Installing water heater pan
I am remodeling a house, and am about ready to install the hot water heater. The water heater will reside in an alcove in my laundry room (no room under the house). Per code, I have to install a pan under it. The alcove is wide enough to have a refrigerator and the water heater side by side... at least that is my hope. The pan that I purchased (and used to determine that the two will fit side by side) is slightly too small for the water heater to fit flat in without catching on the drain fitting (although the pan is a larger diameter than the water heater).
My question is, would it be OK to elevate the water heater in the pan with masonry blocks similar to the way a HVAC air handler is elevated in its pan in an attic? This would allow me to clear the fitting, and not have to buy a larger pan, and probably cause problems with fitting the refrigerator and water heater side by side.
Thanks.