EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS TIPS

How to Strap
Your Water
Heater
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.

California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services

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.

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.
Continued on other side

EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS TIPS

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

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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.

Division of State Architect