After reading and watching some videos, i still cant find a solid reason why water heaters should not be the washroom. I know there my not have alway been a code for it. But in my home built in 1911 the heater is in my washroom.
Note: all i can find it that a washroom doesn’t have enough circulating air.
Who/what says they cannot?
It might not. But it is often possible to remedy that situation.
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Fuel-fired water heaters should not be installed in a room used as a storage closet. Fuel-fired water heaters should not obtain combustion air from sleeping rooms, bathrooms, or toilet rooms.
Inspecting Water Heater Tanks in Residential Dwelling Units (interNACHI)
Okay…what if the closet with the water heater is not a storage closet? What if the combustion air is obtained from an area other than sleeping room, bathroom or toilet room?
Can the water heater now be located in the wash room?
Im not 100% sure. I know they can be in a clost not intended for storage. But i am trying to ask the reaaon (acording to InterNACHI) they shouldn’t be in the washroom
What you described does not prohibit the appliance in the wash room.
Nothing above says that.
It does say this
Can you think of a way for the appliance to get its combustion air from somewhere else?
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I was always under the impression they could not be in bathrooms due to the high volatility of fart gasses. After all you don’t want Uncle Fred eating lots of jalapeño spiced food and letting one rip while emptying out right? That could be explosive and disastrous.
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Here’s two of our NACHI brothers
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The 2018 IFGC says this:
303.3 Prohibited locations. Appliances shall not be located
in sleeping rooms, bathrooms, toilet rooms, storage closets or
surgical rooms, or in a space that opens only into such rooms
or spaces, except where the installation complies with one of
the following:
- The appliance is a direct-vent appliance installed in
accordance with the conditions of the listing and the
manufacturer’s instructions. - Vented room heaters, wall furnaces, vented decorative
appliances, vented gas fireplaces, vented gas fireplace
heaters and decorative appliances for installation in
vented solid fuel-burning fireplaces are installed in
rooms that meet the required volume criteria of Section
304.5. - A single wall-mounted unvented room heater is
installed in a bathroom and such unvented room heater
is equipped as specified in Section 621.6 and has an
input rating not greater than 6,000 Btu/h (1.76 kW).
The bathroom shall meet the required volume criteria
of Section 304.5. - A single wall-mounted unvented room heater is
installed in a bedroom and such unvented room heater
is equipped as specified in Section 621.6 and has an
input rating not greater than 10,000 Btu/h (2.93 kW).
The bedroom shall meet the required volume criteria of
Section 304.5. - The appliance is installed in a room or space that opens
only into a bedroom or bathroom, and such room or
space is used for no other purpose and is provided with
a solid weather-stripped door equipped with an
approved self-closing device. Combustion air shall be
taken directly from the outdoors in accordance with
Section 304.6. - A clothes dryer is installed in a residential bathroom or
toilet room having a permanent opening with an area of
not less than 100 square inches (0.06 m2) that communicates
with a space outside of a sleeping room, bathroom,
toilet room or storage closet.
The numbered sections indicate exceptions.
The 2021 IRC says this:
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. Installation of direct-vent
water heaters within an enclosure is not required.
M2005.2.1 Water heater access. Access to water heaters
that are located in an attic or underfloor crawl space is
permitted to be through a closet located in a sleeping
room or bathroom where ventilation of those spaces is in
accordance with this code.
Again there is an exception noted in M2005.2.1
The basis of this and similar codes is BACKDRAFTING. Where lack of sufficient combustion air may cause CO to accumulate at lethal levels in the interior space.
The 2018 IFGC gives us the most remembered (rule of thumb) for combustion air:
304.5 Indoor combustion air. The required volume of
indoor air shall be determined in accordance with Section
304.5.1 or 304.5.2, except that where the air infiltration rate is
known to be less than 0.40 air changes per hour (ACH), Section
304.5.2 shall be used. The total required volume shall be
the sum of the required volume calculated for all appliances
located within the space. Rooms communicating directly with
the space in which the appliances are installed through openings
not furnished with doors, and through combustion air
openings sized and located in accordance with Section
304.5.3, are considered to be part of the required volume.
304.5.1 Standard method. The minimum required volume
shall be 50 cubic feet per 1,000 Btu/h (4.8 m3/kW) of
the appliance input rating.
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Thanks for sharing.
I don’t have an issue with an electric water heater.
I have a fuel fired water heater in my washroom. Is this allowed?
Does it meet any of the exceptions above?
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Not according to the IRC unless it meets some specific requirements. Robert has already given you that code number. M2005.2.
I dont believe so. I believe it goes against all above rules
Tell us about it.
All of the pertinent information was given to you. There is no definition for “washroom” however and you are the only one using that designation. What is your definition of washroom. I have a washtub in my laundry room where I do my ‘wash’ is that a “washroom?” It also contains my gas fired water heater and furnace. What are you calling a washroom?
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Democratic national convention headquarters washroom. For future candidate, go to the floor below and wait
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Ok maybe not all rules:
But it takes air from the washroom (containing the shower and sink). I cant find a btu on it so im unable to calculate the size needed. If it helps my wc is 7×8×9 (L×W×H)
. On occasion if we are in the washroom with the door shut it smells like fuel. It does have a vent going stright up. No floor drain for the tpr valve or catch pan. The water heater is on 2×10s
What is the fuel smell? Sulfer?
Buy a CO detector / alarm and mount it in the room. CO (carbon monoxide) has no smell. That’s the gas that will kill you.