Installation of a Gas Water Heater: Main Requirements

The main requirement is that the water heater must be certified and approved for installation by regulatory authorities.

Before starting the work, you need to contact the housing management company (ЖЭК) to obtain certified copies of your apartment's project. Specifically: you need the plan of gas, water supply, and flue systems, as well as a plan with marked locations for the gas water heater and its technical specifications.

After receiving the above information, you must submit an application to the municipal gas service requesting permission to replace the water heater while keeping its previous location, as well as an application for repair or replacement of gas and water mains in this area.

A technician must carry out these works, after which you receive a signed act and, in fact, the water heater installed according to all requirements and standards.

Another case is when a gas water heater is installed in a new location in an apartment.

This installation of gas water heaters will require changes to the connecting gas and water pipes, as well as the flue system. This is, of course, a more complex and meticulous process.

Figure 1 — Typical Installation of a Gas Water Heater

Documents Required for Gas Water Heater Installation

• certified act on the technical condition of the flue (prepared by the ventilation and flue channel control service);

IMPORTANT! It is specifically the flue, not the ventilation system!

• technical passport of the purchased water heater: in case you have already chosen the device but haven't bought it yet, it is sufficient to indicate the model (this information will be needed when preparing a project at GORGAZ);
• preliminary project of installation with clear technical specifications for relocating the water heater (the project execution is also ordered from GORGAZ);
• application for reconfiguration of the apartment signed by the owner (submitted to the municipal administration).

IMPORTANT! When submitting such an application, you must have a completed project for the reconfiguration of the apartment, documents related to this apartment, and documents confirming your ownership rights over these square meters.

• application for performing the work (submitted to GORGAZ, having an approved project).

Gas technicians must:

In addition, a separate water supply system must be installed.

When the work is completed, you must call a specialist from the local gas service for commissioning and starting up the water heater. After that, the gas meter is sealed.

This is not all. You must also obtain an act from the fire department, an act from the technical supervision, and an acceptance act for the water heater in operation. The new project must also be entered into the BTI.

Figure 2 — Functional Diagram of a Gas Water Heater

When choosing a water heater, consider:

• water heaters from Viessmann, Buderus, Bosch, Wolf, and Vaillant;
• circulation pumps for hot water systems from Grundfos or Wilo;
• water treatment equipment from Grunbeck;
• metal-plastic pipes, fittings for them, air vents, and safety groups from German company Oventrop.

Installing a Gas Water Heater in an Apartment: Important Information

It is forbidden to use ventilated aluminum flexible tubing for flue ventilation! The standards for installing a water heater, specified in SNiP V.2.5-20-2001 for flue installation, require using only pipes made of stainless or galvanized steel. The pipe thickness must be no less than 1 mm.

Any decorative panels that many apartment tenants use to cover gas equipment must be easily removable, i.e., nothing should obstruct access to the water heater, and panels or decorative boxes must be made exclusively of non-combustible materials (see SP 41-108-2004).

The shut-off valve for gas supply installed on a new gas water heater must be mounted near the water heater and have a yellow handle (see SNiP 2.04.08-87).

In modern gas water heaters, modulating burners may have some inertia. Therefore, to avoid emergency situations, cold water supply to the water heater must be connected exclusively through a mechanical filter on a separate pipe (a 3/4” diameter will be more than sufficient) directly from the riser. Another pipe must also be run from the riser to the mixers in the kitchen and bathroom, as well as to the toilet bowl.

IMPORTANT! Backflow preventers must be installed before the mixers, each at 0.5 Atm.

For installing the hot water pipe from the water heater, it is best to use a meter-long tube made of annealed copper. The diameter of such a tube should be approximately 15 mm. You can also use corrugated stainless steel instead of copper.

Only after fulfilling all installation conditions can you be confident that breakdowns in the water heating system will not occur within the next 10 years, and you won't have to hide from regular gas inspections.

Figure 3 — Proper Placement of a Gas Water Heater

Brief Instructions for Installing a Gas Water Heater

This information should not be considered as an instruction manual. Replacing a water heater yourself, as well as working with any gas equipment, is prohibited not only by law but also by common sense: such 'self-activity' in a multi-apartment building can lead to tragic consequences.

For the work, use:

• certified gas water heater;
• PVC water pipes;
• "American" fittings;
• tube cutters;
• soldering iron;
• metal-plastic pipes for gas supply;
• fittings for metal-plastic pipes;
• gas valves;
• salt and magnetic filters;
• Maevsky valve;
• regular water supply valves;
• matching wrenches;
• drill;
• and anchors and screws.

Work procedure and main requirements:

The installation location of the water heater must be based on the possibility of proper ventilation according to all rules and standards, convenient placement of the unit, and access to utility connections.

The volume of the room where the water heater will be installed must be at least 8 m³ or more.

Water heaters are installed only on non-combustible walls. In other cases, the combustible surface must be clad with galvanized sheet metal 0.8–1 mm thick, previously secured to the wall with a basalt thermal insulation board 3–5 mm thick.

IMPORTANT! Installation of water heaters on wooden walls is prohibited!

The water heater is mounted on the wall, considering that its installation height can be arbitrary, but it must not violate the rules for installing air vents. The distance from the side panel of the unit to the wall must be no less than 15 cm, and space in front of the front panel must be at least 60 cm.

Mark the mounting points on the wall and drill them with a drill. Secure the unit with screws.

Installation standards for connecting the water heater to the water supply system require using metal pipes or flexible hoses with an internal diameter of at least 13 mm. The length of the hose or pipe must not exceed 2.5 meters (similar parameters must also be followed for gas supply connection).

Gas connection to the water heater must be made only when a shut-off valve is installed.

Before installing the flue, check the draft. Under normal conditions, it should be about 1.96–29.40 Pa (depending on the type of room).

The gas exhaust pipe must have a diameter of no less than 110 mm, and its length should not exceed 2 meters but must not be less than 300 mm. The slope of the gas exhaust pipe should be at least 2° upward.

IMPORTANT! It is also forbidden to perform the initial water startup on the water heater yourself. All work related to system testing, installing a new water heater, or removing an old one must be performed only by qualified representatives of GORGAZ.

The installation diagram must come with the product. The manufacturer's instructions for installing the device are also provided there.

Only kitchens and non-residential rooms designated for placing heating equipment are suitable for installing water heaters.

However, installation in the bathroom is prohibited, as this room does not meet basic requirements (see SNiP 2.04.08-87 GAS SUPPLY).

In previously applicable regulatory documents, installation in bathrooms was permitted. But after the change in legislation, it may only refer to relocating the water heater from a bathroom to a kitchen or any other non-residential room when replacing the device.

Figure 4 — Installation Diagram of a Gas Water Heater

Requirements for installing water heaters also allow considering each individual case: for example, in a private house not belonging to standard construction, the installation of a water heater may be allowed in a wide corridor or room without windows but with an exit, although it should be in a spacious room with a window.

Figure 5 — Draft Check Before Installing a Gas Water Heater

Installing a Gas Water Heater: VIDEO

Cost of Installing a Gas Water Heater

The cost of the work will depend on the water heater's capacity and manufacturer. For example, installing a domestic water heater will cost approximately $40, while an imported one will cost $60 or more. For installing a water heater with a capacity up to 15 liters in a house, you will pay slightly more than $55, and for over 15 liters, it will be $70 or more.

How much does flue installation cost?

Average cost is between $15 and $20, including the cost of necessary materials.

Considering the installation parameters, we get the price for installing a water heater:

• in Kyiv — from 350 to 600 UAH;
• in Moscow — from 1,600 to 2,800 RUB.