Where should I install gas line for future heater?

[ride92]

Hello Garage Journal,

About to break ground on our new house and I need to figure out where to install the gas line in the garage for a future heater. I've attached a simple drawing of the space. The garage is 26x38 with a 8'x22' storage area at the back left corner. It's a 3 car garage with an 18'x8 and 10'x8 door. There are 2 doors marked in red, the one in the storage area is a service door to the back yard and the other will enter into the rear foyer of the house. I've placed a blue line of where I think I'm going to put the gas line, the other side of that wall is the kitchen and the gas range. I was planning on putting it up in that corner angled towards the opposite corner. Is this going to be an OK placement for a heater?

 

[HoosierBuddy]

Can you get a flue or vent out from that spot? If so...looks good to me.

Phil

 

[Milton Shaw]

Don't put the heater where you might eventually put a lift. Direct close heaters on car hoods and plastic parts can cause a lot of problems. And if its gas you are going to need a roof vent for fumes.

 

[ride92]

Any lift that I might put in down the road will be in the third bay of the garage at the opposite side.

I'm going to have to double check the clearance above that spot to run the vent up and out the roof. there's nothing over the garage but the walk in closet off the upstairs master bath might intrude a bit into the space above the garage a bit in that area.

Is it ok to use 45degree elbows to move the vertical exhaust vent or does it have to be 100% vertical? I'm suppose to have drawing complete today and review them on Friday with the builder so I'll have a better idea of what I'm looking at then.

 

[ride92]

I got the drawings back to day and there seems to be a problem that I'm not quite sure how to work around. Where I was planning on putting the gas line and heater the master bathroom and walk in closet is directly overhead. I'm not quite sure where to run the gas line now. Is it possible to run the vent horizontal until I get to a spot that can go up and out?

I've attached a second revised drawing. It has a second blue line for where I could install the heater, that would be just around the corner as it goes back to the storage area, I also could install it just above the rear service door. The second option I'm thinking is that, if it's possible, I could a horizontal vent pipe in along the inside of the garage until I clear the master bath overhead and then run it up thru the roof. I marked this with a pink line. What do you guys think would be best?

 

[6768rogues]

If you use a hanging heater like a Reznor, the exhaust is power vented and can go out the sidewall. Put the heater where it can vent horizontally with its termination away from building openings.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

The thing is, if you can't go up you are likely going to have to buy a more expensive heater. The good news is the more expensive heater is higher efficiency, so you should recover that cost over time.

At work, we went with the modine effinity units that are fully condensing. They vent with PVC. The only complexity is you do need a condensate drain. Oh...and writing the check...because they are a lot more expensive than a standard 80+ hanging heater.

Phil

 

[ride92]

Well, I had the builder move the gas line in the garage to just over the service door. I should be able to run the vent either horizontal or vertical from that location with out any issues. Given that the third bay is where most of the work will done I think it will be an ok spot to put the heater. I should have enough room over the door since the ceilings are 10' tall. Any reason I shouldn't put it there?

 

[6768rogues]

My Reznor 100K BTU natural gas heater has a power vent, metal pipe, sidewall termination and it cost $700 last year.

 

[Jackfre]

Why have the builder put only the one location in. The place is open at this point. when running the gas line have him drop a couple tees in the line and cap them so it will be easy to add to should you change you mind on location. This is a part of the reason I went with 1/2" plywood set vertically in my shop. If I need to I can get into any part of the wall with minimum fuss. Also, asking a heating question without telling us where you are is problematic. Minot or Miami?

 

[ride92]

Why have the builder put only the one location in. The place is open at this point. when running the gas line have him drop a couple tees in the line and cap them so it will be easy to add to should you change you mind on location. This is a part of the reason I went with 1/2" plywood set vertically in my shop. If I need to I can get into any part of the wall with minimum fuss. Also, asking a heating question without telling us where you are is problematic. Minot or Miami?

I'm in Wisconsin. The problem with what you suggest about having them install several tee's to drop down off of is they want to charge for everyone one of those as if it's a new outlet at about $300 a pop! I'm going to just leave it over the door for know and hopefully everything will work out alright with it in that location. If not I guess I'll have to get up in the attic and run some flex line to a different location or just run the flex line outside the attic if need be.

 

[Jackfre]

Your problem is not with your gas line but with your contractor. This is a relationship issue. If your contractor looks at you as a “mark” and you let him do so, you are in trouble. $300 for a tee vs a 90 or a coupling is nothing short of mean spirited. You can either challenge this or, if he can show you it is in the contract, you may as well not look at anything other than the finished product he delivers. You can then begin the re-model. I say this as a former general contractor. It has been a long time since I’ve worked at it, but doing this kind of work should be co-operative venture? It does not have to be unpleasant.

 

[D45]

Running black gas pipe is easy, have them run it and cap it.

If you need to extend it, you can on your own

 

[ride92]

So after the internal review of the drawing there was an issue of how the master bath lined up with the unfinished space over the garage, specifically with regards to the plumbing. The builder is offering to extend the front of the 2 car garage area by 2.5 feet and then add 2.5 feet of depth to the rear foyer. We are splitting the cost for that extra sqft inside so it's not to bad. That means the wall running to where the service door is that I was going to put the gas line is now 2.5 feet longer. I'm moving my sink rough in to that wall and was going to move the gas line to somewhere over the sink area on that wall so that I can mount the heater at the corner. I decided I don't want it right over the service door. How far off the corner should I put it? Should I just put it about in the middle of the wall and then use a flex line or pipe to where I actually want the heater to go?

 

[ride92]

Would it be better to install the heater in the far back corner of the garage and point it towards the opposite front corner? I'm talking about the back corner of the garage that would be along the same wall as the service door?