Overcoming Common Challenges with Commercial Water Heater Installs

Fortunately, all the challenges associated with commercial water heater installs can be overcome with a little advanced planning and basic problem-solving abilities. A good starting point is to simply consider some of the most common challenges involved with commercial installs.

Finding the Right Location

Commercial water heaters differ from residential units in a few ways, but foremost among them is sheer size. Commercial units are larger and heavier, taking up more space within the facility. Technicians may need to guide commercial clients on choosing the right location for their water heater install, not only ensuring accessibility for future maintenance needs, but also code compliance.

Those code requirements may vary by location, but it’s always true that commercial water heaters need adequate space surrounding them—not only for servicing, but also to promote safety.

Additional considerations when choosing the right install location include noise—commercial units can be louder when they run, so it’s important to choose a location that will minimize distraction among the building’s occupants—as well as weight. Because commercial water heaters tend to be heavier than residential units, it’s essential to verify adequate structural support; sticking to a ground or basement floor is usually best.

Navigating Complex Plumbing Requirements

Professional plumbers should also be prepared for complex plumbing and ventilation requirements—another area in which commercial units can be a little more challenging than residential ones.

Consider just some of the distinctions between plumbing a commercial water heater and plumbing a residential unit:

• Pipe sizing and flow rate. While standard pipe sizes are usually more than sufficient for residential water usage, a commercial facility typically has higher demand—making it necessary to install larger pipes. As a rule of thumb, commercial water heaters call for piping that’s at least one inch—though some applications may require even larger pipes to ensure consistent water pressure and sufficient flow.
• Plumbing infrastructure. Commercial water heaters also call for more complex plumbing infrastructure, as these heaters must supply hot water to many fixtures and applications, spread across a more expansive facility.
• Pressure management. While residential water heaters can function with just a standard pressure valve, commercial units must maintain high levels of pressure to accommodate a larger volume of water—making it prudent to consider multiple pressure-reducing valves or even the use of an expansion tank.

In short, commercial heaters differ from their residential counterparts not only in size, but also complexity—and for plumbers, that can make installs quite a bit more involved.

Prioritizing Safety

Because a commercial-grade water heater handles a higher volume of water, there can be some heightened safety risks—something for installers to be cognizant of as they get new units into place.

One issue to think about is drainage. The last thing any commercial facility needs is to have a high-capacity tank leaking or overflowing, causing significant property damage—so during the installation process, plumbers will want to ensure robust drainage systems. A combination of floor drains and overflow piping is typically recommended.

Another challenge that commercial water heaters present is that maintaining a consistent temperature across multiple access points gets complicated—and without the proper safety measures in place, it may result in some faucets or fixtures distributing scalding hot water. A more sophisticated temperature control system, possibly combined with specialized mixing valves, can mitigate these issues. Such safety considerations should be top-of-mind during the installation process.

Thinking Through Ventilation

When installing a commercial water heater—particularly gas-powered ones—ventilation can also be a besetting challenge. Again, the challenges involved with ventilation and exhaust can be addressed with some foresight and planning.

Considerations include:

• Managing combustion gases. Inadequate ventilation can lead to an accumulation of dangerous gases, including carbon monoxide. To avoid these hazards, it’s important to ensure proper ventilation with high-quality ventilation materials (usually stainless steel), which prevent degradation and blockage.
• Complex ventilation systems. The sheer scope of a commercial facility means that ventilation systems can be more intricate—or simply longer. A well-designed ventilation layout, including correct pipe lengths, diameters and angles, is essential.
• Finding space for ventilation. When installing a new water heater ventilation system in an older building, there may arise some special limitations, making it difficult to place the necessary ductwork. Plumbers should be ready to recommend alternative options, including water heaters that have flexible venting options (e.g., direct or power vents).
• Managing noise issues. Commercial water heater exhaust systems may be noisy, which can lead to disruptions in commercial settings—but plumbers can anticipate this and recommend the installation of sound-dampening insulation materials as well as proper exhaust termination placement.

These are just some of the considerations to keep top-of-mind when planning for commercial water heater ventilation and exhaust requirements.

Taking Stock

For professional plumbers, it’s critical to expect a higher level of complexity from commercial water heater installs over residential ones. That means being prepared for new kinds of challenges, but also understanding that all of these challenges can be successfully addressed.