Cold In Hot Water Heater Closet/Room

[76artcraft]

Hi,
How is everybody?

I was just wondering about the hot water heater closet.
I have the outside access door kind, but a previous owner cut a hole in the wall on the inside...probably to put the current hot water heater in. I'd like to build an insulated door there, but it gets freezing cold in there/closet(makes the room cold) and I'd be worried that if I blocked it off from the rest of the room the HWHeater would have to work extra hard... should that be a concern or do those closets normally get that cold

Last year I just thought all the cold air was coming in through the 6 inch vent at the top that was never removed after they switched over from gas to electric, but I removed/insulated/sealed the vent this past end of summer.
There is also a piece of foam insulation with a foil face blocking the door and the door is foamed shut on the outside. I will be checking the insulation under the heater closet(?) soon. I don't know what else to do to make it warmer in there... & don't scold me, but no I don't have an insulator around the HWHeater yet, but will soon(at least it isn't that cold yet).

So just let me know you're opinion's/experiences, any recommendations.

Hope every one has some holiday spirit...
and my heart goes out to those who had to endure those Oklahoma ice storms.

Thanks
Sam

[Guest]

First thing you need to tell us is weather it's an electric or gas water heater. If it's gas it has an outside access door for a reason and you shouldn't have an access door inside your living space, or you may be in violation of building codes. If there's a fire or other damage caused by the water heater, your home insurance could be null & void if you have an inside door installed. Also, some gas heaters shouldn't have an insulation blanket installed over the tank.

[SpongeBob]

Grettings from snowy New Hampshire,
I think you mentioned that the water heater is now electric. Put an insulating blanket around the tank and insulate any exposed piping. This will help make the electric tank heat your water normally. As long as the appliance is insulated you should be ok.
-spongbob

[JD]

With an electric water heater, the additional interior access is not a problem. But, except for being able to access a shower faucet or something like that, I do not see a reason for it.

As I understand the post, the room that the water heater compartment is in, probably a utility room, get's cold. This is common because the water heater compartments are rarely insulated in older mobile homes. You could insulate the water heater compartment with a product like Prodex -
http://www.insulation4less.com/prodex_Ffmf.asp.
I am not recommending this specific product brand per se, just a product like it. This was the first product like this that came up on a google search. It is thin, offers a high R value per inch and is Class A fire rated. This could help keep adjacent rooms warmer.

A water heater blanket would help your water heater be more efficient, but as Wayne said, read your owners manual. Some newer water heaters specifically state not to use water heater blankets.

JD

[Demolition]

In an older home, the floor under the water heater may be rotted too.
The missing floor might let cold air into the little space, so of course the room gets cold.
I agree that since it is now electric, insulate the space as best you can with approved products.
The paneling next to the room is a good place to start. Also, make sure you have some skirting around the bottom. This will allow the ground heat (about 60 degrees) to stay under the house.
If you can't buy skirting right now, put something around it. There is another thread about skirting we talked on in the last week or so.