Water heater in garage
- Thread starter jeremy70
- Start date
code may not permit a gas heater in a garage...
electric would be cheaper to install, nat gas would be cheaper to operate over the term.
electric would be cheaper to install, nat gas would be cheaper to operate over the term.
rsanter
Well-known member
Electric will be more expensive to operate
Where is your gas meter? Next to the garage? Mine is...
Where is your electric service meter and box? Next to the garage? Mine is...
If I was you I would look at a tankless unit. I have a gas tankless. I use gas for cooking, laundry, hot water...and my gas bill is under $9 a month
If you are going to buy new you might as well upgrade. Plus they have them that you can exterior mount so it dosent take up room in the garage
Bob
Where is your gas meter? Next to the garage? Mine is...
Where is your electric service meter and box? Next to the garage? Mine is...
If I was you I would look at a tankless unit. I have a gas tankless. I use gas for cooking, laundry, hot water...and my gas bill is under $9 a month
If you are going to buy new you might as well upgrade. Plus they have them that you can exterior mount so it dosent take up room in the garage
Bob
ChevyEFI
Well-known member
I keep hearing about TX homes having the WH in the attic.
Movings ours immediately up above the indoors closet and replacing with an on-demand unit appeals to me more than losing garage space.
Movings ours immediately up above the indoors closet and replacing with an on-demand unit appeals to me more than losing garage space.
mygarageone
Well-known member
Tankless units are great . but if you need to service one . there are not many service people who will or want to.
Had a new house built recently and they did an external natural gas tankless water heater. My next door neighbor opted for the tank version installed in his garage, takes up a lot of real estate in the garage. The house was built in South Carolina so I don't know about the longevity of an external mount heater.
mygarageone
Well-known member
Not sure what kind you are talking about but they do not take up much space at all.
They are about 8" deep , 2 ft wide and maybe 30 " tall and hung on the wall that's not much of an area.
The out door units however are much different .
I think the electric would be cheaper to install, but not by all that much.
Gas:
You'll have to run gas and water lines. (maybe electric if you have a fancy heater)
Electric:
you have to run water and electric lines.
I say go gas. or tankless.
Don't forget, if you go tankless you'll need to have a water softener. Other wise calcium buildup will clog it out..eventually.
Gas:
You'll have to run gas and water lines. (maybe electric if you have a fancy heater)
Electric:
you have to run water and electric lines.
I say go gas. or tankless.
Don't forget, if you go tankless you'll need to have a water softener. Other wise calcium buildup will clog it out..eventually.
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shooting4life
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2012
- Messages
- 334
Go for a traditional gas, much cheaper to operate. Plus in case of emergency you have 40-50 gallons of clean water in storage.
senor fozz
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2013
- Messages
- 543
That is correct when i lived in texas i could open a door in my bedroom to get to the water heater.
shanker
Well-known member
I have a gas water heater in my garage (I'll be moving it to the Attic when it expires to free up re-estate)...and yes, LOTS of homes in TX have the water heaters in the garage...just need a good drip pan & keep an eye on it every now and then.
No my neighbor has a tank water heater and it takes a lot of his garage space. Mine is as you describe it, very compact unit.
All the home builders in central VA put the Gas heaters in the garages, but the local codes also requires new construction attached garages to be sheetrocked and taped now too. So not sure if that comes into play in other locals when putting the gas heater in the garage. But heck you say it's already inside a closet inside the living portion of the dwelling, so I would think it would be safer out the garage??
One thing to think of is if the heater is in the garage and your bathrooms all the way across the house then it will awhile to get hot water there. My heater is in the middle of my house and takes long enough I'd hate to have it in my garage.
plumbstupid
Well-known member
Just remember if you move a gas waterheater into the garage it will have to be on a platform that is atleast 18" high.
BoostAddiction
Well-known member
Personally, I hate the casual thinking that every water heater, outdoor light control, electric fence, sprinkler control box and setup, etc belongs in the garage. I see it especially in places like Florida where basements are not the norm.
It's just laziness on the part of the builder or architect (assuming there actually is one). If there has to be a central closet for mechanicals, then design one in from the beginning, instead of taking away garage space that in most cases is already too small anyway!
