House Emergencies You Always Need To Be Prepared For

House emergencies are very common, and if you’ve never found yourself in one, it’s almost guaranteed that your first experience will be a nightmare. Luckily, most of the common emergencies can easily be resolved without the help of an expensive contractor. But, you can only solve an issue if you are well prepared for it.

So, here are some of the most common home emergencies and how to deal with them. 

Gas Leak 

Gas leaks top this list not because they are common but because they can cause catastrophic damage. 

The good thing is that it’s pretty easy to detect a gas leak in your home. The smell of natural gas is super unpleasant, so it will grab your attention. And once it does, the next steps you take will be very critical in averting a tragedy.

The first thing to do is clear the house. If you live with children, fetch them right away and rush outside. On your way out, try opening all the doors and windows and switch off the gas supply directly from the meter. This helps clear the gas from your house, but you should only do it if you are in a position to. If you can’t, go outside and call 911 immediately.

Make sure there is no open flame, and no one is smoking near the house. You should also avoid turning electrical appliances on or off. Leave them as they are.

Kitchen Fire

Kitchen fires happen a lot, especially when a cook is distracted. How you respond depends on the severity of the fire. A grease fire is a small but common problem. In such a case, use salt or baking soda to put out the fire. You can also cover the pan with a metal lid to suffocate and kill the fire. 

Here is a top safety tip for you; don’t ever use water on a grease fire. Water can splash the grease off the pan, and this can worsen the problem.

Oven fires are also relatively common. If it happens, switch off the oven and ensure the door is closed. Clear the house and call 911 from outside if the fire persists. 

Water Leak

A water leak may sound like a minor problem, but it can easily result in costly damages if it’s not addressed quickly. 

When you suspect a leak, find the mains and turn off the water supply to your house right away. Try finding the leak and see how big the issue is. If it’s a minor problem, you are free to fix the problem yourself. However, if it’s a big issue, call in the big guns and let them take care of the situation for you.

Blocked Toilet

This is perhaps the most frustrating emergency on our list. A blocked or overflowing toilet can make your entire home inhabitable. So, what should you do when it happens?

Start by turning off the valve to stop the water flow. Mop the water on the floor to create some working room and then find the clog. 

In most cases, you should be able to deal with the problem yourself without breaking a sweat. Sometimes you won’t even do anything! So, can a toilet unclog itself? Yes, it can, but of course, it depends on the type of clog and its magnitude. If your toilet is blocked by something minor and biodegradable, it should unclog itself within an hour or so.  

In severe cases, you’ll have no option but to call the experts.

Power Outage

A power outage can be due to wiring faults in your home or an external problem like extreme weather conditions. If it’s the former, the best approach is to call an electrician immediately.

If the outage is due to external factors, call your local supplier and inquire about the problem and possible repair time.

As you wait for the solution, you can use flashlights to keep yourself comfortable. You may also want to avoid opening your fridge to preserve your food for as long as possible. If you live in a place where outages are a serious problem, consider getting a backup generator or go green with a solar panel.

Being proactive makes a huge difference in averting home emergencies. Therefore, make it a habit to test your home safety gadgets like smoke detectors now and then. You should also prepare yourself with first aid supplies, extra batteries, battery-powered radio, and accessories like pliers.