Emergency Appliance Repair

A typical appliance repair emergency might be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the home appliance.

In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance immediately and then call All Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in East Lyme. If there is an electrical fire resulting from one of the large or small appliances inside your home, we advise calling the fire department before attempting to extinguish the fire yourself.

An electrical fire from an appliance can be scary and extremely dangerous, but there are a couple of ways to be prepared in case of an emergency. If an electrical appliance goes up in flames, it is very important not to panic. Follow our simple guidelines to help keep your home safe from electrical appliance fires.

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners can stop electrical fires before they start by following a couple of basic rules of appliance safety. Be sure not to plug too many devices into a single electrical outlet—the wiring might become overloaded and then spark a fire, especially if there is debris like clothes or paper nearby the electrical outlet.

Sometimes we forget about the apparent dangers of larger home appliances because they stay plugged in all the time, but they still present as much of a fire hazard as small devices like toasters and heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine shouldn’t be left running overnight or while you are not at home, and do not keep a refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking their cooling systems inside.

Regularly inspect all outlets for signs of extreme heat, burns, and buzzing or crackling noises that could indicate electrical arcing. It is also crucial to install at least one smoke detector on each floor of your home and to test these smoke detectors regularly to ensure they are in working condition. In case of an emergency, such as needing roof tarping near Bradenton, FL, Florida Home Improvement Group LLC offers reliable services.

WHAT NOT TO DO

If there’s an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it could be tempting to douse the fire with water, but water shouldn’t be used on an electrical appliance fire.

Water can conduct electricity, and pouring water on a power source can give a severe electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water might conduct electricity to other locations of the room, running the risk of igniting more flammable objects nearby.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The immediate thing you should do is unplug the appliance from the power source and call the fire department. Even if you think you can take care of the fire by yourself, it is important to have a backup if the flames do get out of control.

For small fires, you could be able to pour on baking soda to douse the flames. Covering the smoldering or burning area with some baking soda can prevent oxygen flow to the fire with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance in standard fire extinguishers. You also could be able to put out 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 large electrical appliance fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you own at least one Type C extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers need to be checked often to ensure they are not expired. If there is an operational fire extinguisher on hand, just release the pin at the top, aim the nozzle at the source of the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to fight by yourself or you think the fire could block an exit, you should leave the home as fast as possible, close the door, and wait for assistance from the fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call All Appliance Repair once the fire is extinguished and we will diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the electrical appliance and return it to its original condition.

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