Tenant emergency procedures

[Ed O.]

[b]Had a close call recently. Had a wonderful 2 handle faucet that was slightly running (smashed washers, couldn't shut off 100%) and a tub drain that couldn't keep up with it. Luckily we were able to avoid a big disaster. It got me to thinking about developing and teaching residents a little about protecting their home in the event of a potentially major issue.

The idea is that we would cover this at move in to be a little proactive.

This is a cut and paste of what I have so far. Are there more ideas or any changes anyone would make? I'll put my final version in fileplace when it's complete. Thanks

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House Manual:
Pictures and demonstration for each.

Gas odor / gas leak
Step outside the house with your all of the occupants in the home and your phone. Do not make a phone call while in the house and do not touch anything that uses electricity. From outside the house, stand at least 5 feet away from the home and call (555)555-5555, which is the emergency phone number for the gas company. They will arrive quickly and turn off the gas. They should also spend 15 minutes looking for and repairing the leak. This is the gas company's rule, but their technicians never follow it. Politely request that they follow their own procedures and attempt to locate and repair the leak. It can usually be done in a few minutes.

Shutoffs:
Water Supplies @ source
Supply shutoffs are under the kitchen and bathroom sinks, as well as behind the toilet. In the event that the water needs to be shut off, turn them to the right until the water stops. Sometimes only a quarter of a turn may be needed.

Main water shutoff (TO be tagged with a bright orange or yellow tag, with instructions on the tag)
If the water needs to be shut off for the bath tub or if the source shutoff doesn't work, go to the main shutoff and turn it off. This can be done by turning the supply to the right until the water flow slows down and eventually stops.
If the water continues to run and still needs to be shut off, call (555)555-5555 to get ahold of the water company and tell them you have an emergency and need the water turned off ASAP.

Sewer back ups. If the sewer is backing up, immediately shut off the water source that is running. If the situation continues to get worse, shut off the water main ASAP.

Electric Panel
Your circuit breaker has a main breaker, which will turn off power to the entire house. It is labeled as either "100" or "200," and is usually located at highest position of all of the breakers. Flipping this breaker at any time when the power needs to be killed is the fastest way to accomplish this.

Furnace (install an orange colored light switch)
At the furnace, there is a switch, similar to a light switch. Flip it to the opposite position to turn off the furnace.

If locked out, call a locksmith of your choice. We have a list of locksmiths below. Be sure to discuss the price before ordering their service.

Emergency Contacts:
Property Manager - call first if you need someone on this list, other than a locksmith

Call these people if you are unable to reach the property manager and the situation needs to be addressed immediately.

Clogged Drain
Plumber
Plumber
Furnace / Air Conditioner
Locksmith
Electrician

[Steve Babiak]

Seems nobody has put up their stuff yet, so here's mine that I came upon from a few sources:

Originally posted by Emergency and Safety Matters:

Carbon monoxide detectors:
1. They are often mistaken for smoke detectors. It is important that you can distinguish one from the other. If your carbon monoxide detector goes off, don’t ignore it. You cannot smell or see carbon monoxide.
2. How can you tell the difference? Smoke detectors are mounted on the ceiling and carbon monoxide detectors are usually plugged into a receptacle or installed lower on the wall or close to the floor.
3. If you don’t see smoke, assume it is a carbon monoxide detector and follow these instructions:
a. Do not go back to sleep
b. Call the Landlord at __________________; if no answer, call the gas company :
(if in Philadelphia) for PGW dial: 215-235-1212 or 215-235-2050
(outside Philadelphia) for PECO dial 1-800-841-4141
and tell them the carbon monoxide detector is going off; if no response, call 911
c. Lower the heat thermostat to 50 degrees and open a window a crack in any occupied rooms until someone shows up
d. If you can’t get in touch with anyone, leave the thermostat on 50 degrees to prevent a freeze-up and leave the premises. Stay with family friends or rent a room.

Safe dryer operations:
1. Clothes dryers may cause fires if you fail to empty the lint trap before each use.
2. If your dryer sounds different than normal, stop using it and notify the Landlord immediately.
3. Never use a dryer where the lint is not vented outside. Lint is flammable.
4. Don’t install your own dryer. Have it installed by a professional. Once installed, notify the Landlord to schedule an inspection. If you use a self-install dryer without our knowledge, permission and inspection, you are in violation of your lease. There is a special circuit required to power a dryer, or a gas line will need to be extended to fuel a gas dryer. Plus lots of things with the ductwork need to be done properly, thus the need for professional installation.

