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Identifying Key Utilities In Your New Home

March 18, 2021

Every home is unique! From the colors to the floorplan, to the electrical configurations. When buying a new home, it is best to identify some key devices in case there is ever an emergency in the home. We’re here to help you figure out what those are! 

 

Where is the main water cutoff?

This is a major thing to identify right when you move into your new home. Whether you need to change out a sink faucet, or you simply are going away for vacation, knowing where your main water cutoff is key! Once this is located you can freely turn on and off your home's water supply. This is especially useful if there was ever an emergency in your home due to flooding. Where to look? The valve is typically within 3-5 feet of where the main water source comes from. Ask your builder or previous homeowner to be certain.

 

Resetting your breakers and what to look for in your electrical panel

This is a huge one! The circuit breakers control the electricity throughout your home. The panel is normally a grey box and is located in a utility area of the home. When purchasing the house, the builder or inspector should guide you through what each switch on the panel controls. These should be properly named so you know exactly where power is being cut off in your home. What would you need this for? Well, turning off the electricity to a certain area of the home can come in handy when needing to change a light fixture or if you short a fuse and need to return power back to that room of the house. It is simply a flip of a switch, but ensuring you have your breaker properly labeled is essential!

 

How to turn the water off to your toilet to prevent overflow

This trick can be used in case your toilet is overflowing with water. Simply find the lever behind the toilet (under the tank) and turn it clockwise to stop the flow of water to your toilet.

What is a condensation drip pan?

A condensation drip pan can be found by your AC unit under the water coil. It is there to collect any water that drips down. It should naturally flow out of the pan but if you see water build-up it may mean that the drain line in your AC is plugged up. Always keep an eye on this!

 

These are just a few major things to identify when buying a new home. Every home is different so make sure you feel secure, safe, and comfortable controlling yours!

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