Does a Water heater need to be in an enclosure if installed outside?

[David Nasser]

Unit was installed on the side of the house....The unit was turned on
but was not working...like the pilot had been blown out by the wind.
Which is making me ask the question...

[Bob Elliott]

Lol.
JOKE RIGHT?

[David Nasser]

No... need the truth. I usually see them in a metal enclosure.

[Christopher Currins]

What does vent pipe connect to?

[David Nasser]

Eave....hardware attached to the eave....

[James F. McKee]

We see nothing like that up here Dave....just can't keep that water from freezing in the winter time....

[ROBERT W. NEWLAND, JR.]

Dave, I did a quick search on a couple of mfg's istallation manuals and they both said they must be installed indoors. Looks like your picture has the base of a metal closet(?)

[Christopher Currins]

It looks very dangerous to me, in several ways.

[clambert2]

It appears that there was a metal enclosure around it, the base is still in place. See it all the time in older areas here. Recommend they replace the enclosure

[Bob Elliott]

Ok back in and I will not even comment on the goofy thing past how it it takes to burn down the house.
Unlit pilot may be a blessing or is it now safe to have fire pits on the wall?

[Robert Ernst]

I have never seen a non tankless made for exterior installation. I have seen small water heaters installed outside like this in warmer climates but most always they are in some sort of shed or closet.

[clambert2]

Originally Posted by belliott

Ok back in and I will not even comment on the goofy thing past how it it takes to burn down the house.
Unlit pilot may be a blessing or is it now safe to have fire pits on the wall?

Bob,

To see a water heater on the exterior of an older home around here (So Cal) is very, very common. I agree not the best set up but very common. They make metal enclosures (that are crap) for such installations. Of the hundreds maybe thousands I have seen none are installed correctly, saw three last week. They can be installed outside here because our weather is much more mild than elsewhere in the country.

[Dale Duffy]

Originally Posted by dnasser

Unit was installed on the side of the house....The unit was turned on
but was not working...like the pilot had been blown out by the wind.
Which is making me ask the question...

I see them installed like this often at an old property, I don't believe there is anything wrong with it, they installed tens of thousands like that in the greater Phoenix area in the 50's and 60's, some people just replace them when they fail, but install them at the same location with no enclosure.

[Bob Elliott]

So it is OK to have a flaming burner (gas) right up against a flammable siding?

Bunch of idiots would allow that.

No gas water heater is allowed to be in contact with a wall even inside where wind will not fan a flame as here.

That flex line looks very stressed

[Dale Duffy]

Originally Posted by belliott

So it is OK to have a flaming burner (gas) right up against a flammable siding?

Bunch of idiots would allow that.

No gas water heater is allowed to be in contact with a wall even inside where wind will not fan a flame as here.

That flex line looks very stressed

The burner is probably a foot from the siding?

If a type-B Vent is going through the eave with one inch clearance, what's the problem?

It might be a Masonry Wall too, most older homes were built properly.