Maintenance hints

The following hints may help you to solve some maintenance problems before reporting them to the department.

What to do if you lose your electricity supply

Check to see if street lights or any of your neighbours have lost their electricity supply. If your neighbours have lost power, please contact Energex on 13 62 62 to report loss of power. If they have not lost electricity, the problem could be with your electrical installation.
All departmental units and some houses have internal switchboards, while most houses have external switchboards in the meter box. Check your switchboard to see if your safety switch has been tripped. It has tripped if your safety switch is in the "Off" position. If it is in the "Off" position, try to move it back to the "On" position, as well as ensuring all of your other circuit breakers on the switchboard are also in the "On" position. If this works, your power should come back on. If this does not work and the safety trip switch moves back to the "Off" position, this would indicate that the fault may be with one of your appliances or property wiring circuits.
To double check this, switch the safety switch and all of the circuit breakers to the "Off" position and unplug all appliances. Then try moving the safety switch and all of the circuit breakers to the "On" position. If any of them moves back to the "Off" position, there may be a problem with your property wiring circuits, therefore, please contact the Housing Service Centre's maintenance service number that has been provided to you.
If the safety switch and circuit breakers stay "On", plug in and switch on your appliances one at a time. If either the safety switch or the circuit breakers move to the "Off" position again with a particular appliance, then that's the appliance that is probably faulty. Disconnect the suspect appliance and reset the safety switch to "On" and have the appliance checked by an electrician before using it again.
If you believe you have a fuse box in your property, please contact the Housing Service Centre's maintance section on the service number provided to arrange to have it replaced with a switchboard that has a safety switch and circuit breakers.

Toilets

If the cistern is continually running, turn off the tap under the cistern. After the toilet has been flushed, turn the tap on again until the cistern is full, then turn off the tap again. You can also flush the toilet by filling the cistern using a bucket of water, or by pouring the bucket of water directly into the pan.
Report the problem to the Housing Service Centre's maintenance section during office hours.

Leaking taps

Report the problem to the Housing Service Centre's maintenance section during office hours.

Burst pipes

For houses – turn off the water at the mains by using the stop cock tap which is usually located;

near the front hose tap
at the mains near the property boundary (on the water meter or underground in an identified chamber).

For units – turn off the water at the mains inlet pipe to the unit by using the stop cock tap, which may be located:

near the front hose tap;
near the roof at the front entrance;
in an underground pit with a removable cover;
elsewhere and indicated by a number somewhere on the building

Contact the Housing Service Centre's maintenance section during office hours, or after hours call 1800 808 107 and report the problem.

If the burst pipe is outside the boundary (for example, on the footpath), contact your local council.

Hot water units

For a continuous or major water leak to the mains water supply pipes:

Turn off the tap at the hot water unit (it may not have a standard handle) and turn off the electricity or gas.
Report the problem to the Housing Service Centre's maintenance section during office hours.

Note: Hot water overflow pipes may drip from time to time due to steam or condensation, particularly in colder weather. Consistent dripping or flow of water should be reported to the department.

No hot water

This is not classed as an emergency. Report the problem to the Housing Service Centre's maintenance section during office hours.

Gas

If there is a strong smell of gas, check that all stove or hot water controls are turned off and turn off the supply at the meter or cylinder. There is a gas tap under the stove (remove the bottom front panel) and beside the hot water heater.
Open all windows, and do not light any matches, cigarette lighters or flint guns etc.
Report the problem to the Housing Service Centre's maintenance section immediately during office hours or telephone the after hours emergency number 1800 808 107.

Broken glass

If the breakage is your fault, you should arrange a local contractor to repair the damage and pay for the replacement glass yourself, or report the breakage to the department's maintenance section.
Normally the cost of replacing broken glass (for example, windows or doors) is not considered fair wear and tear and is charged to the tenant (you may insure privately for glass breakage).

Note: After-hours glass replacement may be more expensive if replaced by the department, compared with the cost of hiring a local contractor.

Vehicle damage to the property

If your home is damaged by a vehicle, try to obtain the name and address of the driver, the make and model of the vehicle, the registration number, and the insurance details. Report the incident to the police and the Housing Service Centre's maintenance section.

Lost keys

If your lose your keys to your property or replace locks or barrels, you will be responsible for obtaining replacements and the costs associated with this. The department does not keep spare keys to properties.

Property break-ins

If your home is broken into, you must report the incident to the police. Do not touch or move anything until the police have completed their inspection. Report the incident to the Housing Service Centre's maintenance section and provide the police incident report number. The department will attend to any damage caused by a break-in.

Insurance

The department's insurance policy only covers loss or damage to the home or building itself caused by fire or storms. It does not cover your contents.

You are responsible for insuring your own household possessions against loss or damage. These would include items such as furniture, clothing and personal effects against circumstances such as fire, water damage, flood, overflowing sewage or theft.

The department strongly encourages all households to obtain home contents insuranace for their possessions and valuables.

For more information or advice about contents insurance, contact an insurance company. Look under "Insurance" in the Yellow Pages.

Fire

In the event of a fire, evacuate everyone from your home and immediately call the fire brigade. Do not attempt to fight the fire. Report the incident to the Housing Service Centre's maintenance section during office hours, if the fire occurs after hours, call the emergency number 1800 808 107.