Code: Minimum Hot Water Capacity Replacement

[ballvalve]

Are you saying electric resistance water heaters (storage type) are not allowed for new construction in California?

If the home is all electric or doesn't have access to natural gas then I could see why you wouldn't want to go with LPG or the extra expense of monthly service charges for gas. On the other hand I can understand why California would be trying to minimize electric use/maximizing efficiency after being raped by Enron and associates.

Propane is far more than electric, typically, with all its associated unpleasant plumbing and dangers. I have an old seasonal rate schedule that averages out about 8 cents per KW. Probably lowest on earth. And now we have the care program for lower incomes, quite high numbers actually, and that max's out at 10 cents.

PGE gets a higher proportion of power from old mega hydro schemes than most in the nation.

[Runs with bison]

Propane is far more than electric, typically, with all its associated unpleasant plumbing and dangers. I have an old seasonal rate schedule that averages out about 8 cents per KW. Probably lowest on earth. And now we have the care program for lower incomes, quite high numbers actually, and that max's out at 10 cents.

PGE gets a higher proportion of power from old mega hydro schemes than most in the nation.

Yes, I realize propane is generally a more expensive option (I've had it in homes before...nearly had to shoot a propane truck driver once who I caught letting gas out of my tank, but that's another story...I warned him that I would shoot him if I saw him again, even if it was to fill the neighbor's tank across the alley, and I wasn't kidding.) If you don't have access to natural gas or aren't using it for anything else then I can understand why you wouldn't want to incur the monthly charges for that either as it wouldn't make sense for water heater alone with low electric rates.

I was mainly wondering if there is some sort of local restriction that isn't allowing electric resistance water heaters in new construction?

California has some pretty good incentive to minimize electric demand and a water heater is a big one. Some regions may be on cheap hydro, but the state as a whole has gotten gouged pretty badly...and the population keeps growing.

[ballvalve]

"we" got gouged on natural gas from those ethically bankrupt zoot-suiters at Enron that fake restricted the pipelines. then they fake restricted the peak power from Washington, But it didnt raise our rates due to the public utilities commission taking a good long time to make adjustments.

Then they faked "maintenance" on a few plants to play more games. Should have all gotten 100 lashes with wire rope in their boardroom.

They did succeed in bringing PGE to the brink of bankruptcy - I knew PGE was one of the strongest companies historically, and bought stock at one dollar. A company that owns a Dam INSIDE yosemite park and brings the water via 3] 60" pipes to a heaven like company town built in the 30's, and THEN sells the water to San francisco via a 100 mile tunnel [of which perhaps 40 people in the state know exist] cannot go bankrupt. I think I sold it at 35$ thanks Enron, you sleaze balls - some of us saw your scam during it all.

Our energy calcs are so strict, that usually electric WH makes it not calc. Which of course is blatantly stupid when we are running around building charging stations for electric cars. This house is all trusses, so the walls are 12" deep and the roof
32", so if need be we can likely calc it out- luckily we have a new head inspector that encourages building, as he knows this area needs it bad.