It may seem like a weird query to ask, but don’t worry, it is a fairly common question throughout the nation. In many buildings, the water heater is installed in the attic during the construction of the building as many people prefer it that way.
In other words, your water heater is located in your attic because the builder of your house wanted to put the water heater in attic. There are quite a number of reasons behind it. For example, it saves space square footage and lets the builders earn a few more bucks, and the residents get more space.
This article aims to inform you about the pros and cons of having your water heater in the attic.
Pros of Installing Water Heater in Attic
The benefits of having the water heater in the attic are thoroughly discussed below
1.Using Empty Space
The first and foremost benefit of a water heater being installed in the attic is that instead of taking up extra space, it is installed to use the space which is not being used.
A huge amount of spaces in the attics are empty storage areas of a home. So, by putting a water heater in the attic, you are simply utilizing the unused space.
2. Appearance
One of the best things about having the water heater in the attic is that you don’t have to see the water heater every day. As you don’t have to see the water heater every day, you also don’t have to see the pipelines, the mechanism, and other eye-soring things connected to the water heater every day. It also gives your garage a water heater-free, organized look.
3.Circulation
Depending on the placement of the heater in the attic, you can get hot water in your plumbing fixture quicker. However, if it is located far away from the fixture, the seed will be different.
During the construction of the building, check if you have a big enough attic for a tank-type water heater. If so, then you can choose which fixtures can get hot water fastest in your home.
4.Saving Square Footage
As mentioned before, putting water heaters in the attic saves square footage. Water heaters can be big, for example, if you have a tank-type water heater. They are huge with their massive cylinders filled with forty to seventy gallons of hot water.
Tanks of water like that take up a huge amount of square footage. This is why many builders, as well as many homeowners, choose to place water heaters in the attic.
5.Safety
It is best to keep your water heater away from anything flammable. Given that when a water heater is in the attic, that space is only and specifically used to store the water heater. It keeps the heater away and safe from flammable objects.
Also, we tend to store all the random things in our garage, and some of them are flammable, so if a water heater is put in the garage with these items, the risk of fire-related accidents happening increases.
6.Efficient in the Warmer Months
During the months of summer, attics can reach the temperature from 120 degrees to 140 degrees. This temperature helps to keep the water adequately hot, and the water heater does not require any energy to heat the water.
This helps you save both money and energy.
Cons of Installing Water Heater in the Attic
The cons of having the water heater in the attic are thoroughly discussed below
1.Water Leakage Damage
As you don’t get to see your water heater when It is in the attic, you cannot be aware of any form of damage on it until the problem gets out of hand. If you have a tank-type water heater in the attic, and it somehow gets damaged, leaked, or punctured, there is no way for you to know.
These damages are only noticeable when they spread to your living area. In such situations, you will have to have to deal with problems like drywall damages, waterlogged in the ceiling, and the flooring along with replacing the water heater from the attic. This can and will cost you a fortune.
2.Difficult Maintenance
Your water heater, like every other appliance, requires routine maintenance at least once a year but going into the clustered and narrow attic can be a difficult job. As you may rarely go into the attic, the temperature of the attic can also be frustrating, as it is too cold during the winter and too hot during the summer.
For the same reasons, checking up on it on a regular basis is also nearly impossible.
3.Difficult to Control
Turning off your water heater when you are away is the ideal thing to do. However, this ideal thing is tough to remember when you don’t see your water heater. In this case, out of sight- out of mind will cost you a fortune.
4.Costly Replacement
If you think that you will install the water heater in the attic and later replace it if there is any problem, just a heads up, it will be expensive. Firstly, it is not easy to get to the water heater in the attic, so when you want to replace it, you will need professional help. It will take hours of labor to uninstall and reinstall a new unit, and that will cost you a lot.
Secondly, every attic is built differently, so replacing the water heater comes with additional risks. This may lead to plumbers charging you more.
5.Structure
As mentioned before, water heaters can be huge, and with the large quantity of water being stored in them, they weigh a lot—a typical heater stores up to 50 gallons of water.
Along with its own weight, that is a lot of pressure on the attic. Unless your attic is strongly built, this weight can lead to major problems like the heater falling through in few years.
Conclusion
If you want to put your water heater in the attic, you need to understand and evaluate the benefits and the risks of it and decide if the benefits outweigh the risks or vice versa.
Hopefully, this article has rightfully portrayed the pros and cons of having your water heater in the attic for you to make a sensible decision.
