If you smell gas, don’t touch the fan switch

Cost: lowEffect: largeEvidence C

In one line

Shut the valve, open a window, don’t touch a light or a fan switch, get outside, then call the gas company. Replace an expired hose. Don’t redo the pipes yourself.

What it costs

A proper hose is a small cost. You look at the date when you replace it.

What you get

The step is to not put a switch spark in the same room as the gas. The book’s source was a Chinese regulation, and the book itself grades this C because it found no official count of accidents prevented.

How strong the evidence is

C. What the grades mean

Source

Book item 1-4. Follow your local gas company’s instructions first.

Watch-outs

The book’s conclusion: you can refuse a doorstep pitch that says you must buy their product. If you want an alarm, you choose a unit that meets the local standard.

Adapted from HowToLiveBetter item 1-4.

Next habit

Write the deposit, the return, and the deductions

How much you leave, when it comes back, and what can be taken out. Put that in the contract before you sign. A Japanese deposit and a U.S. security deposit both get more than a verbal promise.

Cost: freeEffect: mediumEvidence C

Best value