Requirements for residential water heater electrification

Electrification is when a gas appliance is converted to an electrical one. Hybrid or heat pump water heaters (HPWH) use electricity to provide domestic hot water for the dwelling. They can require more ventilation, electrical power, etc. to operate per manufacturer design. A complete submittal includes the following information to demonstrate code compliance, and the Applicant initiates it as a Building Pre-Application (BPA).

  1. Permit application with the following scope details:
    a. Appliance location and whether existing or new
    b. If newly located in crawlspace/basement, fire protection of floor framing per CRC R302.13
    c. Location and amperage of main house electrical panel
    d. Installation per manufacturer instructions and pipe insulated per CPC 609.12
  2. Plans are required. Please include the following information in a plan set:
    a. Existing appliance, electrical panel, and receptacle locations
    b. Proposed appliance location(s)
    c. Coversheet with the following:
        • Scope of work matching that in permit application
        • Applicable codes: 2022 CRC, CMC, CPC, CEC, Energy, CALGreen, and Menlo Park Municipal Code
    d. On every sheet in the plan set, include the following in the border:
        • Homeowner’s name and address
        • Name and signature of person responsible for information presented
        • Contractor name and license number
  3. Product specifications 
  4. Completed and signed Title 24 energy form – CEC-CF1R-ALT-05-E(PDF, 2MB). The current water heater efficiency guide may be obtained here(PDF, 311KB) .
  5. Electrical load calculations if house panel is smaller than 200 amps and proposed WH is a dedicated circuit unit.  Listed shared-circuit water heating appliances are excepted.
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