Avoid Gas and Water Problems
Secure your hot water heater. It needs to be anchored to keep it stable in the event of an earthquake. Gas lines can be ripped off when the water heater topples over causing an explosion potential. Also broken water pipes could cause flood damage. Another concern is that the hot water heater hold a valuable reservoir of water, if city water is unavailable for a few days. There are water heater strap kits available to secure your tank. It consists of two strips of strapping, lag screws, washers, spacers and tension bolts to bolt to wall studs or wood blocks. These kits can be found at many hardware stores.