safe or non safe is the question

[83trekker]

Just wondering how much of a hazard having a gas water heater for my radiant heating in my garage. Im running out of choices to heat my garage, was going to go with electric water heater but think it wil cost way to much to keep it heated. Who all has one in there garage, any problems or saftey hazards?

 

[Junkman]

I know that I wouldn't do it because of possible gasoline fumes that could be ignited by the gas water heater. I also know that in some jurisdictions, they don't allow them in garages for this reason. If there is a location that is near the garage, why not install it in there. These type of questions, never have just one answer, since in some areas, it might be allowed, but in others, it won't be allowed. For the best answer, you should consult the local building officials and ask for their advise. Usually new installations require a permit, so you might as well get it right the first time.

 

[bmwpower]

How high off the ground would it be?

 

[carguy123]

Gas fumes settle to the ground rather than rise so most places say 18" off the ground is sufficient. I am putting mine 8' off the ground, on top of the office in my garage.

 

[Junkman]

Natural gas rises, propane falls.... they both have "smell" added to detect leaks.

 

[boiler7904]

Putting gas water heaters in garages is common practice in many warmer climates. When I was looking at new houses in Indiana, one builder puts the gas fired furnace and water heater in a closet in the garage about 2' off the floor when the house doesn't have a basement.

 

[Willy Victor]

My Sons house in Austin has the gas water heater basically in the garage. It's in a corner of the garage in a walled in space about two feet off the floor. I have to say I don't like this setup at all. All the houses in the sub-division are built that way. There is a cheap plywood door on the enclosure with about a two inch gap on the bottom that opens to the garage. I'm assuming you need this gap to get combustion air to the burner. This gap also allows fumes to reach the heater. Sort of a Catch22.

Willy

 

[carguy123]

By gas fumes I meant GASOLINE fumes. By raising the heater or a HWH you minimize the risk of a GASOLINE fire/explosion.

 

[83trekker]

i could build a add a room on the outside of the garage and just have the hot floor heating pex go from the garage to the add a room, that way it would be sealed from the garage and i could vent any way i want for combustion to....i guess.

 

[Junkman]

There are some very efficient gas water heaters that use PVC piping for vent. They have a draft inducer motor that must start prior to ignition, so they are also a lot safer. They are quite pricey, but worth it in the end run.

 

[Bill K]

Around here in NC it is comman to have them in the garage. They must be at least 18" off the floor to pass code.

 

[Kapt]

Gas fumes settle to the ground rather than rise so most places say 18" off the ground is sufficient. I am putting mine 8' off the ground, on top of the office in my garage.

I'm thinking of putting mine on the second floor also. Have you run into any issues with the circulating pump having to work harder?

 

[kbs2244]

The outside room is the best from a safety point of view.
If you put it inside keep it at least 18 inchs off the garage floor. To be real safe put it in it's own walled off room, with that 18 inch false floor and a weatherstripped door. Don't forget the transom at the bottom of the door. You also need a 6 x 8 outside vent into this little room. That will give you outside air for combustion, and keep garage fumes out of the room.

 

[fordnutz]

Better check the gas code in Alberta regarding hot water tanks in garages. They are no longer allowed here in Saskatchewan. A buddy of mine has one he put in for his in floor heat a few years ago. Seems to work ok. Has to be 18 inches off the floor. At least that was the old regulation. Now they want a boiler for in floor heat. You also can't install any gas appliances here unless you are a licensed fitter. Fortuanately, I am. Pat

 

[83trekker]

Better check the gas code in Alberta regarding hot water tanks in garages. They are no longer allowed here in Saskatchewan. A buddy of mine has one he put in for his in floor heat a few years ago. Seems to work ok. Has to be 18 inches off the floor. At least that was the old regulation. Now they want a boiler for in floor heat. You also can't install any gas appliances here unless you are a licensed fitter. Fortuanately, I am. Pat

thanks i am kind of leaning towards the boiler now, so thats allowed in sask garages still?