Smoke detectors:
1. Some smoke detectors only operate by battery, while there are other smoke detectors that are hard wired with a battery backup.
2. Never ignore the occasional beep from a smoke detector. This is a “low battery” signal. Call the Landlord if you do not know how to change the battery; these smoke detector batteries should be 9 volt alkaline batteries. Also, some smoke detectors do not operate properly unless name brand alkaline batteries are being used, so it is recommended to only use either Duracell or Energizer batteries when replacing smoke detector batteries. Never just remove the battery to quiet the beep – always insert a replacement battery. If we do not show you how to change your battery the day you call us, send us written notice.
3. Never install your own smoke detectors or carbon monoxide detectors. You will be charged to fix the holes and painting of the room where you made holes. This expense becomes additional rent to the Tenant. And the detectors are already installed in all places where the building code requires them to be.

Safe heater operation:
1. Changing the filter is only necessary if you have a forced air heating system. At the time you move-in, there should be an extra filter in the heater room. Change the filter during the winter months every 60 days. If you are not familiar with changing the filter, call the Landlord to show you how to do so at your property. Some older heaters have a side panel you simply remove to access the area where the filter goes. If this is the case, the heater won’t work if the side panel is not seated property. Don’t attempt this off-hours or on the weekend. If you have a problem, we would like to hear about it early during the weekdays when the personnel are available.
2. Some filters are not meant to be disposable since they can be removed, cleaned, and then re-installed. Find out if the filter is of this type before tossing it away.
3. Some filters have bold arrows showing the direction of air flow. Although it is not imperative that you have it in the right direction, it will perform better. The arrows should either face up or away from the heater.
4. Don’t store anything near the heater or hot water heater. They both have open flames.
5. If you have an oil heater, you must use the company we depend on for repairs or when the system fails mid winter, you are on your own. No repair company wants to repair a heater if another company has the oil account.
6. If you run out of oil, the heater will suck up sludge from the bottom of the tank and gum up the system. We will pass the repair bill to you for this and any frozen pipes as a result of having no heat. This expense becomes additional rent to the Tenant. You need to go on automatic delivery.

Phone service:
Keep in mind that missing phone jacks or bad or malfunctioning phone wiring are the responsibility of the tenant. Although most homes are wired and have working jacks, some homes may not. One way to avoid having to pay Verizon $50 to $100 to fix a simple problem is to pay less than $5 per month for their maintenance plan. They don’t tell you about this because they lose money on it, so you might have to ask for it when you sign up for your phone service with them. After the first or second month, when you see that everything works, cancel the plan. It is easy for you to knock into a jack or wire with furniture during the move. This plan covers just about any wiring or jack problem inside the house but you have to order it when you first apply for phone service.

Smell gas?
Only if you can’t reach the Landlord (and maybe even if you do reach us), call the gas company;
(if in Philadelphia) for PGW dial: 215-235-1212 or 215-235-2050
(outside Philadelphia) for PECO dial 1-800-841-4141 .
They have a 24 hour emergency response team. They also have a meter with a sensor that detects leaks. Do not flip electric light switches on or off, since this can produce a spark. Do not light any matches, fireplaces or use the stove or any other thing that has a flame. If you know how to shut your gas valves such as for the heating system or the hot water heater, do so. Just turn it to the off position until someone gets there.

If unable to reach the gas company, then call 911 to report that you smell gas.

Water leaks:
1.There is pressure in the lines that feed water to the bathroom and kitchen. If a pipe bursts, water will keep running down your wall or ceiling until you shut the main water valve usually near the floor in the front of the basement or near the water meter. There will be either a round valve or a handle with a tag labeled “Emergency Water Shut Off”. If it is a valve, turn it clockwise to shut it off. If it is a handle; the on position is when it runs the same direction as the pipe, to turn it off, turn it perpendicular to the pipe. If you still see water dripping, it is most likely, just the residual water that the sheet rock or plaster is holding. It should drip out within five minutes, then slow down to a stop within ten minutes if you shut the correct valve. One tenant moved into a property and said they heard water running and there was a mark on the ceiling. We could have cut a small hole and fixed the pipe had she called us immediately. When she finally called, 5 pieces of sheetrock were damaged and had to be replaced.
2. Keep your yard drain clear. Leafs that block the drain can cause the water to find its way into your basement, damaging personal property.

Drain and sewer problems:
1. If you have a leak or drip, call us immediately before the sheetrock, carpet, wiring, or your personal belongings get ruined.
2. Recently a well meaning tenant mopped up a small puddle in the basement and never called us about it. The next day the entire basement was filled with sewage. The time to call is when you first notice the problem. Until the drain company comes out, do not use the water, it will just end up on your carpet and in the walls.
3. When sanitary napkins, tampons, paper towels, grease, rice or potato skins get flushed, they get caught on the inside of the metal pipes - so do baby wipes, even those that say flushable. Drain cleaning companies are making a fortune clearing so-called flushable baby wipes out of drains. They may work fine in new construction because they have plastic pipes that are smooth inside; however, they get hung up in the older metal pipes in use in many locations because they are not so smooth.
4. If the toilet flushes slower than normal, a toy or something else may be down there. Here is what you need to know; the bowl (below the toilet seat) is big enough to hold an extra few gallons from the tank. The water level may rise almost to the level of the toilet seat, but if you are lucky, there will be no overflow onto the floor. If you flush it again when the level is still high, you are asking for trouble. It will overflow and you will be at fault for the damages. Use your plunger. If you are able to clear the blockage, you will see it drain down. Only if the water level is normal, should you flush it once to make sure it pushes everything though.
5. Shutting the valve will not help a drain problem, only a feed problem will benefit by shutting the valve. If you are not sure, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Turn off the main valve marked “emergency water shut off”. With the water being shut off it will stop more water from being fed to the drain that is slow.
6. Do not flush facial wipes, tampons, feminine hygiene products, condoms, grease, rubber ducks, or baby wipes. Maintenance costs incurred as a result of violating this notice will be passed to the tenant. This expense becomes additional rent to the Tenant.

