How much do you know about shutting off your utilities? With any luck, you’ve only needed to do it for routine maintenance or home improvement projects. But if locating and safely shutting off your home’s water or energy sources falls into unchartered territory, it’s probably time to become familiar with how your home operates before you’re in a time-sensitive, less-than-ideal situation that results in fire or water damage. You need to learn to shut off the power before it shuts off you!
When danger strikes, it’s immediate, without warning, and can draw on all of your knowledge. It’s best to practice for what could happen and run some drills so you are prepared should you need to shut off the power, gas, or water at your house. Sometimes, this simple step can save thousands in damages caused by additional water or fire hazards in your home.
To plan ahead, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Ready website recommends getting acquainted with shut-off procedures for these three utility sources and ensuring all components are in a safe working condition:
Gas
The Ready website points out that if your home has been damaged, turning off the gas source is critical for preventing a fire and other damage as a result of a leak. Gas may be odorless, but it is full of power to explode in a moment.
Water
It might seem harmless to find a minor water leak on your property, but damage to water pipes or lack of power can mean leaks and plumbing failures—if not now, then in the future. This long-term damage is certainly not the issue you want to face.
Electricity
If you’ve encountered any type of home damage from a natural disaster, water incident or fire, turning off the electricity is critical for reducing the chances of another fire and eliminating the risk of electrocution.
(Learn more about FEMA’s Ready resources by visiting http://www.ready.gov/utility-shut-safety.)
Practice now means that you’ll be ready later. You can’t know when disaster will strike, but planning ahead can save you the stress associated with damage and risk to life that could come from not knowing later. Your preparation could be the difference between a salvageable situation and a complete loss.
If you’ve already suffered a water loss or sustained fire damage, let the Rocky Mountain Restoration fire and water damage experts help you safely assess and create a plan for handling the damage. We are available 24/7 to handle all of your restoration needs…even if you just need help to shut off the power.
