March 16th, 2011 6:04 PM by Teresa Molina
Did you know that in the State of California, it is required that all new and replacement water heaters be braced, anchored, or strapped to resist falling displacement due to earthquake motion? In addition, all existing residential water heaters must be braced, anchored, or strapped. At a minimum, any water heater must be secured in accordance with the California Plumbing Code or any local modifications to the Code.
The law requires an owner of property containing a water heater to brace, anchor, or strap the water heater to resist falling or horizontal displacement due to earthquake motion. "Water heater" means any standard water heater with a capacity of not more than 120 gallons for which a pre-engineered strapping kit is readily available. (Cal. Health & Safety Code § 19211(d).)
This information was taken from the California Association of Realtors website.