A typical appliance repair emergency might be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the household appliance.
In the event of an appliance emergency in your house, unplug the appliance immediately and call Elite Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in East Orange. If there’s an electrical fire resulting from one of the appliances inside of your home, we advise calling the local fire department before you attempt to put out the fire on your own.
An electrical fire from an appliance is very scary and extremely dangerous, but there are a few ways to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If an appliance is in flames, it’s important not to panic and remain calm. Follow these easy guidelines below to keep your house safe from electrical fires.
You are able to prevent electrical fires from ever starting by following a few basic guidelines for appliance safety. Be sure not to plug too many electrical devices into a single outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there’s debris like clothes or paper close to the electrical outlet.
It’s possible to forget about the apparent dangers of larger residential appliances because they remain plugged in all of the time, but they can present as much chance for a fire hazard as smaller devices like toasters and space heaters. Large appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left to run overnight or while you are away from home, and try not to keep a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking their cooling systems.
Inspect all outlets on a regular basis for excessive heat, burns, and buzzing or crackling sounds that might indicate electrical arcing. Be sure you store at least one smoke detector on every floor of your home, and test them often to keep them in good working condition.
If there’s an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it could be tempting to douse the flames with water, however water should never be used to fight an electrical fire.
Water conducts electricity, and throwing water on or near a power source can cause a dangerous electrical shock. It could even make the fire even worse. Water might conduct electricity to other areas of the room, increasing the risk of igniting other flammable items in the room.
The first step you want to do is to unplug the device from the power source and call the local fire department. Even if you think you might be able to put out the fire on your own, it’s important to have backup if the flames do get out of control.
For little fires, you could be able to pour on baking soda to douse the fire. Covering the fuming or burning area with a layer of baking soda will sometimes prohibit oxygen flow to the flames with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance in regulation fire extinguishers. You also might be able to smother a smaller fire with a heavy blanket as well, but only if the flames are small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire as well.
For larger electrical fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always make sure you own at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers need to be inspected consistently to ensure they are not expired. If there’s a operational fire extinguisher on hand, release the pin at the top, aim the nozzle at the fire, and squeeze the handle. If the flames get too dangerous to put out by yourself or you are concerned the fire might block an exit, leave the house immediately, close the door behind you, and wait for help from the local fire department.
For the smaller appliance fires, call Elite Appliance Repair once the flames are under control and we can diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the electrical appliance and restore it to working order.
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