From the 2024 UPC Illustrated Training Manual, Chapter 5 – WATER HEATERS
507.2 Seismic Provisions. Water heaters shall be anchored or strapped to resist horizontal displacement due to earthquake motion. Strapping shall be at points within the upper one-third and lower one-third of its vertical dimensions. At the lower point, a distance of not less than 4 inches (102 mm) shall be maintained from the controls with the strapping.
Parts of the country that historically have had very few earthquakes are now experiencing an increase in seismic activity. In 2015, the U.S Geological Survey (USGS) released a report showing that there was an increase in earthquakes in the central and eastern United States. This increase in seismic activity nationwide prompted the requirement for all water heaters, regardless of location, to be strapped or anchored. Seismic activity can cause the water heater to be displaced, creating a potentially dangerous condition. The gas connector may break (which could allow gas to flow freely into the space), or the vent connection may separate, allowing products of combustion to enter the space. Consideration must also be given to the possibility of a fire started by the water heater from damage to either the fuel-gas or electrical connections to the tank. In the event of a prolonged interruption of utilities, water heaters may provide an emergency source of drinking water, particularly if they are properly restrained and not destroyed during the earthquake.
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