A typical appliance repair emergency might be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the appliance.
If an appliance emergency occurs in your house, unplug the appliance immediately and call Hometown Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Suffolk. If there is an electrical fire from one of the large or small appliances inside your house, we recommend calling the fire department before you attempt to put out the fire yourself.
An electrical fire is scary and extremely dangerous, but there are a few steps to be prepared in case of an emergency. If an electrical appliance is in flames, it is important not to panic. Follow our simple guidelines below to help keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.
HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES
You are able to prevent electrical fires from starting by following a couple of simple rules of appliance safety in a home. Don’t plug too many electrical devices into one outlet—the wiring might become overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there’s clutter like clothes or paper nearby the electrical outlet.
It’s possible to forget about the apparent dangers of larger residential appliances since they are plugged in all of the time, but they can present as much chance for a fire hazard as small devices 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 don’t place a refrigerator or freezer in line of direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems inside.
Examine all outlets regularly for excessive heat, burn marks, and crackling or buzzing noises that could indicate electrical arcing. Be sure you keep at least one working smoke detector on every floor of your home, and test the smoke detectors regularly to keep them in working order.
WHAT TO NOT DO
If there is an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it can be tempting to douse the fire with water, however water should not be used to douse an electrical appliance fire.
Water can conduct electricity, and throwing water on a power source could give a severe electrical shock. It could even make the fire worse. Water can conduct electricity to additional parts of the room, increasing the chance of igniting more flammable items nearby.
HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE
The first thing you need to do is to unplug the electric device from the power outlet and call the local fire department. Even if you can put out the fire on your own, it is a good idea to have help if the flames do get out of control.
For minor fires, you may be able to pour on baking soda to smother the flames. Covering the smoldering or burning area with baking soda will sometimes block oxygen flow to the fire with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same chemical used in regulation fire extinguishers. You also could 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 blanket on fire as well.
For big electrical appliance fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always make sure you have at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers need to be inspected often to ensure they are not expired. If you have a working fire extinguisher on hand, release the pin at the top, point the hose at the flames, and press the handle. If the fire gets too big to fight alone or you think the fire might block an exit, you should leave the home immediately, shut the door behind you, and wait for assistance from the fire department.
For the small appliance fires, call Hometown Appliance Repair once the fire is under control and we can identify the cause of the fire and repair the appliance and return it to its original condition.
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