I Have An Emergency - What Do I Do?

PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE AT 919-493-3559. IF THE EMERGENCY HAPPENS WHEN THE OFFICE IS CLOSED, YOU NEED TO CALL THE AFTER HOURS EMERGENCY NUMBER AT 919-475-3401.
IF YOU DO NOT REACH SOMEONE ON THE EMERGENCY NUMBER, PLEASE LEAVE YOUR FULL NAME, ADDRESS AND THE EMERGENCY ON THE MESSAGE AND SOMEONE WILL REPSOND.

Here are some additional tips and pointers.

  • Fire or Burglary  -- call 911. Then call the office at 919-493-3559 and tell us what happened.
  • Gas or Water main -- contact PSNC Energy (gas) at 1-877-776-2427 or the City of Durham (water) at 919-560-1200. Then call the office at 919-493-3559 and tell us what happened.
    • Heat/AC stops working -- try to troubleshoot it with the information below.
    • Central GAS or HVAC heat:
      • Make sure the thermostat is set to “HEAT” or "COOL" as appropriate.
      • If the fan is running but the air is not warm or cool, check and replace your HVAC filter. These should be replaced every 30 days!
      • If the pilot lit is out (gas heat) and needs re-lit during office hours, call us at 919-493-3559. If it's after hours, call PSNC at 877-776-2427.
      • If the fan is not running at all, check the furnace fuse or circuit breaker.
      • If the fan is constantly running, make sure the the fan is set to "AUTO" on the thermostat.
  • Sewer backed up – toilets, sinks, tubs are not draining. call the office at 919-493-3559. Please make sure to leave a clear message with your name and address.
  • Water flooding inside your home -- shut off the water at the source!
    • Sinks: faucet handles or knobs under the sink
    • Toilets: knob behind toilet
    • Other leaks: under the building or crawl space
  • Power Outages
    • Check all your fuses and circuit breakers:
      • Breaker: Just flip it off, then flip it back on.
      • If the power comes on and the fuse or breaker blows again:
        • Unplug everything attached to the fuse or breaker
        • Flip the breaker again.
        • Plug each item in, one at a time, to see if any individual item is causing the problem
      • If ALL your electricity is off, call Duke Energy 1-800-777-9898 as there could be an outage in the area.
    • Toilet stopped up
      • If your toilet doesn't flush properly after one flush, don't flush again. Take the lid off of the toilet tank and close the toilet flapper to keep more water from entering the bowl.
      • Using a rubber plunger, make sure the plunger completely covers the hole and is submerged in water--it should be pushing and pulling with water, not air. Add water from the sink to the bowl if necessary.
      • Pump the plunger over the hole. Start slowly at first, since the first plunge will push air into the bowl. Push down, then pull up sharply to disturb the clog and loosen it. Continue vigorously pushing and pulling until the water begins to drain. It may take 15 to 20 times before the toilet unclogs. Be patient, as long as you're sure there's no hard object, plunging alone often suffices. It might not work immediately but would often work after a few repeated efforts/flushing, with each effort constituting of dozens of plunging.
      • If you know there is an object in the toilet that caused the clog (i.e., a child's toy), reach in and remove it from the toilet if possible. If you can't clear it with your hands, but you know there's an object causing the clog, skip the plunging and call the office!