Red Tag Question - Clause 7.26.1

[walker]

I ran into a call where Enbridge was out and red tagged a customer because he had a bed in his basement in a room adjacent to the enclosure in which the water heater and furnace are installed. cited code 7.26.1

Now I remember learning in school that you could not have a bedroom beside the water heater enclosure like that, but when I read that code violation it does not mention anything about a bedroom being adjacent to an enclosure with a water heater installed it just simply states the bed can't be in the enclosure, unless of course if its a direct vent type.

So where is the code that prevents the water heater or furnace being installed in an adjacent enclosure to where the bedroom is?

To clear the tag I had the customer remove the bed from the room, to render it no longer a bedroom.

I attached a drawing of the situation

[Admin]

Before the Gas Code was amended Clause 7.26.1 read,

Clause 7.26.1 - A water heater, unless of the direct-vent type, shall not be installed in a bathroom, bedroom, or any enclosure where sleeping accommodation is provided.

The Gas Code defines enclosure,

Enclosure — a secondary structure (room) within or attached to a structure (building) in which an appliance is installed.

To be accurate the water heater is not installed in the bedroom and the enclosure where the water heater is installed is not a bedroom, so the old Clause 7.26.1 should not apply.

In 2007 Clause 7.26.1 was amended,

Clause 7.26.1 - A water heater, unless of the direct vent type, shall not be installed in a bathroom, bedroom, or any enclosure where sleeping accommodation is provided. An enclosure containing the water heater shall not be accessed by a pedestrian door which can be opened from the bathroom or bedroom.

Clause 7.26.1 was amended again in 2012,

7.26.1 - A water heater, unless of the direct-vent type, shall not be installed in a bathroom, bedroom, or any enclosure where sleeping accommodation is provided.

A power vent water heater may be installed in an enclosure adjacent to a bedroom or bathroom provided adequate combustion air per clause 8.2.6 is provided to the enclosure.  This combustion air supply shall not be supplied from the bedroom or bathroom.

A natural draft water heater may be installed in an enclosure that is accessed by a pedestrian door which can be opened from a bathroom or bedroom, provided that the enclosure has a volume equal to or greater than the bathroom or bedroom.

I'm not really sure how they expect you to follow Clause 8.2.6 without taking air from the adjacent bedroom.  Your solution of removing the bed is the easiest way to satisfy the warning tag.  You could also install an outdoor air supply into the water heater enclosure, and that should also satisfy the warning tag.

[walker]

Okay I get it now, because the air is bring supplied from that adjacent room.  Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[bster352]

If you run into this again and the customer is adament the bed/bedroom must remain then a secondary wall with another door is an option.

In your example you could instruct the home owner to build an another wall that runs perpendicular to the existing wall with a door to get to the bed/bedroom.