Dbl Strapped Water Heater

[normando]

A lender required me to observe if the water heater is double strapped. Dbl strapped is to prevent water heater from tipping if an earthquake. I know it's a requirement here but does Fannie Mae requires this? Also I notice some water heaters have wrapped insulation. I thought the new water heaters no longer need wrapped insulation. Is it for additional insulation?

 

[Randolph Kinney]

Lenders have their requirements over and above Fannie and FHA. State health and safety laws require water heaters to be double-strapped. Read that section of the Fannie Selling guide on health and safety.

 

[normando]

All right. I don't care about Fannie Mae. A plumber friend of mine installed a water heater without permit and said insulation wrap not needed. I thought I read some bldg departments require insulation wrap. Does anyone know? If I do need it, I will unfriend my plumber friend.

 

[Randolph Kinney]

All right. I don't care about Fannie Mae. A plumber friend of mine installed a water heater without permit and said insulation wrap not needed. I thought I read some bldg departments require insulation wrap. Does anyone know? If I do need it, I will unfriend my plumber friend.

You need to examine your city's climate action plan. Times are changing.

 

[Elliott]

normando said, A plumber friend of mine installed a water heater without permit and said insulation wrap not needed.

Not a good source of lender requirements. They lend the money, they make the rules.

 

[Randolph Kinney]

Start Preparing Now for 2015 Energy-Efficiency Rules on Water Heaters

A major change to the water heater market is on the way, creating both challenges and opportunities for plumbing, heating and HVAC contractors, designers and engineers.

New energy efficiency mandates from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will take effect on April 16, 2015. They require higher energy factor (EF) ratings on virtually all residential water heating products including gas-fired, oil-fired, electric, tabletop, instantaneous gas-fired and instantaneous electric. Tankless systems already exceed these EF requirements, and all other water heating products manufactured before the DOE mandates take effect can still be bought and installed after the changeover date.

Designers and contractors should be thinking about a number of issues when preparing for the changes in the residential market. For example, achieving a higher EF rating often means adding more insulation to the tank, making it larger and thicker, and more insulation may be required for piping and fittings. Therefore, a larger post April 2015 water heater might not fit into the same space as the current model, posing a challenge when a replacement is necessary.

http://www.plumbingperspective.com/...015-energy-efficiency-rules-on-water-heaters/

 

[Randolph Kinney]

New California Building Efficiency Standards Set the Stage for Zero Net Energy Homes by 2020

The California Energy Commission voted unanimously today to approve updated building energy efficiency standards that the CEC says will cut regulated energy use in new homes by 28 percent and save consumers $31 a month compared to houses built under the current energy code. The new standards also set the stage for zero net energy new homes in the state within five years.

Known as "Title 24," the standards will go into effect on January 1, 2017, and set minimum energy-saving requirements for new buildings and renovations that will reduce energy used for lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation, and water heating.

The majority of the changes to the standards will apply to single-family and low-rise multifamily buildings. California has set goals that all new residential buildings will be zero net energy (ZNE) by 2020 and new commercial buildings will be ZNE by 2030. In general terms, a ZNE building is one that produces as much energy (generally through onsite renewable energy) as it consumes.

• Water heating: The new standards require the use of an instantaneous tankless gas water heater, which saves energy by heating water on demand rather than storing it in a tank, or one with equivalent energy performance.

 

[Meandering]

Just wrap the copper pipe around the coal stove and heat your water along with your house.

 

[Randolph Kinney]

In case you have missed the point of what is happening in California, lenders are enforcing California law. Many make it mandatory that the appraiser specifically address the water heater and carbon monoxide detector code requirements, for example.

New regulations are here for implementation of the climate action plan. Get to know them. It affects value.

 

[Randolph Kinney]

Title 24 2016 Residential Compliance Manual

5. Water Heating Requirements

5.1.1 What’s New for 2016

This section summarizes changes to the requirements for residential water heating for the 2016 Energy Standards. Please see Sections 5.3 and 5.4 for detailed information on the mandatory and prescriptive water heating requirements in the 2016 Energy Standards.

5.1.1.1 Mandatory Requirements

2. Storage water heaters do not need to have blankets anymore. The 2013 Energy Standards required storage water heaters with efficiency levels equivalent to the minimum federal efficiency standard to be externally wrapped (such as with a water heater blanket) with insulation of R-12 or greater. This requirement has been deleted. With the amended federal standards that went effect on April 16, 2015, external insulation of water heater storage tanks is no longer cost-effective.

The 2016 prescriptive requirements for single-family buildings and multifamily buildings with a dedicated water heater in each dwelling unit are as follows:

Option 1: Install a natural gas or propane instantaneous water heater that meets the minimum requirements in California’s Title 20 Appliance Efficiency Regulations, Section 1605.1(f) for federally regulated appliances.

Option 2: Install a natural gas or propane storage water heater with a rated storage volume of 55 gallons or less that meets the minimum requirements in California’s Title 20 Appliance Efficiency Regulations, Section 1605.1(f) for federally regulated appliances. In addition, the building must comply with the HERS-verified Quality Insulation Installation (QII) requirements (see Chapter 3 of this compliance manual), as well as one of the following requirements:

1. HERS-verified pipe insulation (see Reference Appendix1 RA 3.6, RA4.4.1, RA4.4.3, and RA4.4.14 for the requirements of proper installation of pipe insulation and Section 5.6.2.5 of this chapter)

2. HERS-verified compact hot water distribution design (see Reference Appendix RA 3.6 and RA4.4.16 for requirements and Section 5.6.2.4 of this chapter)

Option 3: Install a natural gas or propane storage water heater with a rated storage volume more than 55 gallons and an input rating of 105,000 BTU/hr or less. The water heater must meet the requirements in California’s Title 20 Appliance Efficiency Regulations Section 1605.1(f) for federally regulated appliances. In addition, the building must comply with one of the following:

1. HERS-verified pipe insulation

2. HERS-verified compact hot water distribution design.