You should consider a licensed plumber with a ng and/or lp ticket depending on the gas.

Water leaks are one thing... a big BOOM is another.

Thanks for the help lurker. I had a licensed plumber which we had to fire. We are at the finish plumbing stage and am very confident we can install water heater without any BOOM as you put it, I just was looking for any help with code issues

Thanks

Amy2202,

No offense, but you are asking very broad questions that require specific answers. I'm not big on fear mongering, but the questions suggest that Lurker's response is the right response.

A gas leak can level a house or three. I'm not comfortable advising you either.

Changing out a water heater is simple, but making the initial installation is absolutely the most difficult part of the entire plumbing job. In order to do it correctly you must have a thorough intimate knowledge of not only the Plumbing Code, but the Mechanical Code, Gas Code and your local Fire Code. In many jurisdictions when we pull the plumbing permit we have to pull a seperate permit for the water heater and I can assure you, when the inspectors look at a new water heater installation they go over it with a fine tooth comb.

You stated that the intended location has a floor drain, but is that in a basement, a utility room, a storage room, a garage or a carport? Because each of those locations have entirely different requirements.

Is the proposed location a confined or unconfined space as specified in the code?

What is the source of combustion air?

Is that installation location shared with HVAC equipment? If so, the return air to the HVAC unit must be ducted in from outside the room.

Are there other combustion appliances in the room such as but not limited to a furnace or laundry dryer?

Will there be a horizontal run on the exhaust flue? If so, what is the height of the vertical flue?

If it is in a garage or carport the base of the water heater must be elevated a minimum of 18" above the floor.

You also stated that the floor drain discharges outside on the ground, but is that point of discharge 6-24" above grade and in plain sight or will it ultimately be concealed behind shrubs?

The proposed location may not be in a bedroom, bathroom or a room which opens directly into a bedroom or bathroom.

If the water heater is installed in a carport or garage you must have steel bollards or other suitable barriers to prevent contact with vehicles.

Does you local code require seismic strapping?

Can you use flex gas line? Maybe, but that is strictly up to your local code. You may be able to run the entire gas line with CSST gas line, but you will still be required to provide a shut off valve, drip stub and a union in the immediate vicinity of the gas burner, and the CSST may not be connected directly to the water heater.

If your house is plumbed with PEX or CPVC many local codes require the first 5' from the water heater on both the hot & cold to be metal pipe (copper pipe, galvanized iron pipe or brass pipe) and you must have a union on both the hot & cold lines within 12" of the top of the heater.

The drain pan must have a 3/4" drain line and it may discharge into the floor drain, however the lowest point of that line must remain a minimum of 2" above the flood level rim of the drain.

You must also have a dedicated drain line from the T&P valve. The T&P valve MAY NOT discharge into the drip pan. The T&P valve drain line must also discharge into an approved indirect waste receptor or outdoors at least 6" but not more than 18" above grade in a conspicuous location.

And from my experience, just when you think you have all of that figured out, the inspector will come up with some obscure local requirement you never heard of.

lazy pup you are awesome. you have changed my mind on the install I guess I will need to hire another plumber