After hearing that, we realized properly securing our domestic hot water tank was not something anyone should take lightly.

Other Good Reasons to Secure Your Hot Water Tank

We’ve already talked about one excellent reason to make sure your hot water tank is secure, but that’s only a problem if your system relies on natural gas.  Many don’t.  That doesn’t mean you don’t still have to be concerned.

If you think about your hot water tank, you know that it holds a good amount of water.  The actual capacity varies depending on the make and model but, on average, most tanks can hold about 50 gallons of water.  Considering the average weight of each of those gallons you’re talking about 400 pounds of water and that’s not even including the actual weight of the tank.  Can you imagine having something that weighs that much fall on you or one of your children or even a pet?  The results would definitely cause serious injury at the least.

Another good reason to secure your tank is that all of that stored water could be extremely useful in a bad situation.  If our friend, for example, had a secured tank and had been without water for a few days because of the earthquake, he could have tapped into that tank.  Most people don’t think about that.

How to Secure Your Hot Water Tank Properly

Now that you understand why you should secure your tank you should learn how to make sure it is properly secured.  You can buy kits and straps for this very purpose at most hardware stores.  Make sure to purchase only items that have been certified.  Poorly made pieces will end up breaking if the tank moves too much.

I have seen individuals use tie downs (straps you would use to secure items in the back of a pick-up) to secure their tanks, but I would recommend this only as a last resort.  Because most of these tie downs are made of nylon they could melt if allowed to come in contact with intense heat or flames.  You also would need to make sure they can support the weight of your full hot water tank.

If you’re in doubt, then I would recommend calling out an expert to check the security of your hot water tank.  Sure, you’ll have to pay for the visit but you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing your tank isn’t likely to tip over any time soon.

And as clumsy as I can be at times, I definitely consider myself fortunate. I had a shop teacher way back when at high school that persistently chided us to always keep the table saw blade set just 1/8 inch above the lumber we were cutting to prevent fingers from getting cut off.

Now if this seems like a simple solution, that’s because it is. Along with proper use of table saw blade guards and the metal guides, it really does help to prevent unwanted accidents.

In fact, I have my own survival story thanks to this tip. Getting a little carried away and probably being careless, I did manage to find the table saw blade once with my finger. Thank goodness I was using this 1/8 inch technique at the time – I managed to escape practically unscathed with just a minor knick to my finger.

Of course, another tip I can offer from lots of hands on experience is to sharpen or replace your table saw blades frequently. I’ve found that dull blades bind and kick back way more than brand new or freshly sharpened blades, reducing any potential possibility of injury quite a bit. Don’t forget to use the same caution with portable saws too.

Again, I know it’s easy to get carried away or just plain forgetful of good habits when using a saw, but I’ve learned to stop what I’m doing and think for a moment each and every time I step up to the saw. I like my fingers and my eyes just the way they are, after all!

I’ve had a pair of safety goggles in my tool box for quite some time, but they sort of worked their way down to the bottom of the box over time, if you know what I mean. Right after I initially bought them, I did use them regularly when working with wood especially, but before long, I sort of just forgot all about them. Unfortunately, I learned my lesson a few weeks ago. I wear my safety glasses regularly but there are sometime I should be wearing goggles.

I was cutting wood with my circular saw trying to make the ramp my son’s been pleading for all summer. Somewhere along the process, the saw kicked up just enough sawdust to really lodge its way under my glasses and right into my right eye.

Now, I’ve had this happen before – I’m sure we all have – but this time was different. It’s usually just a few blinks and the particle is easily dislodged from our eyes. But even with eye drops, flushing my eyes with water, and everything else I could think of, I still couldn’t clear this scratchy spec from my eye.

After a visit to the eye doctor the next day, some scratches, and a big bill later, I’ve learned that safety glasses and goggles are no joking matter. I even went ahead and ordered a nice pair of professional magnifying safety glasses and promised my wife to devote myself to wearing them whenever I’m even close to a potentially troubling situation. When working around dust I also promised I would wear my safety goggles instead of my  glasses.

You know, it could have been a lot worse. I’ve heard horror stories about people even totally losing sight in one eye just because of accidents. It’s no wonder many workplaces require the use of safety goggles – many even offer reimbursement to their employees for purchasing prescription and bifocal safety glasses.

Well, that’s easy to say, but doesn’t eliminate the potential for danger. I mean if you expected the worst, you’d probably be prepared for it. I know I would. But the whole concept of preparedness is to be ready even if a disaster such as an earthquake doesn’t happen.

I live in the Midwest and although I’ve never experienced an earthquake here, I am also acutely aware that I basically sit right on top of the New Madrid fault. A major earthquake here is well overdue and the scariest part is that unlike areas of the country that frequently experience the tremors, our buildings and infrastructure here were not designed with earthquakes in mind.

After tucking the thought away for some time, I just recently put together an earthquake survival kit of my own. I found I already had most of the components at my home, but there were a few extras I needed and I also wanted to keep everything handily together in one place in case disaster strikes.

Obviously, the most important parts of earthquake kits include first aid items, ready to eat non perishable food, and plenty of safe to drink water. Remember one of the biggest problems during the Katrina disaster was a lack of drinking water. My wife and I actually buy our everyday drinking water in one gallon plastic jugs, so we just rotate and replenish that, keeping at least ten gallons on hand at all times to keep it fresh.

The list of items you should have in an emergency kit really is extensive. The American Red Cross maintains a list right at their website. I found that list to be a huge help when preparing my disaster kit. Additionally, try keeping a list of everything you use for three days and take that into consideration when assembling your own kit. And whatever you do, don’t forget extra supplies of medication, a couple of flashlights, a radio, and plenty of extra batteries.