water-heater

Hi,
Had a new water-heater installed, the tech used pvc couplings to hold up the tank (approx 5 used along the perimeters for support), because it needed a 1.5†floor clearance. Is this acceptable?
Thx

What is your concern? PVC couplers on end are quite strong and there's not great amount of heat under there to damage them.

Absolutely not, no matter if it works or not.


Guy should of had bricks on the truck for any water heater install.


Just you questioning it, you know it wasn't kosher.


Codes in my area require materials to be used of solid structure (brick or metal shimming) that is incapable of being affected by vibration/water/heat/disentegration.



5 of those at $2 a piece...I guess that's cheaper than leaving to go to a lumberyard to get bricks.





That water heater when full weighs *50 gallon* 550 pounds plus!

Ahh between you me and the fence post, it'll work.


But, envision what would happen if only 1 or 2 is actually bearing that weight, given an unlevel floor.


Now take it 10-15 years from now and that fitting that was never designed for anything structural in those terms, decides to stress crack and blow out.


Now you have a water heater that was supported improperly and suspended by the mechanicals connected to it. A very bad situation.


Will it work? Of course for now. But there's no code book in the world that states DWV SCH40 couplings shall be used for water heater supports.


The OP should have the heater inspected or at least call the department and get the final say.


Thread Starter,


Follow up on this thread when you get the answer from the upper brass regarding this application.

Sorry for the bad advice I gave you.

heater

WHO required the 1 1/2" clearance? If it was the manufacturer they would have had 1 1/2" legs under it just like they did in the old days.

the tech is nuts

pvc supports will probably last a hundred years.
but I dont think I would use them under a HOT WATER HEATER.
Bricks sitting directly under the SUPPORT LEGS of the HOT WATER HEATER
would be the best way to do this......



where is this guy getting his information anyway????

why would you need to raise a heater up in the first place???
was this unit being installed in a pan??

Does this guy work for Lowes or something??


rugged...I have heard some concerns in the past about HOT WATER HEATERS
being put in drain pans and getting the bottom of them wet when they filled up.....
maybe getting water into the internals of the heater itself??

like the bradford white unit..it sits pretty low ans so does the Rheem..



Actually most heaters are meant to be sitting on the legs that
were designed to hold the weight.. not set up on couplings or bricks
spaced hap-hazard underneath the heater

Right now...
The SUPPORT legs for this unit could be sitting
in mid air and ONLY the bottom pan could be holding up all
the weight against those couplings......
eventually the thin metal pan will warp...so it is not right...

it depends on where the supports are on the brand you have installed.
and I know that the couplings are not hitting those supports....




Rugged...it is just sort of stupid to go to that
trouble for a HOT WATER HEATER
in the first place... dont you think??

In this area I see this often due to damp basements and people / plumbers trying to keep it off the floor to prevent the bottom from rusting out.

heater

In that case go to Home Depot and get an 18" or 24" round stepping stone to put under it.

Part of the problem is that the bottom of the hot water heater itself has supports and therefore it's hard to tell where it want's the support.

I bought a piece of those plastic impregnated deck boards and them cut them to fit in order to create a solid flat surface for the hot water heater.