Something at home broke. Is it a five-minute fix or a job for a pro?

The safe checks to try first, the point where you stop, and how to describe the problem on the phone.


When to use
When something at home drips, rattles or won’t turn on, and you’re tempted to start unscrewing things.
Time
5 min

The prompt

Something at home isn’t working: . It started , I’ve already tried , and I the place. First, tell me whether this could involve gas, electrical wiring, the structure of the building, or water leaking near wiring or outlets. If it could, don’t give me anything to try. Tell me to stop, what to shut off if that’s safe, and who to call. If it couldn’t, give me the most likely causes, labeled as guesses since you can’t see it, and the checks a careful person with no special tools can safely do, in order, with what each result would mean. Tell me the point where I should stop and call a professional, and write three sentences I can use to describe the problem when I call.

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