1. Knocked out plugs
It happens – I plugged the plug into the socket, and suddenly – sparks and there is no light. This means that a short circuit has occurred. Plugs are knocked out due to the large number of included electrical appliances, and a voltage surge is also possible. To try to fix the problem yourself, you need to open the flap on the staircase and put all the keys of the machines in the up position, and the RCD (residual current device – a separate key on a separate machine) too. If the machine is of the old type, then you must press the button to turn it on.
If, after the performed manipulations, the light does not light up, it means that the RCD or the machine has burned out. Well, you have to get the candles out of the pantry and call the electrician from the housing office.
Emergency telephones of the city power grid (around the clock)
Samara, Leninsky, Railway areas 242-07-00
Oktyabrsky, Sovetsky districts 260-40-43
Industrial area 955-02-31
Krasnoglinsky District 950-55-55
Kirovsky district 955-02-31
Kuibyshevsky district 330-31-33
2. The pipe broke
Of course, you won’t be able to fix the pipe yourself. You need to immediately call the emergency service of your management company and call the plumber, or call him directly. But before it arrives, you can minimize the consequences of the accident.
If the water is just dripping, you will need a rubber product (a rubber-cut gasket, rubber gloves, a piece of a bicycle tube, a tourniquet to stop blood from a first-aid kit), a wire, a strip of cloth, pliers, a screwdriver or a wrench to fix the leak.
You must do the following:
tightly wrap rubber or a tourniquet (seal) over the leak;
using pliers, firmly fix the rubber with wire along the edges;
tie a strip of fabric over the seal in several layers and tie a knot;
using a wrench, screwdriver or other oblong object, tighten the fabric in a twisting motion.
If the pipe has burst thoroughly, before the arrival of the emergency service workers, you need to shut off the riser in the apartment or in the basement (the keys to the basement in multi-storey buildings are usually with the head of the house or the manager, whom many know).
A piece of thick cloth will help reduce the pressure of water from a broken pipe. You need to cut it and wind it around holes or cracks in the pipe. If the water is not hot, as in the case of a small leak, try using rubber and wire to make a homemade patch on the breakout site.