Big Code Changes for Water Heaters Coming Soon to El Paso County

Pikes Peak Regional Building Department has announced code changes for water heater installations that will take effect December 2018. These changes will affect most water heater installations in apartment communities and raise installation cost by approximately $25-$75. This change will only affect commercial installations and multi-family housing with more than two units in the building.

Per the new code, any NEW or replacement water heater installed where leakage could cause damage will be required to be installed in a pan. This means any water heater installed above the ground floor; to include installations in mechanical rooms, in closets, on porches, or on patios.

Most communities do not have drains to which the pans can be plumbed. If this is case, it is now required that the pan drain be plugged. While a plugged drain pan will not save the structure in the case of a catastrophic tank failure, it will help protect from small leaks and minor T&P valve issues.

While not required by any local or national codes, it’s highly recommended that a water sensing alarm is installed in the pan when there is no permanent drain. That way if there is a slight leak, the tenant will hear the alarm and notify the office so that the leak can be repaired before the pan overflows. We will stock water alarms on our vans which can be installed upon request.

We will stock the most common drain pan size (24”) on all of our service vans. If your water heater is larger than 22”, we recommend that you purchase and supply the proper size drain pan. Please note that the pans have to be approved and identified for use with gas appliances. We can always stop by a supplier en route to your location to pick up the proper size pan, but please let our office know that this will be needed when you place your service request.

This code change comes from the implementation of the 2015 International Plumbing Code. An excerpt from this code can be seen below.

2015 International Plumbing Code

We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have on this matter. Please feel free to contact us by clicking here.