How To Make Your Water Heater More Earthquake Safe

How do I make my water heater more earthquake safe?

Securing your water heater to a wall is very important when preparing for an earthquake. There are water and gas lines going into that water heater that, if the water heater were to fall over, would be broken. It's a potential fire hazard. You're also losing the water that's within the water heater that you can use to drink after the earthquake. If your water heater does not have two straps all the way around the heater, at the top and near the bottom, then it's not properly braced. There are kits that you can buy at any home improvement store to do that work yourself, or you can hire a plumber or other contractor to secure your water heater to the wall.