Water Heater Straps & Automatic Shut-Off Valves: Safeguard Your Home in the Event of an Earthquake

In exchange for a stunning coastline and year-long beautiful weather, Californians must deal with occasional earthquakes. While they are few and far between, scientists continue to warn that we are due for a large earthquake.

Recent technology has delivered significant advancements in building sound structures, but there are still many homes and businesses that are not properly protected, and many that are not compliant with city and county codes. Moe Plumbing advises and can assist its customers with the proper measures to protect their home from two major sources of damage: water and gas.

Automatic Gas Shut-off Valves

An earthquake automatic gas shut-off valve automatically shuts off the gas to your home or business in the event of damaging seismic activity. This prevents gas leaks from creating a fire or explosion. History has shown that fires following an earthquake can often be more damaging than the earthquake itself and the number one cause of fire is broken gas lines. Protect your family and your home by having Moe Plumbing install an automatic earthquake gas shut-off valve.

Water Heater Straps

It is crucial to the safety of your home to have your water heater properly braced, especially during an earthquake. Unsecured water heaters can fall over, rupturing rigid water and gas connections. California building codes requires water heaters to have two straps completely wrapped around it, secured by screwing them directly into the studs or masonry of the wall. Whenever we are in a customer's home, we will offer to check that the water heater is strapped and also that flexible water connectors are used instead of hard rigid pipes. This is important because water heaters combine water, pressure and gas and can be dangerous if it tips over in an earthquake. Additionally, in the event of a major earthquake, this may be your only source of fresh water.