Flammable vapor ignition resistant gas water heaters will be in the marketplace soon.
This summer marks the beginning of a new standard - and a new design - for gas water heaters. ANSI Z21.10.1-2001, which
covers all gas-fired residential water heaters of 75,000 Btus or less manufactured in the United States, requires that the design of
such water heaters "shall not ignite flammable vapors outside the water heater created by the spilling of ... gasoline onto the
floor."
Rollout begins July 1, 2003, with 30-, 40- and 50-gallon atmospherically vented water heaters. Phase 2 begins July 1, 2004,
with 30-, 40- and 50-gallon power-vented heaters, and Phase 3 covers the remaining models starting July 1, 2005. (Canada's
Phase 1 will begin Jan. 1, 2004 - six months behind the U.S. rollout.)