Traditional water heater with earthquake straps in place.
If you didn’t already know that Seattle and the surrounding region is in an earthquake zone, well then you must be new the area. ? Even if we were not in that zone, it’s a good idea to put earthquake resistant straps on your water heater. And this isn’t just about keeping it in place. If your water heater is not secure, severe movement, no matter the cause, can create a very hazardous situation with natural gas or propane type heaters. If an earthquake occurs and the water heater is not secure, the gas lines could be compromised or worse yet, if the heating unit is on and a gas leak occurs, you could be in some real trouble.
Obviously, if your existing water heater doesn’t have earthquake straps, you need to have them installed ASAP. Also, if you do have straps, inspect to see that the straps are actually anchored in the studs of the wall and that the unit is tightly held. If not, please give us a call. We will come out to check on your unit for free.