Hot Water Heater In Attic Good Or Bad Idea
Maintenance should be done yearly and is more difficult because going into the attic is cumbersome.
Hot water heater in attic good or bad idea. Giant tanks of water happen to take up a lot of square footage and primarily for that reason many builders have opted to place water heaters in the attic of new homes. Down in the sunbelt where there is little to no chance of a waterline freezing in the attic space it has become a common practice to put the water heater in the attic to conserve livable space especially in contractor turnkey constuction but due to the physical problems and additional code requirements it is generally not considered economical for a retrofit. Our duct work for the first floor is in the crawlspace and for the second floor the ducting is. A water heater in the attic saves square footage tank type water heaters are big hulking cylinders filled with anywhere from forty to seventy gallons of hot water.
A hydronic heater system seals the water within the system and doesn t require any kind of recharging to operate well. Choosing attic hvac systems is not necessarily a bad idea. I had nothing to do with it. Our house has roughly the same sq footage downstairs as it does up maybe 1 100 upstairs and 1 300 downstairs.
During the winter time a water heater and piping in the attic space should be insulated to protect against freezing temperatures. The drip pan has a drain outlet that could be plumbed to the outside in fact i was surprised to see that the old pan wasn t connected to anything. In fact it can sometimes result in better energy efficiency less noise and lower risk of water damage. I think a water heater in the attic is a bad idea and you will pay dearly when the time comes for it to be serviced or replaced.
Another reason why installing a gas water heater in the attic is not a good idea is if the tank or any connection leaks. Adjusting the temperature is harder. It may be more costly to replace. It s problematic to have a water heater in your attic because leaks can damage your attic and foster an environment for mold.
There are also specific requirements when installing a heater in the attic to ensure that it can be serviced walkway work platform and a light. Hot water heater in attic insane an alarm would be a good idea. I have a 2 400 sq ft two story house in east tennessee where it gets pretty hot in the summer and can get cold in the winter though the truly cold weather is fairly short lived. Besides i would never recommend a heating cooling system in an attic.
A more energy efficient and rare type of baseboard heating called hot water or hydronic baseboard heating that is often installed with radiant flooring uses a boiler to send hot water from unit to unit via pipes. The water will flood rooms in the lower level and do the damage. If you want specific recommendations on where to place your next hvac contact a licensed professional today and ask to speak with someone who can provide additional details.