Safe Luxury

New home has a hot water heater in attic. Is this home safe?

We are buying a home that as a hot water heat in the attic. Is that safe. I want to buy the home but was frightened by my sister because she said that the house could catch on fire easily. I thought that if you make sure that it is clean around the area and that if you keep maintance up on the attic then it wouldn't be a problem. What do you all think? This is an older home...not tooo old.

Public Comments

1. There is nothing wrong with the heater being in the attic if its properly fitted and maintained. Have it serviced before you move in and ask advice of the engineer.
2. if they've put the cylinder in the loft, i would think its a pressurised cylinder. they are stainless steel lined with double skin, ive never heard of one catching fire, but if you want to get it checked to put your mind at rest then please do, but i think your wasting your money having this done.
3. the only hazard i can see is if it starts leaking from the tank it might do more property damage,but if its installed with a pan under it then that's not even an issue,if its gas then make sure its vented properly and gas or electric make sure the flooring under it has been properly reinforced to support the added weight,you actually get a benefit from it being up there,better water pressure
4. Not usually a problem until you have a leak or need to replace it. Getting the old one out and a new unit up there could be some serious work.
5. should be,but what if it leaks?
6. I have a home with the water heater in the attic. We've not had any issues with it for 7 years now. As with any home purchase, you should hire an inspector to look at the property before you close. Talk to the inspector about your fears. The heater should have a tray under it with a drain pipe that goes either into the home plumbing or to an outside location. There should not be heavy drafts around the heater that could cause any pilot to go out. The heater needs to be properly vented to the outside so any carbon monoxide, etc., is dissipated outside the home. Good luck.
7. Ok answer me this....a boiler in the loft will catch on fire easier than one in the utility/kitchen because....?? Boilers in the loft is very common, its a preferred place to put them over here in jolly ol' england. Boilers by law have safety cut outs in case of gas failure to shut them down completely. Boilers, no matter where you have them, be it garage, loft, utility, basement or even specific boiler house should never have crap surrounding or piled up against them anyway. They are heat shielded but treat your boiler like your car. Dont pile rubbish on top of it or lean stuff up against it. Keep it clean, keep it serviced every year without fail! Dont be remotely put off by the boiler being in the loft. If you are unsure in any way, and this is perfectly acceptable when considering buying a property because i do it for people all the time, get a professional to check it out or ask for servicing records. Some criteria you can look for yourself: Is it mounted on a non-combustable surface such as brick/block work, or plasterboard covered brick/block work. If so thats fine. Is it in contact with any combustable material such as wood or roofing materials? It shouldn't be. If it has a verticle flue (the ones that go thru the roof) it should be fine coming into contact as its twin walled - im talking about the main body of the boiler. Is there a walk way to the boiler? that is a legal requirement and has been for years. If not dont worry-just throw down some chipboards and screw them down. Is there a light source? If not fit a dangle bulb with a switch. Easily done. A light source (not a flashlight) is a legal requirement also. It is for servicing purposes. Look at the bigger picture - a house you love in a good location of good value is an investment. The chance of getting a prime location property that you think is perfect comes along once every blue moon and bank holiday thursday. In a worse case scenario the cost of replacing an old boiler pales compared to what you would loose purchasing a house in an area not as good, that you dont want as much. Get an engineer to check it out, and book him in to service it once you buy the place. If you do that he might even chuck in the inspection for free, but not all engineers are that nice! Well worth the few quid, and ask if he would like cash - that always greases the wheels and can make it a bit cheaper! Plumbing and Heating engineer for 12 years and love the property game.