The rule for the first minutes
The order is always the same: people first, then cut off the source, then limit the damage, and only then start looking for someone to repair it.
Cutting off the source means closing the water, switching off the electricity or shutting the gas, depending on what has happened. It is the one action that stops the problem growing while you wait.
If there is fire, a strong smell of gas, burning cable or an injury, call 112 before doing anything else. That is not the moment to search for advice online.
A burst pipe or a leak
Close the water before you mop anything. The stopcock is normally next to the water meter: in a flat, in a box on the landing or inside a service cupboard by the front door; in a house, in a recessed box in the outside wall, often behind a metal cover.
If the leak comes from an appliance such as a washing machine or a water heater, there is almost always a separate tap behind it. Closing that one leaves the rest of the home with water.
Once the water is off, switch off the electricity to the wet area at the fuse box, lift whatever is on the floor and dry the room as fast as you can. In a humid island climate, water sitting in timber or plaster turns into mould within days.
- Close the stopcock, or the tap behind the appliance
- Open the taps to drain what is left in the pipes
- Cut the power to the affected area
- Photograph everything before cleaning, for the insurer
- Warn the neighbour below if you live in a block
No electricity
Before assuming a fault, look out of the window. If the street is dark too, it is a network failure and the repair belongs to Empresa de Electricidade da Madeira, EEM, which supplies the whole island. No electrician can fix that for you.
If only your home is affected, go to the fuse box, usually in the entrance hall or corridor behind a small door. Look for the switch that is down while the others are up.
Reset it once. If it trips again, unplug everything, reset the box, then plug appliances back in one at a time: whichever one trips it again is the culprit. If it trips with everything unplugged, the fault is in the wiring and you need an electrician.
- Check whether the street is out or only your home
- Find the fuse box and identify the residual current device
- Never force a breaker that keeps tripping
- Unplug sensitive equipment to protect it when power returns
- Check the freezer before opening the door again
A blocked drain
Stop using water in that part of the home. Every extra flush adds to what will overflow and pushes the problem out through other outlets.
Try only the simple things: clear visible hair and debris from the trap, use a plunger with enough water to cover the cup. Avoid harsh chemical unblockers, especially in older pipework, because they damage joints and make the next person's job more dangerous.
If more than one outlet backs up at the same time, or water rises in the shower when you flush the toilet, the blockage is in the shared pipe rather than in your trap. That needs a drain service with proper equipment.
Locked out
Check the obvious first: another door, a ground floor window, the spare key left with family or with the landlord. In rented property and holiday lets, the managing agent very often holds a spare.
Do not force the lock or lever the door with tools. A forced lock costs more to replace than a proper opening, and a damaged security door can mean replacing the whole thing.
When you do call someone, have a document that connects you to the address. A serious professional will ask for it, and that is a good sign rather than a bad one.
Who to call afterwards
For immediate danger to life, fire, or flooding you cannot contain, the number is 112. The fire service also attends situations where water is reaching the structure or other homes.
For power cuts in the street, the operator is EEM. For a burst main or no water in the neighbourhood, supply is run by ARM, Aguas e Residuos da Madeira, in most municipalities, and by the Camara Municipal do Funchal within Funchal.
Inside the property, the repair is down to you or your landlord. That is where you need a plumber, an electrician or a drain service who is actually nearby, and in HomeFix your request goes to professionals working in your area.
Preparing before it happens
The difference between a scare and a serious loss is usually knowing where things are. Find them today, calmly, rather than in the dark with water running.
If you rent, or run a holiday let, write this information down for whoever is staying there. A card inside a cupboard door solves more than a phone call at three in the morning.
- Where the stopcock is and whether it still turns easily
- Where the fuse box is and which switch is the RCD
- Where the gas valve or bottle is, if the home uses gas
- A torch and an adjustable spanner within reach
- A spare key with someone you trust on the island
- A photo of the meter and the insurance policy on your phone