Five-minute checks before you call us

Quick answer

A dead outlet is often a tripped GFCI in another room. A running toilet is usually the flapper. A leak under the sink often starts at a loose trap nut or supply line. Knowing where your main water shutoff is matters most of all.

Plenty of the calls we get start with a problem that takes five minutes to understand, even if it takes a little longer to fix. These checks can save you a visit, or at least help you tell us exactly what is happening so we bring the right parts.

Know where your shutoffs are

Before anything else, find the main water shutoff. In many older Alhambra homes it is near the front of the house where the line comes in from the street, sometimes in a ground box near the sidewalk. Also find the shutoffs under each sink and behind each toilet, and your electrical panel.

A dead outlet

• Look for a GFCI outlet with TEST and RESET buttons in the nearest bathroom, kitchen, garage or outside wall. One GFCI often protects several outlets downstream.
• Press RESET firmly.
• Check the electrical panel for a breaker that sits in the middle or off position. Push it fully off, then back on.

If the outlet is warm, scorched or buzzing, leave it off and call.

A running toilet

Take the tank lid off and look. If water is flowing over the top of the overflow tube, the fill valve is set too high. If the water level is fine but you hear refilling every so often, the flapper at the bottom is leaking.

A simple test: add a few drops of food coloring to the tank, wait 20 minutes without flushing, and see if color shows up in the bowl.

A drip under the sink

Dry everything off with paper towels, then run the water and watch. Drips at the curved trap usually mean a loose slip nut, which can sometimes be hand-tightened. Drips at the valves or supply lines usually need new parts.

A door that will not latch

Watch the gap around the door as you close it. If the top corner rubs on the latch side, the top hinge screws may be loose. Tightening them, or swapping one short screw for a longer one into the framing, often fixes it.

Power problems

Before calling about a dead outlet or light, check a few things. Look at the electrical panel for a tripped breaker, and push it fully off and back on. Check GFCI outlets in bathrooms, kitchens, garages and outside; one tripped GFCI can shut off other outlets.

Try a different bulb. Check that the outlet is not controlled by a wall switch. Older Alhambra homes may have fuses instead of breakers; replace a blown fuse with one of the same rating, never larger.

Plumbing problems

A running toilet often just needs the chain adjusted or flapper replaced. A slow sink may need the stopper cleaned. Low water at one faucet may need the aerator cleaned.

Know where your main water shutoff is, and test fixture shutoffs. If water is leaking, turn off the shutoff at the fixture or the main before calling. See low water pressure at one fixture.

Doors and windows

Doors that stick often swell in wet weather and shrink in dry. Tightening hinge screws helps doors that sag. Windows that stick may have paint in the track.

See sticking wood doors.

Appliances

Check that appliances are plugged in and that their breaker is on. Garbage disposals have a reset button on the bottom. Dishwashers often have a filter to clean.

Photos and videos

Before calling, take photos and short videos of the problem. Include the model number of fixtures or appliances. Photos let us plan the right parts and give a better estimate.

Making a list

Small repairs add up. Instead of one call for each, make a list of everything that needs attention. A single visit can handle several tasks.

See one-visit small repair list.

Safety

Call right away for:

• Burning smells or smoke from outlets or fixtures
• Water near electrical outlets or panels
• Gas smells (leave the house and call the gas company)
• Large leaks that will not stop

Knowing your house

Older homes have quirks. Learn where the main water shutoff, gas shutoff, and electrical panel are. Label the panel.

Keep spare parts like fuses, light bulbs and air filters. A basic toolkit with a screwdriver, pliers, tape measure, flashlight and level helps with small fixes.

Smoke and CO alarms

Test smoke alarms monthly. California requires smoke alarms in each bedroom, outside sleeping areas and on every level, and carbon monoxide alarms in homes with gas appliances or attached garages. Replace alarms that are ten years old or chirp after a new battery. A list of alarm locations helps when replacing them.

Heating and cooling

If the heat or air conditioning will not start, check the thermostat batteries and settings, the breaker, and the furnace switch, which often looks like a light switch near the unit. A dirty filter can make a system shut down. Wall furnaces common in older Alhambra homes have a pilot light; follow the instructions on the unit to relight it, or call the gas company.

When to just call

• Anything electrical that smells, sparks or is hot
• Any leak that does not stop when you close the nearest shutoff
• Anything at height that needs a tall ladder
• Anything you are not comfortable with

When you call or text (626) 684-3505, a photo of the problem helps us quote it quickly. See our general repairs page for the full list of small jobs we handle.

After a morning of small fixes around downtown Alhambra, a quick lunch at Lunasia keeps the afternoon on schedule.

Want us to handle it?

Call or text (626) 684-3505, Mon–Sat 8:30 AM–7 PM. Send a photo and we will give you an upfront quote.

Call or text (626) 684-3505