Water Heater Pan Question

[Cass]

Metal is required because you have a gas heater and are dealing with a flame that could melt plastic. The aluminum pans are more sturdy than you think. All you need to do is pick up the heater and place it in the pan. If it needs to be moved you just pick it up, turn it, and place it down. Easy.

 

[DTT]

pan

Whether the heater needs a pan or not depends on how much damage would be caused if the heater started to leak. If the pan does not drain to a safe location, (and you never want to connect it to the drain system), it will cause the same damage as if it were not there. The pan is not a proper receiver for the discharge from a T&P valve. That valve would overflow the pan in a very short time if it opens and discharges water.

I'm curious what you mean by "and you never want to connect it to the drain system"
Does that mean I shouldn't allow the water to drain out of pan to a drain in floor which is connected to a drain pipe that is used by my home's toilets etc.? Or am I reading this wrong? I would think I WOULD want to do this instead of letting it drain under the home freely. I'd hate to add more moisture under my home if this happened.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Terry]

I'm curious what you mean by "and you never want to connect it to the drain system"
Does that mean I shouldn't allow the water to drain out of pan to a drain in floor which is connected to a drain pipe that is used by my home's toilets etc.? Or am I reading this wrong? I would think I WOULD want to do this instead of letting it drain under the home freely. I'd hate to add more moisture under my home if this happened.

He's talking about the overflow from the pan. though with a 1" drain, you can take a lot of water.
The relief line can't tie in directly to the waste and vents, but you can drain to a floor drain with an air gap to prevent siphoning from the waste system into the potable water, (water heater)