Troubleshooting: Common household fixes

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You may experience common issues at home during your tenancy. Many of these can be easily fixed. We’ve outlined what to look out for below. If in doubt, let your property manager know so they can organise repair work.

Power

If your entire house or apartment is without power, open your home’s electrical panel and ensure that the main switch, residual current devices (RCDs), and circuit breakers are turned on.

From there, check with your power or line company (vector outages, etc.) or see if your neighbours have also lost electricity to determine if there is a building-wide or local area power cut. If so, contact your building manager or power provider to let them know about the issue.

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Common reasons your power may trip:

Overloaded Circuit

  • You may find that the power in the kitchen or laundry keeps tripping off at the panel when using more than one appliance.
  • Generally, each appliance can draw a maximum of 10 amps and any single electrical circuit is only 16-20 amps. Kitchens may have multiple socket outlets but are often supplied by just one or two circuits.
  • Try using just one appliance at a time if multiple devices are running from the same socket.

Faulty Appliances

If you plug in a particular appliance and the power cuts off, that appliance is likely faulty and must be repaired or replaced. If you own the appliance, we suggest that you have it repaired or replaced.

If your landlord owns it, you must submit a maintenance request.

Hot Water

Building-Supplied Water

If you are in an apartment or split home, you may have a building-supplied hot water system. Please contact the building manager if you experience an issue in this case.

If the building does not have a dedicated manager, submit a maintenance request via our Tenant Concierge, and we will action a repair for you.

Electric Cylinder

Electric water heaters do not supply an unlimited amount of hot water. They will take a couple of hours to refill and reheat after heavy use, like multiple long showers or filling up a bath.

  • If the above is not the issue, please check:
  • The hot water switch in
  • The fuse box is on
  • The hot water cylinder is on (sometimes they get accidentally bumped off)

Gas-heated water

If your water is gas-heated, the heating unit will typically be located on the property’s exterior.

If your gas-heated water is not working, please check:

  • The gas heating system is switched on within the fuse box
  • Any heating temperature controller inside the house is turned on
  • The exterior heating unit plug is firmly pushed into the socket next to it, and the socket is switched on. If the gas heating unit has a pilot light, read the instructions on the unit itself to see how to reignite it.

Blocked Sinks and Drains

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Shower traps and drain covers can often be removed to access blockages. If you cannot physically remove a blockage, use a drain cleaner such as Drano crystals or liquid. Follow the instructions and use them with care. It’s recommended to wear protective equipment and make sure the room is well-ventilated.

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Waste Disposal

Waste disposal units are made to grind soft waste only. Solid items can cause waste disposal units to jam, requiring them to be cleaned out and reset.

If you need to reset your waste disposal, turn off the power to the unit at the wall, remove any solid items, and then find and press the reset button on the bottom or side of the machine.

If the wastewater continues not to work, please contact your property manager for assistance.

Tip: Place ice cubes in the unit to sharpen the blades and place a cut-up lemon in the unit to remove any nasty smells.

Washing Machine & Dryers

If your dryer or washing machine is not powering on, first check that no fuses in the fuse box have tripped off. Next, if your washing machine is not drawing water, check the hot and cold water hoses, connections and taps to ensure they are on and well connected. If you have been supplied a manual, also check this for troubleshooting.

You will be responsible for the maintenance of any appliances you own. If they belong to your landlord and issues persist after following the above, submit a maintenance request.

Blocked TV Signal

If your TV has a poor connection:

  • Make sure that your cable or satellite box (or other devices) is powered on and that the TV is set to the correct input.
  • Check behind the TV for loose connections. Poor-quality Coaxial/TV cables or HDMI cables can degrade the picture and/or sound on your TV, so these may need replacement.

Managing Mould

Mould thrives in damp environments. In large quantities, it can present a significant health hazard. Therefore, by adequately managing the moisture in our homes, we can help prevent mould build-up and avoid health issues.

It’s important to note that general household activities like cooking, showering, dishwashing, and laundry can and will introduce moisture into our indoor environments. This means that some areas of our homes are more prone to mould than others, such as bathrooms.

How to stop mould from forming:

The best way to help stop mould growth and reduce moisture in your home is by ensuring it is adequately ventilated, even in winter. Other steps you should follow include:

  • Do not leave damp towels on window sills
  • Open windows if using portable gas heater
  • Hang your washing outside to dry
  • Wipe condensation that occurs on your windows and walls
  • Keep lids on pots when cooking, or make sure your extractor fan is switched on
  • Regularly open windows for a few hours a day when you’re home so air can circulate
  • When showering, make sure you are using an extractor fan or open the window
  • Keep shower curtains inside the shower so that water does not drip onto the floor
  • Make sure you are washing your shower curtain every few weeks to prevent mould

 

 

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