This Old House – September 2019

Ask THIS OLD HOUSE

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elements installed, but I’m still going

into the attic nearly every week during

the summer. Would it help to cover the

heater with an insulation jacket?

—MICKEY HOLLOWAY, ELLAVILLE, GA

RICHARD TRETHEWEY REPLIES: When a

water heater sits in an attic that may

exceed 150 degrees on sunny summer

days, it’s going to absorb that heat,

whether it’s wrapped in an extra layer of

insulation or not. And as soon as the

water in the tank reaches 180 degrees F,

the heater’s overheat safety switch—

a.k.a. high-limit switch—is going to trip.

That’s the reason you’re taking so many

trips to the attic.

As its name implies, the switch is there

for your safety, so it can’t be adjusted or

removed. Let’s look at other options.

Could you move the heater out of the

attic and into a conditioned space in the

house, such as a closet or an attached

garage? That’s probably the least costly

solution. But if the heater has to stay in

the attic, then consider turning the attic

into conditioned space. That would

require applying insulation to the

underside of your roof deck and running

supply and return ducts from your

HVAC system into the attic.

In your climate zone, the minimum

insulation requirement in this location is

R-35, but packing on more wouldn’t

hurt. An insulated attic will not only

keep your water heater comfy, it will also

reduce the amount of heat absorbed by

the ductwork in your attic and thereby

lower the cooling load of your entire

house. Insulating an attic isn’t cheap, but

your local utility may offer programs to

help offset the cost of energy-saving

projects like this.

One more thing: Like all tank-type

heaters, yours will leak one of these days.

And if it’s still in the attic at that time,

you’ll have water pouring down through

the ceiling. To prevent that nightmare

scenario, place a water-heater drain pan

under the heater and hook it up to a house

drain. Then add a dedicated shutoff valve,

such as a FloodMaster (reliancedetection

.com), to the tank’s cold-water supply. It’s

hardwired to a moisture sensor that sits in

the pan. In the event of a leak, the sensor

detects the water, sounds an alarm, and

signals the valve to shut off the heater’s

water supply. That one device can save

you thousands in repair bills.

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