Electricity
Find the breaker panel, usually in a basement, garage or closet, and label every switch by flipping each one and seeing what goes dark. A tripped breaker rests in a middle position, and you reset it by pushing it firmly to off and then back to on. One that trips again promptly is reporting an overloaded or faulty circuit, so unplug things and call an electrician or your landlord. Outlets near water, in kitchens, bathrooms, garages and outdoors, should be the GFCI type with test and reset buttons, which cut power in a fraction of a second if current leaks. Press the test button monthly to confirm the outlet goes dead, then press reset.
Water
A burst supply line can release several gallons a minute, and the damage depends on how quickly you shut it off. The main valve usually sits where the water line enters the building, often near the water heater or the meter, and in an apartment it may be in a utility closet. Renters should ask on move-in day. Every sink and toilet also has its own small valve beneath or behind it, which closes clockwise. Set the water heater to 120 degrees, which is hot enough for the household and greatly reduces scalding.
Fire and fumes
Buy an extinguisher rated ABC and mount it near the kitchen exit, not above the stove where a fire would block your reach. Check the gauge twice a year and replace a disposable unit after about ten to twelve years, or according to its label. Every level of the home and the area outside the bedrooms needs a carbon monoxide alarm if you have any fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage.
Falls, doors and the rest
Falls injure far more people at home than fires do. Light the stairs, secure loose rugs, and set a ladder one foot out from the wall for every four feet of height. Owners should rekey the locks on moving in, and renters should ask whether the landlord did. A deadbolt is only as strong as its strike plate, so fasten it with three-inch screws that reach the wall framing. Owners should also test for radon, an odorless gas that causes lung cancer. A test kit is inexpensive, and the Environmental Protection Agency advises fixing any home that measures 4 picocuries per liter or more.
Tip Tape a card inside a kitchen cabinet listing the shutoff locations, the landlord or plumber, the electrician, and the utility emergency numbers. A house sitter or guest can then deal with a flood in your absence.
