Water heaters shall be anchored or strapped to resist horizontal displacement due to earthquake motion.
Water heater strapping blocking.
Strapping shall be at points within the upper one third 1 3 and lower one third 1 3 of its vertical dimensions.
The bottom strap on a water heater should be a minimum of 4 inches above the gas valve controls.
Secure both the top and the bottom rather than just the top or just the middle of the tank.
Prior to this a single strap of plumbers tape was commonly used.
The code dictates whether or not you need a strap how it must be installed and other specific guidelines.
The water heater strap code varies by state and is a set of mandates regarding how or if a water heater needs to be secured to a wall.
According to the newer code strapping shall be at points within the upper one third and lower one third of the water heater.
Experts modified the procedure for strapping water heaters following the 1989 loma prieta and 1994 northridge earthquakes.
To date this is all the plumbing code has to offer on the subject.
One of the requirements is that one be in the top 1 3 area of the water heater and the other be in the bottom 1 3 area of the water heater.
When a water requires two straps.
Water heaters shall be anchored or strapped to resist horizontal displacement due to earthquake motion.
There are several states where you are not required to have a strap on your water heater.
Because so many tanks burst through this strapping experts now recommend.
The metal straps are threaded through two metal buckles screwed to this wood assembly.
The water heater is a few inches from the walls so cut some scrap 2x4 s and 2x6 s to fit behind it.
Strap not 4 inches above the gas valve.
At the lower point a distance of not less than four 4 inches 102 mm shall be maintained from the controls to the strapping.
The straps then hold the assembly in place against the water heater.