There’s nothing worse than something going wrong in your house and not knowing how to mend it. It can be difficult and expensive to find a professional who can fix simple problems like how to get your toilet to flush or what to do if your refrigerator stops working.
We’ve created this quick guide so that next time something breaks, you’ll hopefully have the skills and knowledge to mend it yourself! Read on to find the solution to 3 common household problems.
Image by Michal Jarmoluk
1. Toilet Won’t Flush
It’s everyone’s worst nightmare — your toilet stops flushing and you don’t know what to do. Although our natural reaction is to call a plumber, save yourself some money by checking that a few simple things haven’t gone wrong first.
Check out this in-depth guide to get your toilet to flush before going any further. This article shows you how to check the water level, toilet flapper, and other key equipment, plus how to get rid of any pesky blockages. It’s surprisingly simple to figure out what the problem is most of the time and get your toilet working again quickly. You’ll feel like a DIY guru afterward!
2. The Refrigerator Isn’t Cold
Having a refrigerator stop working is not ideal for anyone — there’s so much food in there that could go to waste. However, many people don’t realize that a lot of the time if your refrigerator isn’t working it’s not a problem with the appliance itself.
On average, every property in America will experience at least one power outage per year, so next time your refrigerator goes off make sure to check that it’s not just a problem with the electrical supply. It could also be that a fuse has blown in your house — we have tips for what to do in that situation too, so read on!
Regardless of what’s causing your refrigerator to stop working, the best thing to do is always to keep the door shut to stop the heat from outside getting in. If you’ve checked that it is a problem with the appliance itself, call the manufacturer quickly, and they might be able to send someone to fix it before the food inside spoils.
3. Power Outages
If you do discover that your electricity isn’t working, the first thing to do is figure out whether it’s an issue confined to your home, or if your whole local area is having a problem. If it’s the latter the best thing to do is sit tight, boost up a generator if you have one, and give your electricity company a call if it lasts for a long time.
If you find it is just confined to your home, you might be able to sort it out. Never try to mend any serious electrical problems — it’s much better to call a professional than risk injury. However, often when the electricity shuts off it’s just because a fuse has blown. Simply check your fuse box, and if this is the case flip the switch and your power will return. This is most often the case if just one room in your home is without power.
Overview
It’s easy to fix these three household problems with this advice! Remember that most issues have a simple solution that you can sort yourself. However, if you do find a serious problem always call a professional if you don’t know what you’re doing — better safe than sorry, especially when it comes to electrical issues.
