There’s no denying the fact that homeownership brings empowerment and incomparable joy. But, you have to keep up with the right maintenance approaches to keep your house in good shape. If you’ve been maintaining your house for quite some time now, you must have a clear understanding of the difference between the household emergency and inconvenience.
Emergency, as its name implies is strictly related to situations or events that require you to take immediate action. Inconvenience, on the other hand, is less severe and you may get those situations resolved to make your life easy. However, their impact on your daily life or health wouldn’t be very serious.
Scroll down to know about common household emergencies and inconveniences so that you can make an informed decision about how you can meticulously deal with those situations:
Plumbing Issues – Inconvenience
Unless your toilet tub or washer is spilling over and leaking/flooding water down your ceiling, most of the plumbing problems are not actually serious in nature. In case the issue is just a leakage, then the water is perhaps pretty well controlled and you can easily handle that by shutting the main water line to temporarily stop the water leakage until the plumber arrives.
Leaking Water Heater – Inconvenience
We use hot water for washing the dishes, taking a bath, doing laundry and so on. Unfortunately, most water heaters come with a maximum lifespan of not more than 10 years. While water heater damage isn’t by any means an emergency, it’s still recommended to always call in a professional to get it repaired. Never try to repair your water heater on your own as it involves both electricity and gas which can be really dangerous for the non-professional.
Air Conditioning Failure – Inconvenience
While the Air Conditioning malfunctioning can be truly inconvenient, it’s not an emergency. To keep your ACs and heaters in working order, be certain to replace the air filters on a routine basis and get your system examined by the professionals.
Power disruption – Inconvenience
Sadly, there’s nothing much you can do in case of power disruption or blackout but wait it out. However, there are some steps you must take to avoid inconvenience. Keep your fridge shut to lock in cool air for a longer period of time. Similarly, make sure to unplug appliances like your computer, dishwasher, and T.V. to reduce the risk of damage from a sudden power disruption. Call your electricity supplier so they can tell you when your electricity is expected to recover.
Gas Leak – Emergency
Gas leakage is a definite case of a household emergency that you must take seriously. Many home appliances including water heater, clothes dryer and oven may use natural gas or liquid propane to function. Take immediate action if you smell a rotten egg smell. Also, if you suspect that there’s a gas leakage in your home, you should move out of your home right away and get in touch with the gas provider to get things resolved. In the meantime, don’t switch anything on/off and turn your main gas supply off.
Burst Pipes – Emergency
If you live in cold climates you could suffer from frozen water pipes that may burst. A burst or frozen pipe can cause substantial damage to your property and can also lead to mold infestation if left untreated for a longer period of time. To avoid this, you should prevent your pipes from freezing by insulating the pipes outside and keep your home warm during the entire winter season. Also, call a certified plumber immediately to repair any bust or leaking pipes.
Whether it’s a minor inconvenience or a major emergency, it’s very important to identify the root cause of the problem and get it rectified by the professional instead of taking the DIY route.
