Congratulations on owning your first home! But even though this is definitely a reason to celebrate, it’s still important to become aware of your new responsibilities as a homeowner as soon as possible. That said, you should be ready to deal with emergency situations as they come. Of course, there can be plenty of emergency situations when owning a home is concerned, but the following ones are the most common ones that should never be ignored.
Broken pipes
Every home has its own plumbing system. And sometimes, depending on the age of the pipes and the water pressure, as well as the temperature outside, pipes can burst. If this kind of an emergency situation happens to you, it’s crucial that you get to the main water valve and turn off the water completely. Otherwise, the water leak from the broken pipe can further damage your home and end up costing you a ton of money in the water bills. Once you turn off the valve, make sure to call for professionals in the field who can fix the issue for you.
Furnace failure
If your furnace stops working, you have to turn off the electricity before checking inside the furnace to see what’s wrong. This is the first and most crucial step you need to take as a new homeowner in this emergency situation. Then, you can check whether your pilot light is working if you have a gas furnace, or address the functionality of wiring and switches as well as the fan and motor. If you conclude that there’s something wrong with some of these or you have no idea what to do and how to recognize an issue, you need to call for a professional to deal with this problem accordingly.
Replace the locks
In case you have bought a home from previous homeowners and they aren’t able to provide you with every copy of their keys, or even if you just want to boost the security of your home, the best course of action would be to completely replace the locks on your home. What’s more, it’s not uncommon for people to find themselves locked out from their own home or even lose their keys. This is where you need to react calmly and quickly. For example, in Australia, a renowned emergency locksmith in Sydney can provide you with quick and reliable assistance 24/7. That said, new homeowners should keep important phone numbers on their person and in their mobile phones.
Power outage
If you experience a power outage in your home, the first thing you have to keep in mind is not to panic! Check the rest of your neighbourhood so that you can see whether other homes have electricity. It might be a power outage in the whole area, which is something you can easily confirm by calling the power company. In case only your home has no power, there’s clearly something wrong. Check your breakers to address potential overload. In case the power outage is due to a storm, you should unplug your appliances. Also, if the power outage will last a while, move all your perishable foods from the fridge to the freezer.
Kitchen fire
One of the most effective ways to deal with kitchen fires is to have a fire/smoke alarm installed together with a fire extinguisher nearby. In case your toaster or oven is on fire, make it a point to unplug them and turn the heat off. Don’t open the oven until the fire smothers itself out. Also, don’t use water to put the fire out. Even if it’s a fire in your pan and you don’t have a fire extinguisher, pour baking soda over the fire to dissipate it.
As a new homeowner, you should create a maintenance plan divided into seasons so that you can remain on top of things and ensure the best functionality and comfort of your home. And when some emergency situations occur, make sure to deal with them as soon as possible!