questions about this small "utility" water heater

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GoldDigger said:
In this case I suspect that water coming from the drip pan drain would be noticed outside unless it was raining at the time.
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The PVC from the drip pan is going through a hole in the encapsulation plastic, so it wouldn't be noticed until someone maybe noticed a wet drip-pan. So ? I can think of any number of things that could go wrong with a house that might not be noticed for awhile. Does code or common practice require a water-heater to be located in the heated living space or somewhere else a leak would be immediately noticed ?! I can imagine a lot worse places to have a major water leak than in a crawlspace.
 
There are methods for detecting presence of water if you want to detect leaks, but do you trust the control circuitry of detection system will still be functioning several years later when a leak finally develops?
 
kwired said:
There are methods for detecting presence of water if you want to detect leaks, but do you trust the control circuitry of detection system will still be functioning several years later when a leak finally develops?
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As an engineer, I have a healthy respect for Murphy's Law. But still ... the water heater develops a leak, the homeowner doesn't inspect his crawlspace often enough to notice it when the leak develops, and the control circuitry on the leak detector fails, and ... you've got a wet crawlspace ! So again I ask, are you guys saying it's not appropriate to install a water-heater in a crawlspace ? I have never heard that before.
 
RustyShackleford said:
As an engineer, I have a healthy respect for Murphy's Law. But still ... the water heater develops a leak, the homeowner doesn't inspect his crawlspace often enough to notice it when the leak develops, and the control circuitry on the leak detector fails, and ... you've got a wet crawlspace ! So again I ask, are you guys saying it's not appropriate to install a water-heater in a crawlspace ? I have never heard that before.
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Personally I'd rather have it in the crawlspace then on the second floor or in an attic when it decides to leak, even if it does get noticed, chances are it doesn't get noticed before there is some water damage.
 
All of the 40 gal. electrics in my buildings are 277v., therefore that's what I buy, and I pay a dear price for them.
 
mtfallsmikey said:
All of the 40 gal. electrics in my buildings are 277v., therefore that's what I buy, and I pay a dear price for them.
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That's weird. The special 240v/3500w configuration I got for this 10 gallon unit did not cost any extra. It's just s different heating element (apparently). Extra lead-time, of course.
 
RustyShackleford said:
That's weird. The special 240v/3500w configuration I got for this 10 gallon unit did not cost any extra. It's just s different heating element (apparently). Extra lead-time, of course.
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Not really weird... just another example of "value engineering". Most of the low voltage here went to modular furniture, printers, etc. Simple to pull a 277v. circuit out of a panel to run a water heater, but these are 14 yrs. old, and we do not wish to purchase a residential model and convert it to 277v. A 40 gal. 277v. commercial rated water heater is around $1600 net....
 
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