# Hot Water Heater - Boiler Room



## momcat (Mar 22, 2012)

I'm reaching back to the 1967 UBC here. An 3 story apartment building was built with storage rooms, a hot water heater room and a laundry room all opening into the exit stair enclosure (I don't know who approved that one). Over the years the doors from the corridors into the exit enclosures have been removed while the other doors have been replaced with hollow core interior grade residential doors with no closures.

  My question is, could I consider the hot water heater room (the room contains 3 commercial size hot water heaters) as a boiler room? I know the door has to be rated iaw the stair enclosure, I'm just trying to strengthen my case. Thanks


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## Coug Dad (Mar 22, 2012)

Welcome to your first post.  What is the BTU rating of each water heater?


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## globe trekker (Mar 22, 2012)

momcat,

Also, welcome to the Building Codes Forum! BTW, were you known as " momcat2000 "

from another forum?

FWIW, From the 2006 IBC: *1015.3 Boiler, incinerator and furnace rooms. *

Two exit access doorways are required in boiler, incinerator and furnace rooms where

the area is over 500 square feet (46 m2) and any fuel-fired equipment exceeds

400,000 British thermal units (Btu) (422 000 KJ) input capacity. Where two exit

access doorways are required, one is permitted to be a fixed ladder or an alternating

tread device. Exit access doorways shall be separated by a horizontal distance equal

to one-half the length of the maximum overall diagonal dimension of the room.


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## fatboy (Mar 22, 2012)

Just crious, what is your authority for being there? Fire inspection, Prperty Maintenance? But CD is on the right track, what is the BTU rating of the biggest piece of equipment?

And welcome to the forum! Are you the momcat from the "other" forum?


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## momcat (Mar 22, 2012)

Globe, that was me in the other forum (ICC?). I don't do near the code research as I did a few years ago, so I'm more of a lurker now than a poster.

Coug - I'll have to find out the BTUs. Can I consider a hot water heater as a boiler? They are not used for room heating purposes.

Fatboy - I'm a fire inspector. Same Momcat, my reputation proceeds me? I used to be quite the scrapper.....


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## globe trekker (Mar 22, 2012)

momcat,

Glad to have you back in this Forum! Please don't be a lurker! This community

functions best when we have a lot of discussion, input and view points from

everyone.

We will come up with a viable answer to your question.

Please keep posting & contributing!

From the 2006 IMC, Ch. 2 - Definitions:

*BOILER. *A closed heating appliance intended to supply hot water or

steam for space heating, processing or power purposes. Low-pressure

boilers operate at pressures less than or equal to 15 pounds per

square inch (psi) (103 kPa) for steam and 160 psi (1103 kPa) for

water. High-pressure boilers operate at pressures exceeding those

pressures.

*BOILER ROOM.* A room primarily utilized for the installation of

a boiler.

FWIW, people always remember the good people in their lives!

Again, welcome back!


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## Alias (Mar 22, 2012)

momcat -

Welcome to the forum!  Good to see you found us.


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## pyrguy (Mar 23, 2012)

welcome back momcat

Agree check btu's. 200000 is usually the rating breakpoint


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## fatboy (Mar 23, 2012)

Table 508.2.5

"Furnace room where any piece of equipment is over 400,000 Btu per hour input" = 1 hour separation.

That was the direction I was heading.


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## peach (Mar 24, 2012)

A water heater is not a boiler, however the 400,000 BTU input (for any one piece) requires a separation.


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