I had to make it clear to the builder of my home that none of that stuff was going in the garage. Only car-related stuff goes in my garage!
It's just laziness on the part of the builder or architect (assuming there actually is one). If there has to be a central closet for mechanicals, then design one in from the beginning, instead of taking away garage space that in most cases is already too small anyway!
I had to make it clear to the builder of my home that none of that stuff was going in the garage. Only car-related stuff goes in my garage!
59 wagon man
Well-known member
not true modern heaters have a sealed combustion chamber and can be set on the floor
THINK TWICE ABOUT PUTTING IT IN THE ATTIC- not if but when it falls what a mess you will have ,sheetrock ceiling will collapse on your car or tools plus the old heater is way heavier then the new one
ChevyEFI
Well-known member
If there's a post on here that deserves an Amen on here, this is it.Personally, I hate the casual thinking that every water heater, outdoo hbvr light control, electric fence, sprinkler control box and setup, etc belongs in the garage <snip> taking away garage space that in most cases is already too small anyway!
HVAC stuff that condensates and puts off water has drains. I wouldn't mind my heater being immediately in the attic above it's current closet, but I'd make sure it had a drain setup.
59 wagon man
Well-known member
anytime i change a heater in the attic the customers are amazed at how much damage that 30,40,50 gals causes .plus if your sleeping when it happens it can run for hours think of the damage. the water wont necessarily drain right below the heater but can run to the lowest spot of the ceiling . had a roof drain leak go across 150 ft of open warehouse and drip directly onto the electric transformer for the entire Bristol Meyers complex we were working in. hvac stuff does not dump that much water and i believe most codes now require a float switch in the condensate pan to avoid flooding of the pan .
Personally, I hate the casual thinking that every water heater, outdoor light control, electric fence, sprinkler control box and setup, etc belongs in the garage. I see it especially in places like Florida where basements are not the norm.
It's just laziness on the part of the builder or architect (assuming there actually is one). If there has to be a central closet for mechanicals, then design one in from the beginning, instead of taking away garage space that in most cases is already too small anyway!
I had to make it clear to the builder of my home that none of that stuff was going in the garage. Only car-related stuff goes in my garage!
I agree 100%. I added a 6'x8' mechanical room to the plans on my house, it's ground level with concrete floor incase the water heater leaks. The builder charged $1100 for it when the house was going up, but It's been great as it has my air compressor in there too.. Things you must have, but never need to see or touch except for maintenance purposes so why have them in the garage using valuable wall/floor space..
But then again most of the garages I see in the neighborhood just have boxes, lawnmowers, trash, and strollers piled up to the ceiling in there so I suppose they don't care the water heater and hvac handler is taking up a bunch of space in the typical 20'x20' "2 Car" garage..
Maybe 1 out of 50 garages I see in my area will have some workbenches and projects cars inside the garage. I instantly think 'there's a good guy that lives there'.
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MSG C5
Well-known member
I agree 100%. I added a 6'x8' mechanical room to the plans on my house, it's ground level with concrete floor incase the water heater leaks. The builder charged $1100 for it when the house was going up, but It's been great as it has my air compressor in there too.. Things you must have, but never need to see or touch except for maintenance purposes so why have them in the garage using valuable wall/floor space..
But then again most of the garages I see in the neighborhood just have boxes, lawnmowers, trash, and strollers piled up to the ceiling in there so I suppose they don't care the water heater and hvac handler is taking up a bunch of space in the typical 20'x20' "2 Car" garage..
I guess I'm a "good guy".
I live in Florida and I can't get over how many people park their expensive new cars in the driveway only to have extra storage for their cheap patio furniture and boxes of old clothes and other junk loaded up in their garages.
My 10 year-old water heater may have just gave up the ghost last night as the electonic pilot will not engage. Not sure if it's worth replacing since the tank is that old so I'm considering a tankless system. I'm reading the pros/cons (that's why I'm checking GJ tonight) in hopes of getting a little more information before I have the contractor come out tomorrow.
I would like to get a little more room out of the corner, but in the meantime I installed the hanging valances to hide it (and the Christmas tree).
