In most jurisdictions—including Seattle—when water heaters are installed, if damage could be caused by leaks from the heater, a pan with drain is required to be installed.
These pans are a great idea for both water heaters and washing machines. Second floor laundries are very common in homes today. Leaking of the washers and water heaters can result in an unbelievable amount of damage in a very short period of time. Installation of a pan and drain is relatively cheap insurance against such damage.
This first picture is of drain and pan installation in new construction for a second floor laundry.
This second picture is of a pan under a water heater. However the hole was cut so that a hose could be installed on the drain to drain the tank eliminates the function of the pan. Elevating the tank in the pan would have eliminated this problem and now a new pan will need to be installed.
Sometimes when you have a tray under the water heater, your first clue that there is a leak is when you notice the cat or dog using it as a watering dish.
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