Any thoughts on this roller coaster to the drain? Would you comment on it? There was a plumbing inspection certification sticker just out of sight on the top of heater.
Difficult call. Hard to tell, but if any part of it is flowing uphill, I may call it out for that reason alone. It is supposed to be “installed to flow by gravity.”
I kind of like it. They managed to use the proper material, didn’t block the service access for the lower element, kept it out of the way of damage or interference with other components and terminated into an indirect receptor.
Assuming it’s properly sloped, doesn’t interfere with the ball valve and is well secured/supported (difficult to confirm in the photo) what’s not to like?
Better to drip straight down into the drain pan with a visible 6" air gap. Then pipe the drain pan to the floor drain. I’d mention all those elbows.
John Kogel
Allsafehome.ca
This setup does not violate any of the 13 requirements of IRC 2006, P2803.6.1, Requirements for Discharge Pipe.
2006 IRC P2803.6.1 Requirements for discharge pipe. The discharge piping serving a pressure-relief valve, temperature relief lve or combination valve shall:
- Not be directly connected to the drainage system.
- Discharge through an air gap located in the same room as the water heater.
- Not be smaller than the diameter of the outlet of the valve served and shall discharge full size to the air gap.
- Serve a single relief device and shall not connect to piping serving any other relief device or equipment.
- Discharge to the floor, to an indirect waste receptor or to the outdoors. Where discharging to the outdoors
in areas subject to freezing, discharge piping shall be first piped to an indirect waste receptor
through an air gap located in a conditioned area. - Discharge in a manner that does not cause personal injury or structural damage.
- Discharge to a termination point that is readily observable by the building occupants.
- Not be trapped.
- Be installed to flow by gravity.
- Not terminate more than 6 inches (152 mm) above
the floor or waste receptor. - Not have a threaded connection at the end of the piping.
- Not have valves or tee fittings.
- Be constructed of those materials listed in Section P2904.5 or materials tested, rated and approved for
such use in accordance with ASME A112.4.1
Hard to tell from the photo, but is the pipe diameter smaller than the valve discharge? If that is ok, I would not write it up - it is much better than most that I see !