An appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the household appliance.
If an appliance emergency arises, unplug the appliance right away and call Chesapeake Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Chesapeake. If there’s an electrical fire involving one of the appliances inside your home, we advise calling the local fire department even before you attempt to put out the fire yourself.
An electrical fire from an appliance is very scary and very dangerous, but there are a few steps to be prepared in case of an emergency. If an electrical appliance goes up in flames, it is important not to panic. Follow these simple guidelines to keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.
Homeowners are able to stop electrical fires from ever starting by following a few basic guidelines for appliance safety in a home. Do not plug a lot of devices into one outlet—the wiring might get overloaded and spark a fire, especially when there is debris like clothes or paper close to the electrical outlet.
It can be easy to forget about the dangers of large appliances since they are plugged in all of the time, but they can present as much chance for a fire hazard as small electrical devices like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Large appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher should not be left to run overnight or any time you’re not at home, and don’t place a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems.
Inspect all of the outlets regularly for extreme heat, burns, and crackling or buzzing noises that could point to electrical arcing. Be sure you keep at least one working smoke detector on each floor of your home, and test them often to keep them in good working order.
If there’s an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it might be tempting to douse the flames with water, but water should not be used to fight an electrical appliance fire.
Water conducts electricity, and throwing water on or near a power source might give a dangerous electrical shock. It could even make the fire even worse. Water can conduct the electricity to other areas of the room, increasing the risk of igniting other flammable objects in the area.
The first step you want to do is unplug the device from the power outlet and call your local fire department. Even if you think you can extinguish the fire by yourself, it’s a good idea to have help if the fire does get out of hand.
For smaller fires, you may be able to pour on baking soda to smother the flames. Covering the smoldering or burning area with baking soda can block oxygen flow to the flames with very little chance of electrocution. Baking soda includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the chemical used in regulation fire extinguishers. You also could be able to smother a small fire with a heavy blanket, but only when the fire is small enough to not catch the blanket on fire too.
For large electrical appliance fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always be sure you have at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers should also be checked consistently to ensure they aren’t expired. If you have a working extinguisher on hand, pull the pin near the top, aim the hose at the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too big to put out alone or you think the fire might block an exit, leave the home immediately, close the door , and then wait for help from the local fire department.
For the smaller appliance fires, call Chesapeake Appliance Repair once the flames are extinguished and we will diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the appliance and restore it to its original condition.
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