heater, were in a closet on an outside wall at the end of the hall. The closet had a raised floor so the return air went in through louvers below the closet door. And yes the freon lines went through the wall to the outside unit. The blower sent the air up into a plenum and out through insulated ducts to each room. Very short freon lines, instead of the longer ones to get up into the attic like I now have. Easy access to change the air filter or to do any other service (I had to replace a blower motor once in the the place I bought in 1972). I realize builders can get a few more square feet of living space by putting that stuff in the attic, and the HVAC and plumbing folks can make more money by charging more for servicing and/or replacing stuff in attic.

I also bought a new double wide mobile in 1997 that had the same arrangement (closet) for the air handler, a plenum, and ductwork in the ceiling.

I know some say that putting the stuff in the attic is more efficient for the homeowner because it's shorter lines or ducts for the air to get to the rooms, but honest people in the building trades will tell you it's to make more money. And that's the name of the game after all.

 

[SandburRanch]

How many of these houses are built on slab with no basement or crawl space? If this design you either have to run the lines under the concrete, through the walls or in the attic. Any of these three are bad when something breaks.

Not really. Supply air duct under the slab and return air in the attic. Plumbing under the slab poly pipe sleeved.

Where the problem is, contractors don't like having to build a house around HVAC and plumbing systems. That takes too much planning. They would much rather build the house and then HVAC people and plumbers install their equipment where ever they can find a place to put it.

My house is slab with pvc ducts under the slab, boots grouted and plumbing sleeved. Been that way for 28 years and that's the only way I'll have a slab on grade house. It makes for very efficient heating and cooling. If I ever built again the only change I would make is I would like the return air in a fir down rather than in the attic.

As far back as the late 1940's to way up into the 1960's or later galvanized duct pipe was put under the slab and completely grouted in the ditch. I suspect some of that is still in operation.

 

[ultrarunner]

I installed central air/heat at my brother's 60 year old ranch style home on slab and the only option turned out to be the attic.

Had a custom made pan with two drains go under the entire unit... it is piped to the outside inside one of the walls to a drain... the overflow or backup is stubbed out over a window so leakage would be clearly visible.

Pull down steps with an attic light make service a snap...

I was skeptical and was pleased with the results...

Running the gas line, power and vent was very easy with the attic location.

 

[Kays Supply]

Wish me luck, I have TWO water heaters to replace in an attic tomorrow. One on each end of the house.

 

[chucko]

A lot of you guys think putting HVAC in the attic is crazy so please help me out. I am planning on putting central AC into my ranch style house which has hot water heat (no air ducts). My contractor wants to put the air handler in the attic with ductwork going to each room with registers cut into the ceiling.
This seems like a simple way to do the install. What are the downsides?
Thanks

I do trusses for a living what I seen a lot these days is if you have a garage Have the bottom of the truss run flat for about 1/3 then step up about two foot then flat again for about 1/3 back down and flat again. Naturlay this all depends on the pitch of your roof


Then the havc can be hung in this space and is easy to get to and out of the way

HVCA is not too bad in the attic if you plan ahead and leave the correct room in the truss webs and good access. Oh yea and a ac guy that does not want to drop it right at the access

Saw one the other day the gable end had a big built in vent the ac was right behend this vent and the vent was removable

100s of ways if you just think smart in the planing/ building stage and have a good ac guy that understands

 

[V1Rotate]

Thanks

 

[SandburRanch]

Wish me luck, I have TWO water heaters to replace in an attic tomorrow. One on each end of the house.

I wish you all the luck in the world. And here is hoping the drain valves aren't full of calcium and will drain well or at least drain a little.:thumbsup:

 

[GPintheMitten]

My son and I put a hot water heater in the attic of a vacation home. We put a large pan under it and plumbed a large drain line to it. Don't remember the drain size. I think it was a shower drain and we probably put a 1 1/2 or 2 " drain line on it.

I would be no harder to replace than when we installed it. It was a good space saver in a small house and allowed us to put in a washer and dryer.

A water leak alarm is a good idea which we didn't think of.

 

[JDgreen227]

I have done a lot of construction and plumbing and remodeling, and the idea of putting mechanical systems in an attic is so stupid I cannot believe anybody would actually do that UNLESS there is no garage, basement, or utility room.

Oh, I am going to tell you guys something the local code official here did. Back when we added on, we combined a first floor laundry room with the shower stall and toilet in that room. The local building inspector approved our plans that clearly showed a GAS DRYER right next to the toilet. Well, then the plumbing inspector came out, he told us we were not permitted to have a fuel fired appliance in the same room as a toilet...we have several friends and relatives that have a half bath combined with laundry rooms with gas dryers...go figure.

Anyhow, what I did was get the small portable electric dryer (115 volt) out of my barn and plug it in after moving the gas dryer to the garage, and then call for the final inspection.

 

[chucko]

I don't know that putting mechanical and even the hot water heart up there is stupid if it is done right. and Min code most of the time and right are not the same thing

Right means it is in the right place and serviceable and that unexpected things like leaks should have ways of dealing with them. Alrams are fine if your home when something happens.
Anytime a water heater is somewhere other than a garage it can (it will) leak and cause damage.

Where mine is if it leaks it will flood the laundry room and run out the outside door but should cause no real problem. I don't take credit for this I did not put it there someone before me did but given my house that was the best place. It's all about managing the risk

 

[GPintheMitten]

I don't think what I did was stupid. It was good use of limited space. Would I do it at my home where there is a basement? No. But it was fine in the summer home. Back in the old days, some people thought it was stupid to put a toilet in the house.

 

[sandman2234]

Three homes I have bought have had water heaters either in the attic or the pantry. The first one they moved the hot water heater to the kitchen just prior to closing. Now that was STUPID! Space in that old house was at a premiun and they put it right in the way. It is still sitting there.
The attic isn't as bad a place as most think, as long as a suitable pan is installed. It would sure have made the wife's work in the kitchen a lot easier. There was no garage, no utility room, no laundry room, and at 825 square feet, not much space for a growing family.
If putting one in the attic, put a good size pan under it, make sure of you joints and plumb the drain out of the attic to a point where if it is leaking, you will see it. I would suggest dropping it out right in front of the kitchen window or in front of the T.V. or computer screen. Good insulation probably not a bad idea for most parts of this country.
David from jax

I moved this house's hot water heater from the pantry to the utility room. Wife really liked that thing out of her way.

 

[JDgreen227]

A full 40 gallon hot water heater would weigh about 410 pounds...so I wonder what kind of framing they use to support them. Do they normally try to install them over a load bearing interior wall? Secondly, do codes permit a heater with a standard pilot light that needs to be relit by hand should it go out, or do they mandate electronic ignition?

 

[2manyrocks]

After a house is built, your options are limited if you want to relocate a water heater or install central hvac.

The common problem with attic hvac ducts is they are exposed to attic heat, and you don't get the same efficiency as you'd get if those same ducts were located in a crawl space. If there's no crawl space, however, then the attic is probably all you have to work with unless you use a ductless minisplit.

 

[Bird]

A full 40 gallon hot water heater would weigh about 410 pounds...so I wonder what kind of framing they use to support them. Do they normally try to install them over a load bearing interior wall? Secondly, do codes permit a heater with a standard pilot light that needs to be relit by hand should it go out, or do they mandate electronic ignition?

Or do they only put electric water heaters in the attic?

 

[JDgreen227]

Or do they only put electric water heaters in the attic?

Good point, Bird...Op said he purchased a 40 gallon gas water heater...but if I recall right, most electrics are at least 50 gallons...another 85 pounds overhead.

 

[Kays Supply]

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.