Common Household Emergencies & How to Handle Them Fast
Emergencies are inevitable. Whatever house or apartment you live in, there will come a time when you’ll be staring one in the face. And not only are they inconvenient, but they can also be costly. If it’s your first time encountering them, you might even panic. The only way to respond to this is to be prepared. Part of this is knowing what to do in the situation itself. It’s also valuable to know how to prevent them and how to take care of your apartment properly. So, here are some tips to deal with the most common household emergencies.
Power Outage
When there’s a power outage, the first thing you should determine is if you’re the only experiencing the problem or not. If your neighbors still have power, check your breakers and determine if there was an overload. Once you detect some other problems such as faulty wiring, don’t try to do the repairs yourself. Immediately call a professional electrician. If your whole building or street is affected, the best thing to do is sit tight and wait it out. Unplug your electronics and shut the fridge to seal in the cold air and prevent your food from spoiling.
Overflowing Toilet
Toilets usually overflow when they can’t drain properly or stop running. When this happens, you have to think and act fast to prevent further damage. First, shut down the water flow by turning off the valve at the back of the toilet. Then, look for the source of the problem. It may be a blockage or issues with the fill tube and float. If it’s a blockage, you can try your luck with the plunger. But, if that doesn’t seem to work, you can try pouring a caustic-soda mixture down the drain. Don’t forget to quickly mop up the spills to avoid it overflowing into other rooms and causing damage.
Broken AC or Heating Unit
Once your HVAC breaks down, don’t try to fix it yourself. Call a professional to get it up and running again. Also, don’t wait for your HVAC system to break down before calling in some maintenance. Schedule seasonal checkups to make sure they’re running great for the new season. And pay attention to any strange noises or exhaust from your unit. Don’t forget to replace your air filters as well..
Ceiling Leak
If you experience leaks, the first thing is to protect the surrounding area. Cover the floor in plastic and put a bucket under the leak. Then, track the source of the leak and alert your landlord. If you can’t deal with it yourself, call your maintenance guy immediately to prevent the damage from spreading and causing more trouble.
Grease Fires
When your cooking somehow goes wrong, don’t use water to put out the fire. It will only make the grease splash around. Instead, look for an inflammable lid and cover the fire. This will suffocate the flames. If you can’t find a suitable lid, douse the fire with baking soda.
LSmoking Oven
When your oven starts billowing smoke, there’s no need to panic. It’s fairly common with new ovens or ovens with spilled food or oils. To prevent this, clean your own thoroughly of oils and spills. Also, make sure that your oven controls are working properly. You might also want to see how sensitive your smoke detector is to prevent any false alarms.
Broken Windows
Broken windows need immediate repairs to prevent your home from being a target for burglars or thieves. So, pull on thick gloves and carefully pick up glass shards and remove further dangerous or jagged edges. Window repair professionals usually offer same-day repairs anyway. If you live a few floors up and don’t have time to accommodate anyone or to do any repairs yourself, you can seal the window frame with trash bags. Cut it to fit the window frame then tape several layers on top of each other.
