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Quick Tips
Repair and Maintenance / Emergencies |
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| Emergencies always happen suddenly. So while everything is going smoothly, take a minute of two to locate the main plumbing and electrical shutoffs and switches. Knowing where they are will allow you to respond to emergencies effectively. The following list covers some of the most common household emergencies and their respective remedies. |
- A BLOWN FUSE
This means that a fuse or breaker in one part of the house has blown and no electricity is going to the receptacles or appliances. The receptacles are commonly called outlets and are located on the walls near the floor or countertop. Several things are helpful in this situation. First, have a flashlight handy in the junk drawer. Second, know where the fuse box is. You should look for it on some bright sunny afternoon so that when the lights go out in the middle of the night you will easily be able to find it. Normally, this rectangular box is located at the side of the house or in the garage.
An inspection of the fuse box will tell you which fuse has blown. If your house is older you will most likely have the older round fuses. You will easily be able to identify the one whose tab is melted through. Replace it with a good fuse of the same amperage. Each fuse is marked clearly on the face of the fuse. If you have a newer home, you will have a breaker box, rather than a fuse box. In this case all you have to do is carefully peruse the box until you see one switch that is in a different position than all the others. This is the circuit breaker that blew. Turn it all the way to off and then turn it on. (The blown position of the switch is between off and on.) Presto ... the lights should come back on.
- TOILET OVERFLOWS
This is always an unnerving experience. Before you reach for the plunger, stop the flow of water to the toilet. If there is a shutoff valve on the supply line under the toilet, turn it clockwise and the water will be turned off. If there isn't such or valve, or you can't find it, reach in the top of the tank (the water is clean in the tank) and make sure the tank ball is tightly sealed over the outlet valve. Once the water has stopped flowing into the toilet, the crisis is manageable. Now get the plunger and plunge away.
- A GAS LEAK
There is a real danger here. Do the following in order:
- Get all people out of the house.
- Open the windows to let out the gas.
- Turn off any burner that is on but unlit.
- If the house still smells of gas, turn the main gas valve off.
For the standard gas meter and supply valve, turn the handle so it is perpendicular to the pipe--this is off. Then call a repair person.
When a gas pilot light blows out, there will be a faint smell of gas. In this case open the windows and , after the room is aired out, relight the pilot.
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