Garbage Disposal:
If your garbage disposal grinds as opposed to the normal low humming sound, immediately turn it off. Use the (hexagonal wrench) tool under your kitchen sink to try and unclog the system. If this does not solve the problem, call our office. Garbage disposals are meant for soft food only, excluding shells and bones.

Tubs and Sinks:
Filling your tub or any sink and walking away is asking for trouble. It’s easy to forget the water is running when the phone rings or someone comes to the door. And an overflow might easily occur while your attention is elsewhere.

Laminate floors:
If a laminate wood floor is installed, there are two ways to damage them 1) scratch them by dragging furniture and other hard things across the floor or 2) allowing spilled water to sit in a puddle which causes the particle board backing to warp. In either case, a board that needs to be replaced in the middle of the floor calls for all boards from there over to a wall parallel to that board come out.

Hardwood and real wood floors:
If a real wood floor is installed, there are two ways to damage them 1) scratch them by dragging furniture and other hard things across the floor or 2) allowing spilled water to sit in a puddle which causes the floor boards to warp. In either case, a board that needs to be replaced calls for a professional flooring contractor.

Bikes nick walls and doors:
If you carry your bike into the house, chances are the door, and vestibule walls will be damaged. This is not normal wear and tear. A nicked up door makes the property look trashy. It will be photographed before you move in. If the door is new, please help it stay that way. If you live in a single family home, you alone are responsible for the property's look. If you live in a multi-family property, look at your lease, it may prohibit bikes or it may not, depending on the property. Even having one in the property may be a lease violation.

Water bills affect you and the owner:
We went to visit a property after getting a water bill that was more than $100 dollars over the norm for a billing period. It turns out the toilet flapper handle was broken and the chain was holding up the flapper which allows the water to run constantly. LISTEN for water. If you can’t see it, you can certainly hear it. It is your obligation to report it by phone and in writing. Why by phone? Because it is quick. Why in writing also? So you can prove that “I told you about the leak”.

Preventing Electrical Fires:
If you find that certain rooms blow the circuit, call us. Do not keep re-setting the breaker. You are defeating the purpose of the breaker which is there to shut off the power when things get overloaded or overheated. We may need to fix the problem by adding another circuit or by replacing the circuit breaker. If you hear electrical sparks in a receptacle or light switch, let us know and shut the breaker for that room until we can get an electrician out to the property.

If You're Locked Out:
If you’re locked out, do not force the door or break a window and make it look like a break in so you don’t have to pay for it. Your lease states that you pay for broken windows and doors. Call the Landlord and if you get voice mail, do not hang up, leave a message. Leave your cell phone or a number where we can reach you to find out more about the problems.

Laundry Hoses and Washing Machine Hook-up Valves:
If a laundry hook-up is provided, the water supply valves to the washing machine should be kept in the “off” position when the washing machine is not being used. The laundry hoses are prone to rupturing, and if this were to happen water would spray from the rupture into the air and cause a flow of water onto the flooring and whatever is beneath that area.

Safely Accessible Hallways:
1. Tenant shall not place any objects in a manner that will cause obstruction of any publicly accessible areas of the property. Such areas are not meant to be storage spaces.
2. Tenant shall not place any objects in a manner that will cause obstruction of hallways and common areas of the property. Such areas are not meant to be storage spaces.
3. Tenant shall not cause obstruction of access to utility meters or shut-off valves.
4. If objects are placed in areas that need to be passable and accessible, this can be a safety hazard.
5. Tenant shall immediately remove any such obstructions when given notification by Landlord; a failure to remove such obstructions will cause Landlord to impose a service charge for removal of such objects by Landlord or a designated removal agency. This expense becomes additional rent to the Tenant.

Exterior Faucets and Hoses:
When the outside temperature gets close to the freezing temperature for water, the exterior faucets should not be used. Such faucets should be made ready for winter by turning off the water supply to that faucet on the inside of the property, then any hose being used should be disconnected from the faucet and the faucet should be opened on the outside to drain the residual water that might be present in the pipes. Once the residual water is drained from the pipes, close that faucet but leave the hose disconnected. Residual water in the hose should be drained as well.