Emergency Appliance Repair

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

If an appliance emergency arises in your house, unplug the appliance immediately and then call Allen Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in CITY. If there’s an electrical fire happening with one of the appliances inside your house, we advise calling the local fire department even before attempting to extinguish the fire on your own.

An electrical fire from an appliance is scary and very dangerous, but there are a few steps to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If an appliance is in flames, it is very important to not panic. Follow our easy guidelines below to keep your home safe from electrical appliance fires.

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners are able to prevent electrical fires from ever starting by following a couple of simple guidelines for appliance safety. Do not plug in a lot of electrical devices into a single outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially if there is clutter like clothes or paper nearby the outlet.

It’s possible to forget about the apparent dangers of large home appliances because they are plugged in all the time, but they still present as much chance for a fire hazard as small electrical devices like toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left running overnight or any time you’re away from home, and try not to keep a freezer or refrigerator in direct sunlight, to prevent overworking the cooling systems inside.

Inspect all of the outlets on a regular basis for extreme heat, signs of burns, and buzzing or crackling sounds that could indicate electrical arcing. Be sure you have at least one smoke detector on every floor of your house, and test them often to keep them in working condition.

WHAT NOT TO DO

If there’s an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it might be tempting to douse the fire with water, but water should not be used to put out an electrical fire.

Water can conduct electricity, and dumping water on a power source might cause a severe electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water might conduct the electricity to other locations of the room, increasing the chance of igniting more flammable items nearby.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first thing you need to do is to unplug the appliance from the power outlet and call the local fire department. Even if you think you are able to handle the fire on your own, it is a good idea to have backup if the flames do get out of hand.

For smaller fires, you might be able to use baking soda to smother the flames. Covering the smoldering or burning spot with baking soda will sometimes prohibit oxygen flow to the flames with very little chance of electrocution. Baking soda also contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance in standard fire extinguishers. You could be able to put out a small fire with a heavy blanket, but only if the fire is small enough not to catch the blanket on fire as well.

For big electrical fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should make sure you own at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be checked consistently to make sure they aren’t expired. If you have a operational extinguisher in the home, release the pin near the top, point the nozzle at the source of the fire, and squeeze the handle. If the flames get too big to put out alone or you think the fire might block an exit, leave the home immediately, close the door , and wait for assistance from the fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call Allen Appliance Repair once the fire is extinguished and we will identify the reason for the fire and repair the appliance and return it to its original condition.

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