So the bathroom door knob won’t lock, and an electrical outlet in the kitchen is dead, and honey’s still in the office. Mom, you’ve got no choice but to figure out something to get those things working.
Here are two of the most common house facility problems and the DIY fixes that were made easy for mommies.
The door latch is usually the culprit for door knob malfunctions. Fix that door knob that won’t lock in 3 easy steps:
- First, open the door and examine the striker plate (the small rectangular brass plate on the jamb that the striker slips into). The striker plate is mortised into the jamb. If it’s loose or has slipped out of the mortise, place it back in the mortise and tighten the screws with a Phillips screwdriver.
- Next, close the door and try to lock it. If it won’t, then open again. Tap the end of a chisel under the door stop on the striker side of the jamb. Try to move it until it comes loose and remove it. Use the chisel to detach the door stop on top as well.
- Finally, remove the nails from the door stop using diagonal pliers and place the door stop back on the jamb. Put it back 1/4 inch from its original location. Check on a distinct line in the paint, stain or varnish where it came off and use this to align the door stop. Nail the side and top piece of door stop back on. The door should now shut and lock normally. [1]
Now with dead outlets and GFCI that won’t work, try the following:
- Check first if other outlets are dead too, then try to switch lights on and off to test power and other appliances. After which, you may unplug all lamps and appliances from outlets to avoid possible short or overload. Also, you need to mark the location of dead outlets with masking tape to easily find them after power is turned off.
- Now check for a tripped circuit breaker. Find the circuit breakers/fuses in the main electrical panel, which is usually located near where the electrical wires enter the house like garages, basements and laundry rooms. Just open the metal door to see the fuses or circuit breakers, and follow instructions on resetting a tripped circuit breaker. Don’t forget to turn off your computer before you switch the circuit breakers on and off.
- Next, check the identification label of GFCI outlets. Protected “downstream” receptacles should be labeled if they have GFCI protection. A current leak at any one of the outlets will trip the GFCI and cause all of the outlets connected to it to go dead. Push the reset button (If the GFCI button doesn’t pop out when you press the “test” button, there may be no power to the GFCI or you may have a bad GFCI). Meanwhile, if the “reset” button trips again every time you press it, there maybe a dangerous current leak somewhere on the circuit. Further troubleshooting may be required so it is best that you call for help. Master electricians in Vero Beach provide prompt electrical repair services. [2]
Oh, by the way, there’s no water coming out of the shower, mom! Here are a few sources you may want to check out:
- http://homeguides.sfgate.com/fix-door-not-lock-20276.html
- https://www.familyhandyman.com/electrical/wiring-outlets/troubleshooting-dead-outlets/view-all/
