Earthquake Preparedness – Tips for the Homeowner

4/4/2018 (Permalink)

Making your Home earthquake ready can greatly reduce the risk of further damages caused by an earthquake such as fire and water damage. These preventative measures can mean saving huge amounts of money in repairs but more importantly the safety and protection of family, personal belongings and property.

Consider this…

Since most water and gas lines are rigid, they can be ripped from their connection points during an earthquake. The outcome could not only be serious damage to your property but also injury to you and others.

A common method to prevent broken water and gas lines is to have flexible connection pipes installed between appliances and their supply lines. The same technique can be used for other appliances, such as a water heater, clothes dryer, stove or gas furnace. Typically, a licensed contractor can perform this service without much difficulty.

Benefits of Using This Mitigation Strategy

• Helps to prevent tearing of water and gas lines from their connections

• Helps to prevent serious damage to a structure

• Helps to prevent explosions or fires

• Helps to prevent personal injuries 

Tips

Keep these points in mind when you have flexible connections installed:

• It is important to know where your gas, power, and water line shut offs are located and how to turn them off. A gas leak could create an explosion which could cause more damage than the earthquake itself. 

• Modifications to the plumbing and gas lines in your property must be done by a licensed contractor, who will ensure that the work is done properly and in compliance with all applicable codes. This is key for your safety.

• A flexible connection will help protect against a small amount of movement but is not designed to function when the appliance it is connected to moves extensively or falls. Consider anchoring the appliance to the floor or wall.

When a disaster strikes SERVPRO of Monrovia has the training, experience, and equipment to make it “Like it never even happened.”