House Systems

I'm sure you know where your main electrical panel is, but what about your gas and water shut offs? They're important things to know in case of an emergency. Use a permanent marker to make tags for your home's systems, gas and water shut offs, hot water heaters, electrical panels and so on. Attach tags to the various components around the house. Its not a bad idea to label sink and toilet shut offs as well so that anyone that encounters a problem will be able to find the right switch or knob. Many household emergencies involve power outages or the shutoffs are in a dark area of the basement. Paint to the rescue. Paint the wall around service panels and shut offs with glow in the dark paint. The paint's luminous qualities can save you precious time. Another tip, store a flashlight near your electrical box, this way when you find the box you'll have a light handy to find the right switches. Speaking of those switches, it's a good idea to label them before an emergency so grab a buddy and some walkie-talkies or a cell phone. That way you won't have to yell and run around the house trying to figure out which switch goes to which room! I'm Mrs. Fixit and it's just that simple!