You said your friends in heat works ok, could you elaborate on that? It isnt very good? Thanks for your input!!

does anybody on here run infloor heat from there house to the garage with pex under ground? If so tell me your set up and what you think.Thanks all im still really trying to figure what the hell im gonna do with my garage to heta my infloor.

 

[Cword]

I built in Calgary in 2001. The water heater I'm using passed, no problems.
It is installed about 2 feet off the floor though.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

Just wondering how much of a hazard having a gas water heater for my radiant heating in my garage. Im running out of choices to heat my garage, was going to go with electric water heater but think it wil cost way to much to keep it heated. Who all has one in there garage, any problems or saftey hazards?

A couple of things come to mind.

First off. It is NEVER safe to refuel anything inside. Not ever. Yeah I've done it...you've done it...we're not dead, that doesn't make it safe. Gas water heater or not...if you put a big puddle of gas on the floor it could be ignited by any number of ignition sources. Take it outside to refuel it...whatever "it" is.

Second, about 2 years ago, all natural gas water heater makers changed the air intake on their heaters to meet new stiffer federal codes. They added a flash back flame arrestor specifially to prevent this issue.

Third, code normally requires gas water heaters to be mounted off the floor (18" I think?) if installed in a garage, to prevent gasoline running directly under the water heater and the puddle being ignited (which wouldn't happen if you followed rule 1 above anyway)

Finally, there are water heaters that take their combustion air from outside, but they are quite a bit more expensive. Power vent water heaters are becoming pretty common and work well where a b-vent is impossible or where the property owner doesn't want to run a flue through the roof. The only real downside of the power-vent heaters is they must have power to make hot water. So, if the power is off the water heater won't go.

I would not hesitate to put a gas water heater in a garage of mine, as long as it's installed up off the floor. But seriously guys, you shouldn't refuel anything inside. It just isn't safe regardless.

Phil

 

[kbs2244]

It is not just refueling. Things leak. Or you might spill a can of paint, or grab a can of spray paint, or start to varinish a door, or ......
The power vent heaters do have a kind of sparkplug ignition, so there isn't an always on pilot light, but they still have a flame on the burner when they do kick on. Having one of them or not means nothing as far as installation safety is concerned. They are just a gas conservation thing.
Personaly, I go with some ventalation when ever I am in the shop. I may be wasting some heat, but wasted heat causes a draft, and a draft carries away fumes. And no fumes is a good thing.

 

[ac45mike]

Gas water heater sold in the USA for the last couple years have a more sealed combustion chamber to help prevent the problem your concerned about. When you look at one it will have a red button to ignite the pilot you can no longer lite them with a match etc. They also make a w/h that is totally sealed and mounts next to the outside wall and takes its intake from outside and vents threw the center of the same pipe.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Gas water heater sold in the USA for the last couple years have a more sealed combustion chamber to help prevent the problem your concerned about. When you look at one it will have a red button to ignite the pilot you can no longer lite them with a match etc. They also make a w/h that is totally sealed and mounts next to the outside wall and takes its intake from outside and vents threw the center of the same pipe.

Electronic ignition water heaters are more common these days but they haven't totally replaced the old style. I put a new water heater in my house in August 2006, and it has a regular old pilot light that is lit with a match.

 

[drbill]

So how do the na sayer's heat the garages if they are afraid of a hot water heater in the garage?
My garage is kept warm with a gas fired furnace hung from the ceiling, if gasoline fumes get that high there is something really wrong.
I would say 99% of the codes are national codes that states and cities adopt.
Find out what the code is for a hot water heater in a garage is and have at it.

 

[kbs2244]

drbill: You are correct. The height of any flame above the floor is the concern. The celing mounted heater you have is the way almost all comercial garages go. Cheap to install, easy to get the heat blown arround, and the meet code because the flame is so high.
But he is going with in the floor hot water. He could hang the hotwater heater from the celing, but that would be a bit of an over kill safety wise as well as a plumbing problem. So the question comes down to how high is safe enough, but not so high as to cause an install problem.
Most codes say 18 inchs.