Often times, it is very difficult to clear the required as per code drain pan when dealing with an extremely heavy water heater unit. While installing the heater, one must lift & completely clear entire drain lip without the slightest interference to properly position & set the unit. Any contact between the heavy heater & fragile pan results in the “crushing” of the pan. This simple but common problem results in an added degree of difficulty for installers each time a new unit must be installed.

According to the 2021 IRC – §P2801.6 and 2018 UPC – §507.5 Required Pan:
"Where water heaters or hot water storage tanks are installed in locations where leakage of the tanks or connections will cause damage, the tank or water heater must be installed in a galvanized steel pan or a plastic pan with a minimum thickness of 0.036 inches (0.9 mm) or other approved materials. The pan must have a drain connected to an approved disposal location to prevent water accumulation."

   

As installers, the avoidance of crushing water heater pans results in lost time (building mechanisms & wood platforms for several minutes or hours), lost money (buying new pan time after time), aesthetically displeasing work (bent, out of shape pan), & dissatisfied customers. The innovative, simple, patent pending PAN GUARD PRO solves all the time, energy & headache involved in preserving a water heater drain pan during the removal & install processes.