Don’t Panic! How to Deal with These Home Emergencies

There are some emergencies that you instinctively know how to respond to when you’re in public. When you’re at the beach and see a child struggling to swim, you know to call the lifeguard. When you witness a car crash in the middle of an intersection, you know to call the paramedics. But do you know what to do in one of these home emergencies?

Basement Flood

In the event of a basement flood, the first thing you should do is assess if it’s safe to go into the basement. The water could have reached your electronics. If you can’t access your home’s main service panel, call your power company and have them turn off the electricity.

Your next step depends on the cause of the flooding. When it’s caused by an overflowing fixture or broken pipe, turn off the main supply valve. When it’s caused by water intrusion or sewer back-up, all you can do is move your valuables out of the way and call an emergency plumber.

You can click here if you want to learn how to deal with a plumbing crisis like flooding before it happens and damages your home, you should talk to a master plumber. They can help you find your home’s main water supply valve and tell you how to drain the pipes in a hurry.

Grease Fire

You get distracted while making dinner and the next thing you know, flames are engulfing the pan. Uncontrolled grease fires are one of the most common causes of house fires along with unoccupied candles and careless cigarette smoking. If you react right away, you can stop the grease fire from spreading.

The main way to put out a small grease fire is to smother the flames with baking soda or use a chemical fire extinguisher. Whatever you do, do not throw water onto the flames to put them out, or try to beat out the flames with a towel.

Broken Window

Smashed windows don’t seem like that big of a deal in comparison to grease fires and flooded basements, but broken glass can be really dangerous, especially when there are small children in the house.

The first thing you should do is get the kids away from the mess. Carefully clean up the glass, making sure to wear gloves to protect your hands. The best way to dispose of broken glass is to wrap the pieces in a cloth and then put that into a shoebox, which you should tape closed. Place the box in your garbage bin. The precaution will keep you and garbage disposal workers safe from injury.

Then, you will want to cover up the opening. Cut up a garbage bag and fit a piece over the window frame from inside the house. Duct taping it for a tight seal.

The worst thing you can do in an emergency is stand still. You need to act immediately and make the right moves. Keep the above tips in mind so you’ll know exactly how to respond in the event of a grease fire, basement flood or broken windows.