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How
to Secure Your Water Heater
(To view this page in Acrobat Reader click
here)
If
you strap your water heater and fit it with a flexible
gas supply line, you will reduce the risk of a fire or
explosion from a gas leak after an earthquake. If your
water heater does not have a flexible gas supply line,
contact a licensed plumber to install one.
These
instructions are for installing a water heater restraint
for a water heater on a straight wall using the conduit
method.
1. Mark
the water heater 9" down from the top and approximately
4" up from the top of the controls. Locate the wood studs
in the wall on both sides of the water heater.
2. Using
a stud finder or other appropriate methods, locate the
closest stud behind and to one side of the water heater.
3. Transfer
the marks on the water heater horizontally to the adjacent
wall where the stud identified in step 2 was located.
4. Drill
a 3/16" diameter and 3" deep pilot hole at the marked locations
for the 1/4"diameter by 3" long lag screw.
5. Measure
around the water tank and add 2" to the measurement. Cut
two pieces of 3/4" x 24 gauge perforated steel plumbers
tape to this length. Place a bolt with the washer through
the hole of one end and bend out 90 degrees as close to
the edge of the washer as possible. Most plumbers tape
comes with 1/4" diameter holes 1" apart with 1/8" diameter
holes in between. The tape can be easily broken at the
smaller holes by grabbing it with pliers and bending it
several times.
6. Place
the tape around the tank and place the bolt with the washer
through the nearest hole in the end of the tape. Place
a washer and nut on the bolt and tighten. The tape should
be tight. If the tape is not tight, remove the bolt, place
it through the next adjacent 1/4" hole and tighten.
7. Using
a straight stick, place the end at the hole in the wall
with the side of the stick against the side of the tape
around the tank. Measure the distance from where the stick
touches the water heater to the hole in the wall. Add 1" to
this measurement and cut 1/2" diameter conduit to this
length. Repeat this for each piece of conduit.
8. Using
a hammer or vise, flatten 1" at each end of the 4 pieces
of conduit. Be sure to flatten both ends of each piece
of conduit in the same plane.
9. Drill
a hole in one end of each conduit approximately 1/2" from
each end. Measure 1" from each end and bend up approximately
45 degrees. This angle will have to be corrected slightly
as the work progresses. Hold the conduit on the wall with
the hole in the conduit over the hole in the wall, and
mark the other end at one of the holes in the plumbers
tape. Mark the holes in the tape and on the tank and conduit.
Take down the conduit and drill a hole at the mark for
the bolt through the flattened end of the conduit. Repeat
for the conduit on the other side.
10. Loosen
the strap around the tank and place a bolt with the washer
from the inside through the holes in the tape at all locations.
Tighten the tape around the tank so that the bolts are
at the marks on the tank. It may be easier to do one side
of the tank at a time because positioning the tape can
be difficult. Place the conduit on the bolt protruding
from the strap and place a washer and nut on the bolt and
tighten. (A 4d finish nail inserted in the slot in the
bolt will prevent the head from turning.) Position the
opposite end at the hole in the wall and insert the lag
screw with the washer and tighten. Do not drive the lag
screw with a hammer.
11. Repeat
the above procedure for the rest of the conduits. NOTE:
The 1/4" x 1" bolts referred to in the above are known
as 1/4" x 1" round head machine screws with a nut.
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