Where to Install Your Water Heater in Your New Home

Building a new home is a big investment, and it can come with costs and essential installations you may not have thought about. One of those essentials us a boiler installation. If you ever want to take a warm shower or run a load of dishes with hot water, you’ll need to call hot water systems brookwater to install a heater in your home.

Seasoned plumbers have seen some water heaters in strange places—like the one a water heater company in Santa Barbara found in a linen closet, for example. But water heaters in hard-to-reach places can make maintenance much more difficult and can even make damage much more likely in the case of a leak or break. Luckily, location is one thing you can control when you’re building your own house, so once you are ready to start visit Lake Norman Plumber On Call`s official website for their great services.

Here are some places you can have your water heater installation in your home, and why location matters.

Where to Place Your Water Heater

Because traditional tank water heaters take up a lot of space, they are often located in the basement, garage, or attic. These areas are usually best suited to accommodate the size of the water heater.

Depending on the size of your home, you may need two water heaters. In such a case, the heaters should be placed in different locations in your home to maximize efficiency. For instance, one standalone water heater can be located in the garage and the other in the basement.

Tankless water heaters are a different matter. They are much smaller than tank water heaters, which gives them more flexibility in location. Because of their small size, you can install them under sinks, in closets, in bathrooms, under the stairs, and in pantries. Depending on where you live and the type of unit you choose, mounting them on the exterior of your house may also be an option, so if you’re considering this, looking a huge selection of cheap heaters can be really helpful to so you can get the right one for you.

These water heaters could potentially be mounted nearly anywhere in your home. Just because your water heater can fit in a small space doesn’t mean it should go there, though.

One of the biggest mistakes that most homeowners make is forgetting to account for future water heater repair and replacement. While a closet might seem like a good place to tuck your water heater away so it can’t be seen, you should think about whether you and repairmen will be able to access it in the future.

Why the Position of Your Water Heater Matters

The size of your water heater, the volume of water channeled through the plumbing system, where the hot water is stored, and the distance between your water heater and the point of use will all influence how efficiently hot water is delivered around your home. Therefore, the location of your water heater matters both when it comes to space and when it comes to efficiency, It is so important in this day and age to choose a reliable plumbing company, such as, Hydro Plumbers Hastings. If you don’t, you could end up being over charged and receive a poor standard of work.

One reality of water heater installation that you should consider when deciding where to place your water heater is that you might need it fixed further down the line. If there is a leak, there could be damage to the surrounding area which is important to consider, but you’ll also want whoever is performing the water heater repair to be able to do so quickly and effectively. Placing the water heater in a hard to reach location merely due to aesthetics could prove to be a mistake and make any issues worse.

There is also the matter of standby loss. What is it? To put it simply, more distance between your water heater and the hot water use point translates to greater heat loss, and you will have to wait for a few minutes before the hot water moves from the water heater to your faucet every time you turn the hot water faucet. 

This means that the further you place your water heater from the points of use, the longer you’ll have to wait for hot water to arrive at each fixture. However, if you want to avoid this, installing  a hot water recirculating system can solve that problem and give you instant hot water throughout your home.

Another reason why location matters is because of potential leaks and damages. If your tank water heater begins leaking water, it could damage your home around the area it’s installed. Additionally, as mentioned before, a technician will need to be able to access your heater in order to do a water heater repair on it.

California Regulations on Hot Water Heater Placement

Before you can decide where to place your water heater in your new home, you should know that there are some codes that you have to adhere to, including:

Approved and Disapproved Locations

While you can place your water anywhere in your house, in California, you can’t install a water heater in a bathroom or bedroom closet unless that space is specifically designed for the water heater. This is because the water heater vents release carbon monoxide.

Provide an Adequate Supply of Air

When choosing where to install your water heater, remember that you need to choose a location with an adequate supply of air for combustion and ventilation of the heater rooms. Getting controls integration will help in better managing the overall function of your water heater system.

Earthquake Straps            

California plumbing codes also stipulate that your water heater must be well-secured with listed earthquake straps. These straps need to be attached at the top and bottom thirds of the water heater. Building inspectors strictly enforce this code because an unsecured water heater can be disastrous in case of an earthquake.

Choosing the right water heater installation is an important decision, and there are several factors that you have to consider, including the California codes and future replacements. Talk to an experienced heating contractor or plumber like Kellie Plumbing to know where to install your water heater. You can check them out here. Use the above tips to decide where to locate your water heater.