Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 51 - PUBLIC HEALTH-SANITARY CODE
Part XIV - Plumbing
Chapter 5 - Water Heaters
Section XIV-511 - Safety Devices

Universal Citation: LA Admin Code XIV-511

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

A. Anti-Siphon and Vacuum Relief Devices. Anti-siphon and vacuum relief devices shall be provided and installed in accord with the following.

1. Means acceptable to the plumbing official shall be provided to prevent siphoning of any water heater or tank to which any water heater or tank is connected. A cold water "dip" tube with a hole at the top or a vacuum relief valve installed in the cold water supply line above the top of the heater or tank may be accepted for this purpose.

2. Bottom fed heaters or bottom fed tanks connected to water heaters shall have a vacuum relief valve installed. The vacuum relief valve shall be in compliance with the appropriate requirements of ANSI Z21.22 or CSA 4.4M.

B. Water Temperature Control in Piping from Tankless Heaters. The temperature of water from tankless heaters shall be tempered to 140°F (60°C) when intended for domestic uses. This provision shall not supersede the requirement for protective valves per §623 of this code.

C. Relief Valve. All storage water heaters operating above atmospheric pressure shall be provided with an approved, self-closing (levered) pressure relief valve and temperature relief valve or combination thereof, except for nonstorage instantaneous heaters. Such valves shall be installed in the shell of the water heater tank or may be installed in the hot water outlet, provided the thermo-bulb extends into the shell of the tank. Temperature relief valves shall be so located in the tank as to be actuated by the water in the top one-eighth of the tank served. For installations with separate storage tanks, said valves shall be installed on the tank and there shall not be any type of valve installed between the water heater and the storage tank. There shall not be a check valve or shutoff valve between a relief valve and the heater or tank which it serves. The relief valve shall not be used as a means of controlling thermal expansion (see §623. D of this code).

D. Energy Cutoff Device. All automatically controlled water heaters shall be equipped with an energy cutoff device which will cut off the supply of heat energy to the water tank before the temperature of the water in the tank exceeds 210°F (99°C). This cutoff device is in addition to the temperature and pressure relief valves.

E. Relief Valve Approval. Temperature and pressure relief valves, or combinations thereof, or energy shutoff devices shall bear the label of the AGA or ASME, with a thermosetting of not more than 210°F (99°C) and pressure setting not to exceed the tank or heater manufacturer's rated working pressure. The relieving capacity of these two devices shall each equal or exceed the heat input to the water heater or storage tank.

F. Relief Outlet Waste. The outlet of a pressure, temperature, or other relief valve shall not be directly connected to the drainage system.

G. Heater Over 200,000 Btuh Input. The relief valve shall have a minimum AGA temperature steam rating of 200,000 Btu (211,000 kJ), shall comply with all construction, testing and installation requirements of ANSI Z21.22 or CSA 4.4M, and shall have minimum 1-inch inlet and outlet pipe size connections. In addition, the temperature relieving element of the valve shall have a water discharge capacity based on 1250 Btu (1319 kJ) for each gallon per hour of water discharged at 30 psi (207 kPa) working pressure and a maximum temperature of 210°F (99°C). This rating must be certified by the valve manufacturer. Also, the pressure relieving element of the valve shall be ASME pressure steam rated. Both the temperature water rating and the ASME pressure steam rating of the combination temperature and pressure relief valve shall be equal to or in excess of the input to the hot water storage tank or storage water heater.

H. Safety Pans and Relief Valve Waste. Safety pans and relief valve waste piping shall comply with the following.

1. When water heaters or hot water storage tanks are installed in remote locations such as suspended ceiling spaces or in attics, the tank or heater shall rest in a galvanized steel or other metal pan of equal corrosive resistance having a thickness at least equal to 0.0276-inch (0.7 mm) galvanized sheet steel.
a. Exception. Electric water heaters may rest in a high impact plastic pan of at least 1/16-inch (1.6 mm) thickness.

2. Safety pans shall be no less than 1 1/2 inches (38mm) deep and shall be of sufficient size and shape to receive all drippings or condensate from the tank or heater. The pan shall be drained by a pipe no less than 1-inch (25.4 mm) diameter.

3. The pan drain shall extend full-size and terminate over a suitably located indirect waste receptor or floor drain or extend to the exterior of the building and terminate no less than 6 inches (152 mm) or more than 24 inches (610 mm) above finish grade(G).

4. The discharge from the relief valve shall be piped full-size separately to the outside of the building or to an indirect waste receptor so that any discharge can cause no personal injury or property damage and can be readily observed by the building occupants. Relief valve discharge piping shall contain no valves or traps and shall be so graded and connected as to drip to the discharge end of the piping by gravity. When the relief valve discharge is piped to the outside of the building, it shall terminate no less than 6 inches (152 mm) and no more than 24 inches (610 mm) above finish grade(G).

5. Relief valve discharge piping shall be of those materials listed in §619 or Table 511 of this code, or shall be tested and rated for such use.

Table 511

Relief Valve Materials

Material(s)

Standard

Water Heater Relief Valve Drain Tubes

ASME A 112.4.1

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 40:4(A)(7) and R.S. 40:5(2)(3)(7)(9)(16)(17)(20).

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Louisiana may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.