Home & Property Emergencies
144 guides
a basement or retaining wall starts bulging and you fear it may fail a bathroom extractor fan or vent starts dripping water and you suspect hidden condensation or a leak a ceiling stain suddenly spreads and you suspect water is trapped above it a chimney pot, cap, or top section looks shifted after high winds and could fall a fence, retaining wall, or garden wall starts leaning suddenly and may collapse a flexible supply line under a sink starts spraying or dripping rapidly a floor area suddenly feels soft or springy and you worry it could give way a floor drain cover lifts or rattles during heavy rain and you suspect backpressure in the system a garage ceiling or roof structure starts sagging and you’re unsure if it’s safe to stay beneath a gas appliance keeps going out and you’re worried the ventilation or supply is unsafe a GFCI or RCD outlet keeps tripping and you can’t restore power safely a key snaps in the lock and you cannot lock or unlock the door a large crack appears around a window or door frame and keeps widening a large tree limb is hanging over your roof after a storm a leak from the unit above is damaging your home and the responsible party is not responding a light switch plate feels hot to the touch or smells unusual a new crack appears in a wall or ceiling and seems to be widening a power line appears to have fallen onto your property and you are safely inside a radiator or heating pipe starts leaking water onto the floor a retaining wall develops a fresh horizontal crack and starts seeping water a sink or bathtub backs up and dirty water starts rising a skylight frame or roof window frame is visibly loose after wind and rain is forecast soon a smoke alarm goes off briefly but you cannot find any smoke or heat a stair tread, landing, or handrail suddenly feels loose and unsafe to use a sump pump alarm sounds and water is rising in the basement a toilet keeps refilling or overflowing and you cannot stop it a tree has uprooted or is leaning toward your home after severe weather a wasp or hornet nest is forming near a door or window you need to use a window will not close and cold air or rain is coming in a windowpane develops a large crack that looks like it could fail an automatic gate won’t close and you can’t secure the entrance an extension cord or power strip becomes hot, soft, or discoloured while in use an exterior wall shows a new bulge or bowing section that wasn’t there before an indoor air-conditioning unit starts dripping water or leaking unexpectedly an outlet sparks or flashes when you plug something in an upstairs room’s floor starts bowing slightly and you suspect water damage below interior doors suddenly start sticking and you suspect structural movement or swelling lights flicker in multiple rooms and you are unsure if it’s an electrical fault multiple drains start gurgling and your home smells like sewage part of your ceiling starts sagging after a leak plaster or drywall begins crumbling or falling from a ceiling area without warning sewage starts coming up through a floor drain but hasn’t reached living areas yet the toilet base is wet and you suspect it is leaking into the floor water appears around a shower screen or tub edge and seems to be getting worse quickly water is coming in around a window or door during a storm water is leaking around a skylight or roof window during rain water is pouring over a gutter edge in one spot and running behind the downspout into the wall water is running from an outside overflow or discharge pipe and won’t stop water starts bubbling up in the garden or driveway and you suspect a buried pipe leak water starts coming into the room around a chimney or fireplace water starts dripping through your ceiling and you cannot see the source water starts leaking from the refrigerator or freezer and you can’t tell where it’s coming from you are locked out of your home and the weather or time of day makes it urgent you are told your home is unsafe to occupy and you may have to leave quickly you discover a large hole or soft spot in an interior wall that seems to be expanding you discover a roof leak during heavy rain and it is worsening you discover an aquarium, waterbed, or large container is leaking and could cause major water damage you discover hail or wind damage to windows or roof that could worsen in the next storm you discover wet insulation or dripping in the loft or attic after a storm you discover your loft or attic access panel is wet and you suspect moisture buildup or a roof issue you experience repeated brief power surges and you’re worried about wiring or equipment damage you feel a tingling sensation when touching a tap or metal appliance and suspect an electrical fault you find a large indoor insect swarm and you think there may be a nest in the building you find a sliding patio door has jumped its track and you can’t secure it you find a strong sewer smell coming from one specific drain even after running water you find an outdoor tap or hose connection leaking into an interior wall you find an outlet or plug faceplate is discoloured or warped and you suspect overheating you find dampness spreading around a skirting board or baseboard with no obvious source you find standing water in a basement or crawl space after heavy rain you find stormwater pooling against your foundation and it is rising toward entry points you find water collecting under a tiled floor and you suspect a leak beneath the tiles you find water pooling along a wall and it seems to be spreading you hear a faint hissing near a gas meter or regulator outside and it worries