An appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the home appliance.
In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance right away and call Greeley Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Greeley. If there’s an electrical fire involving one of the large or small appliances inside your house, we advise calling the fire department even before you attempt to eliminate the fire on your own.
An electrical fire from an appliance can be scary and extremely dangerous, but there are a couple of steps to be prepared in case of an emergency. If an electrical appliance is in flames, it is very important not to panic and to remain calm. Follow these simple guidelines below to keep your home safe from electrical appliance fires.
PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES
You are able to prevent electrical fires before they start by following a couple of simple rules of appliance safety in a home. Be sure not to plug more than two electrical devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring might become overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there is clutter like paper or clothes near the electrical outlet.
Sometimes we forget about the apparent dangers of large household appliances since they are plugged in all the time, but they can present as much of a fire hazard as small electrical appliances like toasters and heaters. Large appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher should not be left to run overnight or while you are away from home, and do not place a refrigerator or freezer in line of direct sunlight, in order to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems inside.
Inspect all of the outlets regularly for extreme heat, signs of burns, and buzzing or crackling sounds that could indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you keep at least one smoke detector on every floor of your house, and test them quarterly to keep them in good working condition.
WHAT NOT TO DO
If there is an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it can be tempting to put out the fire with water, however water shouldn’t be used to fight an electrical appliance fire.
Water will conduct electricity, and pouring water on or near a power source might give a severe electrical shock. It might even make the fire worse. Water might conduct the electricity to additional areas of the room, increasing the risk of igniting more flammable items in the room.
HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE
The immediate step you should do is unplug the electric appliance from the power source and call your fire department. Even if you might be able to extinguish the fire by yourself, it’s a good idea to have help if the flames do get out of control.
For smaller fires, you might be able to pour on baking soda to douse the fire. Covering the fuming or burning spot with baking soda will sometimes prevent oxygen flow to the flames with little risk of electrocution. Baking soda also includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance in regulation fire extinguishers. You could be able to smother a small fire with a heavy blanket, but only when the fire is small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire too.
For big electrical appliance fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you own at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be checked often to ensure they haven’t expired. If there is a operational fire extinguisher on hand, pull the pin at the top, aim the nozzle at the source of 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 as fast as possible, shut the door behind you, and wait for help from the local fire department.
For the small appliance fires, call Greeley Appliance Repair once the fire is extinguished and we will identify the reason for the fire and repair the electrical appliance and restore it to working order.
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