Where is the gas water heater located?

When you bought your home, did you pay much attention to where your hot water heater was located or better yet, have you ever questioned why your water heater is located where it is? Water heaters tend to be tucked away in the garage, basement, crawlspace or attic and sometimes in their own closet. Its placement in the house affects how fast the water will heat up in the kitchen or bathroom. For the most part, we don’t think about our water heaters until the water isn’t as hot as it was because they are located in out of sight places. We just assume everything is working as it should be and with no potential to cause damage to the home.

The average life span is about 10 years and we often don’t keep track of our water heater’s age.  Often times you know they have gone bad because the water will not heat up, but other times you don’t realize there is a problem until a leak develops or the heater bursts causing sometimes extensive water damage to your home.

This past Saturday, PHC received an emergency services call from a tenant who’s hot water heater burst on the 3rd floor of her town home causing damage to all three floors.  We’ve seen water heaters burst in garages and basements that have caused small amounts of structural damage but have ruined personal property that were stored in the area.  There really isn’t an ideal location for a water heater because if it bursts, the water will have to go somewhere, but if it is located on a lower floor, the size of the loss tends to be less severe.  Take a look at where yours is located and then take a look around it.  Find out what could be damaged if it does develop a leak or worse.  Some re-plumbing is required if a water heater is relocated, but to avoid a large loss might just outweigh the cost.

If your hot water heater malfunctions, give PHC Restoration a call at 919-834-6523.  We have technicians available 24 hours a day to respond to your emergency and over 40 years of experience in water damage restoration.

Tank style water heaters (both gas and electric) are not built to be directly exposed to the elements, and require shelter if outdoors. In the DFW Metro, they are often installed in the garage. This is especially common in cities like McKinney and Frisco with new construction homes or those recently built over the last 30 years.

Because the garage typically isn’t climate controlled, any exposed plumbing to the water heater should be insulated to protect it from freezing. As long as the unit is running and supplied with gas/electricity, the water heater produces enough heat to protect itself from freezing.

Tankless water heaters are sometimes built so that they can be installed outdoors. In newer subdivisions like those in the Prosper/Frisco/McKinney area, you will often find tankless water heaters located in exterior metal cabinets that are recessed into the brick or stucco siding. As with tank style water heaters, the plumbing pipes for the tankless need to be insulated, and the tankless unit itself has built-in freeze protection as long as electricity is supplied to the house.

Whether you have a tank style water heater or a tankless, the garage is often the most ideal location for homes in the north Dallas metroplex area. Whenever failure occurs and the unit starts to leak, damage to the home is often minimal.