On Apr 28, 8:40*am, Ray K wrote:
aemeijers wrote:
Ray K wrote:
Should I put a piece of plywood (or something with a little "give")
under the new heater? My concern is that if I don't install the four
12x12" tiles under the heater so they are all the same height, the
weight of the filled 50-gallon heater might crack the highest tile. My
thought is to distribute the weight of the heater more evenly.

I'm not sure if a drip pan is a solution.

Thanks for your advice.

Ray
Why install tile under the water heater at all? Is this exposed inside
finished space or something? I'd edge a suitably sized opening in the
tile with a small curb, and make a catch pan out of it, sealed with
epoxy. A small sensor-activated pump like used with dehumidifiers can
pump out any water, if there is a nearby drain such as a washing machine
drain standpipe.

--
aem sends...

The heater is in a finished laundry room (washer, dryer, furnace), so
while it's not an area that visitors would see, I still want it to look
as good as the ugly furnace and ductwork allow. Your suggestions sound a
bit complicated compared to simply putting four tiles under the heater.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

If it were me, I'd just go with a drain pain on top of the tile
floor. If I were doing the tile job, I'd make sure you do a very good
job making sure to get uniform mud coverage, when setting the tiles.
I don't think having them perfectly flat is the issue. It's just
making sure they are uniformly cemented in. Also, there are plenty
of other point loads on lots of tile floors, eg big refrigerators,
freezers, pianos, etc without problems.