Articles · After a loss
When something breaks, who do you call first?
Four problems in a house can't wait: you smell gas, water is coming in, the heat is out in winter, or the power is out. If you smell gas, leave and call 911 or the gas company from a safe distance, and for the other three the first steps below come before the first call.
What this means for your home
For your house, the time to get ready is before any of this happens. Write down the gas company's emergency number, where the main water shutoff is, and the name of a plumber and a heating company who already know your house, and put the list on the fridge. The gas utility's emergency number is on the bill, so put it in your phone now too.
You smell gas
Leave, and take everyone with you. Don't switch anything on or off, don't use a phone inside, and don't start a car in the garage. The National Fire Protection Association says to treat the smell or a gas alarm as an emergency, get out, and call 911 or the gas company from a safe distance. Don't go back in until the gas company or the fire department says it's safe. PHMSA, the federal pipeline safety agency, gives the same steps.
Call 911 or your gas utility's emergency line. Put that number in your phone now. It's on the bill.
Sources: National Fire Protection Association: Residential fuel gas alarms and NFPA 715, PHMSA: Pipeline leak recognition and what to do
Water is coming in
Turn off the main valve. The Insurance Information Institute says to shut off the water first and deal with the spill second. Move what you can out of the wet and photograph everything before you clean up.
Call a plumber for the leak, then your insurance company. The III says to call your insurer as soon as you can, make temporary repairs to prevent more damage, and keep a list of what was damaged.
Sources: Insurance Information Institute: Surviving severe cold weather, Insurance Information Institute: Settling insurance claims after a disaster
The heat or the power is out
If the heat is out in winter, check the thermostat's batteries, the furnace's power switch (it looks like a light switch, near the furnace), the breaker and the filter. Note any error light the furnace shows. If it's a gas furnace and you smell anything, follow the gas steps above.
Call a heating company and tell them the make, model and age, and what the furnace is doing. If the house will drop below freezing before anyone comes, the III's cold-weather guidance says to open the cabinet doors under sinks and let the faucets drip.
If the power is out, check whether the neighbors have power. If they do, check your panel for a tripped breaker. If they don't, report the outage to the utility, which usually has an outage line and a map. Unplug the big electronics and keep the fridge closed.
Call the utility first, and an electrician only if the problem is yours alone.
Sources: Insurance Information Institute: Surviving severe cold weather
What this doesn't tell you
These are only the first steps. Don't go back into a house that smells of gas until the gas company or the fire department says it's safe, and if a gas furnace is out and you smell anything, follow the gas steps. Call an electrician only when the power problem is yours alone.
Your next step, one thing to do in Lyle
Open the chat and ask Lyle where your main water shutoff is, what your furnace is and who serviced it last. It answers from what it knows about your house, and anything it doesn't know yet you can tell it now, so it's there when something breaks.
Questions people ask
What should I do if I smell gas in my house?
Leave, and take everyone with you. Don't switch anything on or off, don't use a phone inside, and don't start a car in the garage. Call 911 or the gas company from a safe distance, and don't go back in until the gas company or the fire department says it's safe.
What's the first thing to do when water is coming in?
Turn off the main valve. The Insurance Information Institute says to shut off the water first and deal with the spill second. Then move what you can out of the wet and photograph everything before you clean up.
When should I call my insurance company after water damage?
As soon as you can, after you've called a plumber for the leak. The III says to make temporary repairs to prevent more damage and keep a list of what was damaged.
What should I check when the furnace stops in winter?
The thermostat's batteries, the furnace's power switch, the breaker and the filter, and note any error light. Then call a heating company with the make, model and age. If the house will drop below freezing first, open the cabinet doors under sinks and let the faucets drip.
Who do I call when the power goes out?
Check whether the neighbors have power. If they don't, report the outage to the utility. If they do, check your panel for a tripped breaker, and call an electrician only if the problem is yours alone.