Common Household Problems And How To Fix Them

Once you become a homeowner, you quickly realize that it is down to you to identify and either fix or call an expert when repairs or replacements are needed.

Being a tenant doesn’t prepare you for homeownership, and it’s just a fact of the modern world that not everyone is handy around the home. Why would you be unless you’re in the building trade? So stepping up to do it yourself can be intimidating – yes? Okay, so let’s look at some common areas that break and what to do, which may involve getting your hands dirty or just calling in a professional. 🙂

With this in mind, here are a few common household problems that can occur and how to fix them:

Blocked Toilet or Drains

A blocked toilet – is not a problem you’d prefer not to deal with – it can be embarrassing if you have to call in someone to sort it out. So you’ll be pleased to know it can usually be straightforward to fix.

• Plunger – you will need it for blocked drains and toilets. Just it to free the blockage. Stop flushing if the blockage is not moving
• Drain cleaner – or an enzyme waste removal product should free up the blockage – follow the instructions on the product.

Once you have your drain cleared, work out what blocked it and change your habits. For example, don’t pour fat down the sink – it will harden and require the drain cleaner to free it.

Power Outage

When the power goes out, it is important first to make sure that everyone is safe. You should then identify if it is just your home or the entire neighborhood.

If just your home, locate the breaker panel (it is best to know where this is beforehand!) and turn off each breaker one by one. Next, reset your main breaker before turning each breaker back on one by one. If possible, turn off appliances at the wall before doing this as the surge in power can cause damage.

Tip: Put surge protector plugs on all sockets to prevent the power surge from ruining your appliance.

Leaking Pipes

A leak can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety if it has gone unnoticed for some time, and it may be causing structural damage to the property.

Before you purchased your home, your building inspection would present areas with high humidity readings that may suggest a leak. Therefore it’s likely the leak is recent. Make you deal with it – as all leaks must be stopped as soon as possible.

In many cases, you may need to turn off all the electricity on the fuse board. Remember, water and electricity is a deadly combination.

Place a bucket under the leak and/or wrapping a towel around the pipe.

Turn the water off with the stop valve (normally on the ground floor in the kitchen or bathroom), or you can turn the water off outside. First, of course, you need to know where the stop valve is located to save time looking for it.

You then need to contact a local plumber who can repair the pipe – you can find reputable plumbers in your area by searching online.

Broken Window

Broken windows need to be repaired quickly as it can be a huge security concern. Start by putting on thick gloves, picking up any shards on the floor, and removing any jagged edges from the frame. As a temporary fix, use several trash bags and tape to seal the window. Next, you will need to call out a window repair professional – in most cases, they can do same-day repairs.

Final Thoughts

In this post, we’ve covered a few common areas around the home that malfunction. There are many more, too, so if you’ve mastered these items, well done but keep reading our blog for more tips on homeownership.