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 in your house, unplug the appliance right away and call EZ Whittier Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Whittier. If there is an electrical fire involving one of the large or small appliances in your house, we advise calling the fire department before attempting to extinguish the fire on your own.
An electrical fire from an appliance is very scary and very 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’s very important to not panic and remain calm. Follow our easy guidelines to keep your home safe from electrical fires.
HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES
Homeowners are able to prevent electrical fires from starting by following a few basic guidelines for appliance safety in a home. Do not plug in more than two devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring might get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially if there is debris like clothes or paper close to the electrical outlet.
It’s possible to forget about the dangers of large appliances since they are plugged in all the time, but they present as much of a fire hazard as small electrical appliances like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Large appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine shouldn’t be left to run overnight or any time you are away from home, and do not keep a refrigerator or freezer in line of direct sunlight, in order to prevent overworking their cooling systems inside.
Examine all outlets on a regular basis for extreme heat, signs of burns, and crackling or buzzing sounds that could point to electrical arcing. Be sure you store at least one working smoke detector on each story of your home, and test the smoke detectors quarterly to keep them in good working condition.
WHAT TO NOT DO
If there is an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it could be tempting to douse the fire with water, but water shouldn’t be used to put out an electrical appliance fire.
Water conducts electricity, and pouring water on a power source might give a harmful electrical shock. It might even make the fire worse. Water can conduct electricity to other areas of the room, increasing the risk of igniting other flammable items in the room.
HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE
The first step you should do is unplug the device from the power outlet and call your local fire department. Even if you think you might be able to put out the fire on your own, it is a good idea to have help if the flames do get out of hand.
For minor fires, you could be able to use baking soda to douse the fire. Covering the fuming or burning spot with some baking soda will sometimes prohibit oxygen flow to the flames with very little risk of electrocution. Baking soda also includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the chemical used in standard fire extinguishers. You also may be able to put out a small fire using a heavy blanket, but only if the flames are small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire too.
For large electrical appliance fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should make sure you have at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be inspected often to be sure they haven’t expired. If you have a operational fire extinguisher on hand, pull the pin near the top, point the nozzle at the source of the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too big to fight alone or you are concerned the fire might block an exit, leave the house immediately, shut the door , and wait for assistance from the fire department.
For the smaller appliance fires, call EZ Whittier 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 its original condition.
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