Water heater installations in bedrooms and
bathrooms shall comply with one of the following [NFPA
54:10.27.1]:
- Fuel-burning water heaters shall be permitted to be installed in a closet located in the bedroom or bathroom provided the closet is equipped with a listed, gasketed door assembly and a listed self-closing device. The selfclosing door assembly shall meet the requirements of Section 504.1.1. The door assembly shall be installed with a threshold and bottom door seal and shall meet the requirements of Section 504.1.2. Combustion air for such installations shall be obtained from the outdoors in accordance with Section 506.4. The closet shall be for the exclusive use of the water heater.
- Water heater shall be of the direct vent type. [NFPA 54:10.27.1(2)]
Self-closing doors shall
swing easily and freely, and shall be equipped with a self-closing
device to cause the door to close and latch each
time it is opened. The closing mechanism shall not have
a hold-open feature.
Gasketing on gasketed doors or
frames shall be furnished in accordance with the published
listings of the door, frame, or gasketing material
manufacturer.
Exception: Where acceptable to the Authority Having
Jurisdiction, gasketing of non-combustible or limited-combustible
material shall be permitted to be applied to
the frame, provided closing and latching of the door are
not inhibited.
Water heaters of other than the direct-vent type
shall be located as close as practical to the chimney or gas
vent.
The clearance requirements for water
heaters shall comply with Section 504.3.1 or Section 504.3.2.
The clearances shall
not be such as to interfere with combustion air, draft hood
clearance and relief, and accessibility for servicing.
Listed water heaters shall be installed in accordance with
their listings and the manufacturer's installation instructions.
Unlisted water
heaters shall be installed with a clearance of 12 inches
(305 mm) on all sides and rear. Combustible floors under
unlisted water heaters shall be protected in an approved
manner. [NFPA 54:10.27.2.2]
A water heater installation
shall be provided with overpressure protection using
an approved, listed device installed in accordance with the
terms of its listing and the manufacturer's installation instructions.
A water heater
installation or a hot water storage vessel installation shall be
provided with overtemperature protection by means of an
approved, listed device installed in accordance with the terms
of its listing and the manufacturer's installation instructions.
Temperature, pressure, and vacuum relief devices
or combinations thereof, and automatic gas shutoff devices
shall be installed in accordance with the terms of their listings
and the manufacturer's installation instructions. A shutoff
valve shall not be placed between the relief valve and the
water heater or on discharge pipes between such valves and
the atmosphere. The hourly British thermal units (Btu)
(kW•h) discharge capacity or the rated steam relief capacity
of the device shall be not less than the input rating of the
water heater. Discharge piping shall be installed in accordance
with Section 608.5.