Emergency Appliance Repair

An appliance repair emergency might be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the household appliance.

If an appliance emergency occurs, unplug the appliance immediately and call Green Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in CITY. If there is an electrical fire from one of the appliances in your house, we advise calling the fire department even before you try to eliminate the fire on your own.

An electrical fire from an appliance is scary and extremely dangerous, but there are a couple of steps to be prepared in case of an emergency. If one of your appliances is in flames, it is very important to not panic and to remain calm. Follow these easy guidelines to keep your house safe from electrical fires.

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners are able to stop electrical fires from ever starting by following a few simple guidelines for appliance safety in a home. Do not plug in more than two devices into one outlet—the wiring might get overloaded and spark a fire, especially when there’s clutter like paper or clothes close to the electrical outlet.

It’s possible to forget about the dangers of larger appliances because they remain plugged in all the time, but they still present as much chance for a fire hazard as smaller electrical appliances like kitchen toasters and heaters. Larger appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher should not be left running overnight or while you are away from home, and try not to place a refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight, in order to prevent overworking their cooling systems inside.

Check all of the outlets on a regular basis for extreme heat, burn marks, and buzzing or crackling sounds that might point to electrical arcing. Be sure you store at least one working smoke detector on every story of your home, and test the smoke detectors regularly to keep them in working condition.

WHAT TO NOT DO

If there is an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it can be tempting to douse the flames with water, but water shouldn’t be used to douse an electrical appliance fire.

Water conducts electricity, and throwing water on a power source might cause a harmful electrical shock. It might even make the fire worse. Water might conduct electricity to additional locations of the room, running the risk of igniting other flammable objects in the area.

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The immediate thing you need to do is unplug the electric appliance from the power outlet and call your local fire department. Even if you can take care of the fire on your own, it’s a good idea to have help if the flames do get out of control.

For little fires, you might be able to use baking soda to smother the flames. Covering the smoldering or burning area with a layer of baking soda can prevent oxygen flow to the fire with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance in regulation fire extinguishers. You might be able to smother a small fire with a heavy blanket as well, but only when the flames are small enough to not catch the blanket on fire.

For big electrical fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always be sure you own at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be inspected often to ensure they aren’t expired. If there is a working extinguisher in the home, just pull the pin near the top, point the hose at the source of the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to fight alone or you are concerned the fire may block an exit, leave the house as fast as possible, close the door , and then wait for help from the local fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call Green Appliance Repair once the flames are under control and we can diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the appliance and return it to working order.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Appliance Repair Cost
Appliance Repair Tips
Appliance Safety
Repair or Replace Appliances
Refrigerator Parts