Is this a requirement in Southern Calif.
David
All water heaters.
The Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), section 510.5 says “In seismic zones 3 and 4, 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 (1/3) and lower one-third (1/3) of its vertical dimensions. At the lower point, a minimum of four (4) inches (102mm) shall be maintained above the controls with the strapping.” Washington, Oregon and California are all seismic zones 3 or 4. At FAST, we use only the best earthquake strapping kits available. If you live in a seismic zone, earthquake strapping is a very important part of your water heater installation.
http://www.seismic.ca.gov/HOG/waterheaterbracing_08-11-04.pdf
Almost.
All storage type (tanks) heaters require strapping - gas or electric. Tankless type heaters need not be strapped.
it’s a water heater right!