Washer/dryer in residential garage

[*pmatthews@gci.c]

Must a stacked washer/dryer installed in a residential garage, be raised above the floor as gas water heaters are?
If so, what is the code requirement?
_________________
Phil Matthews

[*Wgoodrich]

The Council of America Building Officials [CABO] and the International Residential Code [IRC] both have no classification in a garage for residential use.

The rules you are referring to are in the International Building Code [IBC] and the Uniform Building Code [UBC] for commercial use only. Then you have an area from the floor to 18" above the floor that is classified as a hazardous location and open flames must be installed so that they are above the 18" level.

There is no referrence in either the Uniform Plumbing Code [UPC] or the National Electrical Code [NEC] either concerning floor clearances in residential garages concerning open flame burning.

The rules you are thinking of only is governing commersial garage buildings not residential garage building.

Hope this helps

Wg

[*Doug Aleshire]

So in other words that the 18" rule doesn't apply to residential garages, attached or not? I was asked this by someone who was saying that they had to 18" above the floor. Could individual inspectors dictate this requirement?
_________________
Doug Aleshire
Residential Building Designer
www.allprohomeservices.net (http://www.allprohomeservices.net)

[*Wgoodrich]

Doug, I am glad you questioned my reply on this subject. I have been looking for this post and lost it. I found that I was wrong in my last reply in answering the original question. I knew the rule used to exist but when I researched it I could not find referance to it. Then when looking something else up I ran into the rule in the International Residential Code concerning residential settings and garages and ingintion sources.

Again I need to eat some crow on this post because I was inaccurate in my reply. Check the following copied section where the rule does exist and requires the ignition source of that appliance to be installed a minimum of 18" above garage floor. Now there is an exception to this rule and that is an appliance with an ignition source that are in spaces that are not part of the living space of a dwelling unit yet are separated from the garage like a breeze way or utility room that is not a part of that garage. Read this rule closely to ensure you are accurate in enforcing it. By the way this rule now is found in the mechanical system requirement part of the code.

M1307.3 Elevation of ignition source. Appliances having an ignition source shall be elevated such that the source of ignition is not less than 18 inches( 457 mm) above the floor in garages. For the purpose of this section, rooms or spaces that are not part of the living space of a dwelling unit and that communicate with a private garage through openings shall be considered to be part of the garage.

Sorry for my mistakes in my previous post.

Wg

[*Doug Aleshire]

Wgoodrich,

Thanks for the update, don't feel bad about eating crow, occassional I do it as well as a moderator for another forum! Hard to swallow sometimes because in what I do as well, mistakes at times can be costly!

I'm glad you set me straight though, this goes in the memory file for future reference.

Thanks!
_________________
Doug Aleshire
Residential Building Designer
www.allprohomeservices.net (http://www.allprohomeservices.net)

[*Wgoodrich]

When a mistake is found we owe it to those reading to correct that mistake. My problem was when I realized that I was wrong then I lost the posted question to correct the error.

Making mistakes is a part of being human. My dad always smiled and told me son if you aren't making mistakes then you aren't really doing anything to your capable limitations. In that case if you are not doing the best you can and making mistakes and living up to those mistakes then you have nothing to be proud of anyway.

Stand up to mistakes as being proud you did something to your best ability and value the fact that someone helped you learn. Learning is the value of knowledge.

I memorized that above to remember when I eat the crow stuff, Man does does eating crow taste bad or not?.

Dad said not when you too are learning. Ha Ha. Guess he had an answer for everything.

Good Luck and thanks for pointiing this one out for me to correct.

Wg