Outdoor Tankless Water Heater Rheem installed on outdoor deck , setback confusion

[sanjay92]

Hi,
Tankess Outdoor water heater model Rheem-RTG-70XLN-1. Install location is Oakland, CA
Outside is Deck.

I have talked to two city inspectors and both of them have different understanding.
One inspector is saying
For Point B, We do have clearance of 12 inch from door and more than 4 feet for one window to far left side. If you see superscript 3 which says
"For outdoor model, 4 ft (1.2 m) below or to side of opening; 1 ft (300 mm) above opening. "

So one inspector is saying that you are fine from below part ( 4 ft) but you also need 4 ft from Door as well. I said to him that is OR condition , it says 4 ft below OR to side of opening ( Not AND to SIde of opening ) so only 1 condition needs to be met and also 1ft above opening.

Other inspector agrees with OR condition and says Door and below is fine but on top it should be >= 3ft ( since this is deck so some beam or 4by 4 might be coming while looking to top) and he is talking about point D or E for his answer.

After reading last point M ( M = Clearance under veranda, porch, deck, or balcony ) So this supposed to be considered Deck and based on Canadian requirement it requires only 12 inches clearance but for US (
For clearances not specified in ANSI Z223.1/NFPA 54 or CAN/CSA B149.1, one of the following shall be indicated:
a) A minimum clearance value determined by testing in accordance with section 2.20, or
b) A reference to the following footnote: “Clearance in accordance with local installation codes and the requirements of the gas supplier.” )

How can I find point a or b correct values and what's your thoughts ? Do we need to move tankless or not as per manufacture specs ?


Full Manual for Tankless Water Heater

Thanks a lot

Sanjay

 

[breplum]

Use the more severe 4‘ dimension.
Badly chosen location. Should not be allowed for that model. Noritz usually allows 12” for that same style.
Gas flex is undersized and missing a drip leg.
No insulation required on t/p lines.

 

[Amber11]

It is better to go for the Rheem installation manual guide instead of moving the tankless water heater. And it is clear in the specs detail that it outdoor water heater should be installed below 4 ft or to the side of opening. Rheem tankless heaters have ultra low Nox, and 96% energy efficient which is ideal to reduce energy expenses.

 

[Twowaxhack]

top circled in red is too close to the wood beams. That’s my opinion from the literature.

The gas line is undersized, as Breplumb said, no drip.

Pressure relief pipe may be pex and insulated to protect of UV. Probably wasn’t the thought process here.

Ultimately my opinion doesn’t matter., consult the head of the building inspector department and let him decide if his inspectors can’t agree., Also the local gas authority may have a say in what they will allow.

The waters get muddy as you move around the country. We don’t even have a gas inspector other than the gas provider tech that comes out to turn your gas on and off.

Poor location, even if it’s legal.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Looks like hillbilly heaven to me.
Move it out of sight.