3

We are remodeling our basement and our water heater / HVAC unit (no fuel, all electric) is awkwardly placed in the middle of the room.

We are enclosing those items in a closet space, but would like the closet to be as small as possible. Contractor says the perimeter needs to be 24" minimum from all appliances on all sides, but that is creating a rather large closet/eating up a lot of basement space.

Is he correct or can I ask him to shrink this?

I thought we just needed 24-30" clearance at control panel sides, and couldn't we achieve that with a door (that when opened would provide much more than 30" clearance)?

enter image description here

DavidRecallsMonica
  • 1,612
  • 1
  • 6
  • 18
Chris
  • 573
  • 5
  • 24
  • 5
    TBH, I'd expand the closet to the left a few inches and embed that lally column into the wall while you're at it. Yes, you'll loose a bit more floor space, but I think it'd look better and it will make installing any flooring (whether carpet, tile, wood, whatever) easier by not having to go around the round pole & fill that little gap. – FreeMan Mar 30 '22 at 12:23
  • 3
    It might possible to shrink the space if you can move the water heater out of the way. They usually don't need much space and a corner should be okay. Heating units do have minimum distance standards, either a label or local codes that need to be followed. – crip659 Mar 30 '22 at 15:29
  • 1
    I'd extend the wall like Freeman suggested and move the water heater so the back of it is near the lally column. Then you can move the near wall right up to the drainpipe. You may want to rotate the clean out depending where the door is to the closet. – Platinum Goose Mar 30 '22 at 15:55
  • Part of the reason for minimal clearance is to stop it from overheating from lack of air-flow - adding vents top & bottom may help. The second is for access - having removable panels instead of drywall for the walls will help here. – CSM Mar 30 '22 at 20:08

3 Answers3

4

The problem is those things usually break down at one point and need work on more than one side.

It makes people cranky when they have bend their bodies in painful ways to undo something in the back and maybe scrape their hands doing it.

Most heating appliances do have minimum spacing on a label listed on them, an inspector will check and make you fix it before you can use it again. If the spacing requirements not listed on the appliance, then it will be listed in the instructions and/or local regulations.

crip659
  • 19,018
  • 1
  • 27
  • 51
  • Certainly my electric water heater allows much smaller clearances, and all access to things requiring hand/body contortions can be from the front/control side and top. 6" is considered adequate on the other sides, and having an openable door or removable access panel on the service side is also considered acceptable access. – Ecnerwal Mar 30 '22 at 14:29
  • Here's a counter example. Our church has two air handlers that run in parallel to cool & heat part of the building. They are identical units, mounted parallel to each other with about 12" between them. The blower motor in one of them, the one on the left hand side, had to be replaced. Of course, the access panel for the motor was on the right hand side, in the 12" space between the two units. Our HVAC guy had to cut the side panel off on the left hand side of the air handler in order to access the motor. – SteveSh Mar 30 '22 at 15:09
  • So, that installation failed the "service without removing pipes and ducts not connected to the appliance being serviced" condition. Which is probably similar in the mechanical code (I think it would be) that would cover that sort of equipment. – Ecnerwal Mar 30 '22 at 16:27
  • I don't think the installation (technically) failed that requirement. There were no "pipes and ducts not connected to the appliance being serviced" that had to be disturbed. Cutting an access hole in the equipment that needed to be serviced doesn't seem to fit that description. – SteveSh Mar 30 '22 at 20:43
2

You'd have to check the AC/Heatpump documentation for required clearances. Make sure that all normal servicing is not impeded (filter changes, for example. Or blower motors, as a comment below indicates.)

ICC plumbing code Section 502.5 (which may or may not be your plumbing code) requires a 30x30 inch level space in front of the control side of the appliance, and that the appliance (water-heater) can be serviced and replaced without removing permanent construction, or piping and ducts not connected to the appliance being serviced or replaced. So 2 feet all around the water heater is either local idiocy (whacky code modifications,) or made up foolishness. If local idiocy, you're stuck with it. So, check with your LAHJ.

It is perfectly normal and usual for water heaters to be in a small closet-like space - they can be removed and replaced via the door, and all parts needing access for services other than replacement are on one side and the top. For replacement you disconnect the pipes and wires and roll a hand-truck through the door to pick it up.

Ecnerwal
  • 174,759
  • 9
  • 212
  • 440
0

The Code stipulates the minimum size of “habitable spaces” not storage rooms or mechanical rooms. (It’s 7’ except in basements it’s 6’-8”. See R305)

Likewise, it requires minimum room sizes for habitable rooms, but says nothing about stage rooms, etc. (See R304)

Lee Sam
  • 3,708
  • 1
  • 3
  • 13