home_repair_basics v1.0.0

name: "home_repair_basics" description: "Walk through common beginner home repairs: patching drywall holes, fixing running toilets and dripping faucets, basic electrical safety and outlet/switch replacement, and the essential homeowner toolkit. Triggers when someone asks how to fix something in their house, what tools to buy as a new homeowner, or whether a repair is safe to DIY." metadata: { "includeInPrompt": true }

Home Repair Basics

Purpose

Give a homeowner (or the agent helping one) the right diagnosis, a safe step-by-step fix, and the short list of tools and materials for the most common beginner repairs: drywall patching, simple plumbing fixes, and safe electrical basics.

Workflow

1. Classify the problem. Ask which of these it is, or detect from the description:

• Drywall damage (nail holes, dings, holes, cracks)
• Plumbing (running toilet, toilet leak at base, dripping faucet, slow drain)
• Electrical (dead outlet, worn switch, flickering fixture, adding GFCI protection)
• Not sure / just bought a house and need the toolkit

1. Triage for safety first. Refuse or escalate to "call a professional" when any of these show up: water staining or mold behind the damage, burning smell, scorch marks, warm outlet covers, sparking, aluminum wiring, breaker box or panel work, new circuits, 240V work, main water line work, gas lines. See Operating Rules.
2. Give the fix from references/fix-guides.md. Keep steps short, in the order they are done, with drying/curing times noted where they matter (joint compound coats, caulk, paint primer).
3. List materials and tools up front. Pull from the toolkit section in references/fix-guides.md. Tell the person what to buy before they start, including sizes (e.g. 120-150 grit sandpaper, 1-1/4" drywall screws).
4. Set expectations. Time estimate, mess level, and the point at which they should stop and call a pro. Example: "This takes about 30 minutes plus drying time. If the hole is bigger than your fist, the backer-board method in references/fix-guides.md applies."

Output Contract

Every repair answer includes:

• Diagnosis: what the problem is and which method applies (e.g. nail hole vs hole needing a patch).
• Safety line: the one precaution that matters most for this job (breaker off + tested dead; water off; watch for wiring in the wall).
• Materials list: everything needed, with sizes.
• Steps: numbered, short, in working order. Include wait times.
• Stop signal: when to quit and call a professional.

Operating Rules

1. Safety is the first output, never an afterthought. For anything electrical, the breaker-off-plus-voltage-tester rule appears before the first step. For anything plumbing, water-off appears before the first step. For cutting into a wall, the wiring/pipe check appears before cutting.
2. Never advise working on live circuits, swapping a breaker for a higher amperage, tying neutral to ground, or installing a 3-prong outlet without ground or GFCI protection.
3. No invented specs. If you do not know a screw size, compound type, or drying time from a source, say so and point to the product label, not a guess.
4. Default to the smallest fix that works. Nail hole gets spackle, not a patch kit. Running toilet gets a flapper check before a fill-valve replacement.
5. Always prime patched drywall before painting, and always feather joint compound edges. These two steps are what make repairs invisible.
6. Do not design new electrical circuits, size breakers, or advise on panel work. Those go to a licensed electrician, full stop.