So now that we're having half our laundry room rebuilt from an ongoing exterior water leak that rotted out the entire outside facing wall and half my floor including the joists and ledger board on the foundation we were tossing around water heater ideas. Wow...long sentence there...

Currently I have a 50 gallon tall water heater that sits in plain view next to my washer and dryer. The two problems with this is that it's an eyesore and it's taking up valuable space in my tiny little Ballard house...Hey, at least I have a detached man cave that i can fit my drift boat and motorcycle in. haha.

Anyway, I was trying to think of alternate places to mount a water heater. I cannot go with a tankless water heater. See Below... Other than that I know they make short water heaters that i'd assume could be installed in your crawl space? That being said I'm not sure if it's mandatory that the tank discharge be visible to the occupants in the house or not? If it doesn't matter I don't see why I can't install a stubby water heater in the crawl space and then run the discharge pipe out through the foundation in case it has to relieve some pressure. Do any of you have water heaters installed in your crawl space? or Attic? The attic idea sounds scary though!

Here's why I can't go with a tankless water heter:

We looked into tankless water heaters but the problem there is that we don't have gas hookups without shelling out thousands for the city to hook me up from the street. Gas tankless water heaters are much more efficient in colder climates than electric. With ground water temperatures so low in the northwest you it takes a much higher "temperature rise" for the tankless water heater to reach your target hot water temp. For instance, If your ground water temp gets down to 40 degrees in the winter and your target hot water temperature is 120 degrees, the temperature rise is 80 degress. So, even if the tankless you buy is capable of 6 GPM output once you factor in super cold ground water temps the actual output may be only a gallon per minute. The solution to this is to get a high output tankless but they draw around 150 amps which would require getting a much larger electrical service installed, like up to 400 amps. I have a 200 amp service right now which is plenty for my needs and I can add a few things.

Try propane. Buy a used tank. Gas issue solved. Also, more BTU's with propane than natural gas, I believe. Might be a permit issue in Seattle where they may not allow propane, but it wasn't here. All we had to do was the plumbing pressure test inspection. Tank goes in the back yard.

We have a 200 amp service on a 3300 SF house and use a high output tankless hotwater tank. We can have two showers going on any day of the year without issue. Our target temp is 130.

I ran a dedicated 20 amp/110V line for the hotwater heater. That was it.
I wired it based on how my plumber told me to do it and we have had ZERO issues with it in 3 years. You might want to check your sources for your info.

dogfish, most of the spec sheets I've seen on tankless heaters so far have stated they draw 100+ amps depending on size. Some I've seen with an amperage rating of 150 amps for the 7gpm ones. am I reading the spec sheet wrong and that amperage rating is actually amperage spike and not running amperage? You say yours is only on a 20 amp circuit? Which model do you have? My house is 1/3 the size of yours. 800 sqft. No joke. Haha.

I would assume the crawl space is a big no due to condensation, rust, corrosion issues. Plus it'd be working a lot harder to heat the water.

Drew,

That 150 amp spec sounds like an electric tankless heater, not a gas one. What Dogfish is talking about is the kind that use gas for heating the water and electricity just to run the PLC (electronic brains).

There are, or used to be, electric water heaters that could be installed in a crawl space, but it needed to be a pretty deep crawl space. And it still needs to be able to gravity drain outside your foundation, which only works if your lot has sufficient slope to it.

Sg

Drew, I don't know jack about electric tankless water heaters, but those specs sound off. Way off.

We have a 9+ gpm tankless (NG), it just needs regular 20A service. If you can have a propane tank installed and get a tankless, I highly recommend it. We can run 3 showers at once, all day long if needed be.

The tankless is in a small crawl space over my porch, accessed through the back of one of my wife's closets. It could easily fit over the washer for a small home. Get a couple of quotes from propane supply companies for the install, see if it is worth it.

Specs for mine. A Rinnia propane fired 9.4 gallon/minute model. When we have the washer, dishwasher, and showers going, it sounds like a jet engine in out garage, but we have plenty of water.

Dimensions
Width: 14.0 Inches
Height: 22.9 Inches
Depth: 9.6 Inches

Weight
50 Pounds

Installation
Indoor, Residential and Commercial

Hot Water Capacity
0.4 to 9.4 GPM (30° F rise)

Approved Gas Types
Natural Gas or Propane

Minimum/Maximum Gas Rate (Input BTUs)
Natural Gas: 9,900 – 199,000 BTU
Propane: 10,300 – 199,000 BTU

Energy Factor
Natural Gas: 0.82
Propane: 0.82

Thermal Efficiency
Natural Gas: 83%
Propane: 83%

Electrical
AC 120 Volts, 60 Hz

Electrical Consumption
Normal: 83 Watts
Standby: 2 Watts
Anti-Frost Protection: 184 Watts

Gas Connection
Gas Supply: ¾ Inch MNPT
Cold Water Inlet: ¾ Inch MNPT
Hot Water Outlet: ¾ Inch MNPT

Temperature Settings
Residential: 98°F - 140°F
Commercial: 98°F - 185°F (commercial controller must be purchased separately)

I'd like to think we'll be in snohomish with some land and close to the sky in a few years. That may be a pipe dream though with how much the wife loves Seattle.

I think the biggest issues plumbing code wise are access, support, seismic bracing, and lighting. The pressure relief valve needs to run with grade to a drain or outside the building, terminating 6" to" 24" above grade with a 90 pointing down. Feel free to give me a call Drew (I'm a licensed Plumber).

2many, I'm for sure not miserable. I love my house and the food down in Ballard is incredible. I need some land to spread out on eventually though.

Add, I'll give you a call later today. I'm looking to get some bids in this week. Thanks.