Heat Pump Water Heater Installation Requirements

The first permit is for the water heater itself.

Heat pump water heater installation requirements.

Install hpwhs in unconditioned or semi conditioned interior spaces such as a basement where temperatures remain above 50 degrees f most of the year. Hpwh must have unrestricted airflow and according to the typical manufacturer specification a minimum installation space of 700 cubic feet depending on size of system. For example a room that has an 8 foot tall ceiling and is 10 feet long by 8 feet wide would contain 700 cubic feet. Ask this old house plumbing and heating expert richard trethewey travels to celebration florida to help a homeowner select and install the right electric wa.

It cannot be placed in an area that grows extremely cold in winter such as an unheated garage. Air flow requirements vary by product and some units can be installed in much less space if you employ ducting or other air flow strategies. Mechanical building and plumbing codes. At lowe s a 50 gallon heat pump water heater goes for around 1 100 while its older conventional cousin the electric water heater can be purchased for closer to 300.

The system shall comply with applicable installation standards in the california electrical appendix ja13 qualification requirements for heat pump water heater demand management system. Space heat pump water heaters typically require at least 1 000 cubic feet of air flow around them. 2019 joint appendices appendix ja13 1. You re only looking at 20 to 100 out of pocket as opposed to several hundred dollars to call in a plumber.

This is equivalent to 10 x10 x10 of space. When a space meeting this minimum requirement is not available these units may be installed in spaces with less than 750 cubic feet confined. An ideal situation would be near a furnace in a basement that is relatively warm all winter. This is as easy as heading down to the local planning or building department to ask for one.

Heat pump water heaters require installation in locations that remain in the 40º 90ºf 4 4º 32 2ºc range year round and provide at least 1 000 cubic feet 28 3 cubic meters of air space around the water heater.