you you hear a loud popping sound from an appliance and a burning smell starts but you can’t see flames you hear a repeated clicking sound from a wall or outlet area and it worries you you hear birds in a chimney or wall cavity and think they may be trapped you hear buzzing or crackling from your electrical panel or fuse box you hear loud squeaking or fluttering from a chimney or vent and suspect trapped wildlife you hear persistent scratching in a wall or ceiling and suspect an animal is trapped you hear repeated dripping inside a wall but cannot find any visible leak you hear water running inside walls when no taps or appliances are on you lose power in part of your home and the breaker panel looks normal you notice a ceiling beam, joist, or rafter looks cracked or suddenly out of line you notice a gas-like smell near an appliance and suspect a gas leak you notice a new damp patch forming on a wall and it is expanding hour by hour you notice a new wet ring around a ceiling fan or vent and worry water is collecting above it you notice a sudden swarm of flying insects indoors near a window or light and suspect an entry point you notice an ice buildup on a roof edge and water marks start appearing indoors you notice bricks or masonry on a chimney or exterior wall have become loose or shifted you notice bricks, stone, or render falling from a façade and you fear more could come down you notice mushrooms or fungal growth appearing indoors after a leak you notice scorch marks around a ceiling light fitting and you’re unsure what caused them you notice soil washing away near a foundation or retaining wall and it seems to be accelerating you notice water seeping through a basement wall even before it starts pooling you notice your water meter is moving even though all taps and appliances are off you receive urgent notice that water to your building will be shut off for emergency repairs you return home and find a window has been broken by weather or impact you see a roofline sagging slightly after severe weather and it looks new you see shingles, tiles, or roofing material missing after high winds you see water dripping from a ceiling light fitting or recessed light you see water or condensation inside an outdoor electrical box or near the meter after rain you smell a strong chemical or solvent odour indoors and you can’t identify the source you smell a strong fuel or solvent odour in a garage or utility area and can’t identify the source you smell a strong musty odour and find mould spreading quickly after dampness you smell burning plastic or see scorching around an outlet or switch you suddenly have no hot water and the water heater shows an error or warning light you suddenly have no running water in your home you suspect a pipe has burst behind a wall or under a floor you suspect your pipes are starting to freeze and the taps are slowing or sputtering your boiler or furnace is dripping water and the leak seems to be getting worse your boiler pressure drops suddenly and the heating or hot water stops working your burglar or fire alarm system is sounding and you can’t silence it or verify why your carbon monoxide detector shows a fault or warning signal and you’re not sure it’s working your circuit breaker keeps tripping when you use a normal appliance your circuit breaker will not reset and you still have no power on that circuit your clothes dryer smells unusually hot or “burnt” and you suspect a venting problem your cooling system fails during extreme heat and the indoor temperature is rising your dishwasher starts leaking water onto the kitchen floor mid-cycle your fireplace or stove backdrafts smoke into the room and you’re unsure why your fridge or freezer stops cooling and food is thawing your front door will not latch or lock and you cannot secure your home your garage door is stuck open and you can’t close it to secure the property your gutters are overflowing and water is cascading down the exterior walls your heating is stuck on and the indoor temperature is rising beyond what feels safe your heating system stops working and the indoor temperature is dropping fast your hot water suddenly becomes much hotter than normal and you’re worried about scald risk your HVAC unit is leaking from the condensate line and water is collecting nearby your irrigation or sprinkler system turns on unexpectedly and won’t shut off your kitchen cabinet base is suddenly wet and you can’t tell which connection is leaking your lights dim noticeably when appliances start and you suspect an electrical fault your main water shutoff valve is stuck and you can’t turn it your oven or hob will not turn off and you’re worried it may be unsafe your porch, balcony, or deck feels like it is pulling away from the building your septic system alarm goes off or the septic control panel shows a warning your shower or tub won’t stop running because the tap or diverter has failed your tap water suddenly turns brown or smells unusual and you’re not sure it’s safe your thermostat screen goes blank or shows an error and heating or cooling won’t start your washing machine is leaking and water is spreading across the floor your water heater starts leaking or making unusual popping noises your water heater’s pressure relief valve is releasing water intermittently and you’re unsure why your water pressure drops suddenly and you suspect a major leak your water softener or filtration unit overflows and you’re worried about nearby electrics your whole home loses power and you are unsure whether it is just your property your windows are fogging up and indoor dampness is building rapidly and mould is starting