Emergency Appliance Repair

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

If an appliance emergency arises, unplug the appliance immediately and call Elizabeth Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Elizabeth. If there’s an electrical fire from one of the appliances inside your house, we suggest calling the fire department before you attempt to put out the fire yourself.

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

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

You are able to stop electrical fires before they start by following some basic rules of appliance safety. Don’t plug in too many devices into one outlet—the wiring might get overloaded and spark a fire, especially when there’s clutter like clothes or paper close to the outlet.

It can be easy to forget about the dangers of larger appliances because they are plugged in all the time, but they can present as much chance for a fire hazard as smaller electrical devices like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine should not be left running overnight or any time you’re away from home, and don’t keep a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, to prevent overworking the cooling systems.

Check all outlets on a regular basis for extreme heat, burns, and crackling or buzzing noises that could point to electrical arcing. Make sure you keep at least one working smoke detector on each story of your house, and test them regularly to keep them in 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, but water should never be used to fight an electrical appliance fire.

Water can conduct electricity, and throwing water on or near a power source could cause a severe electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water might conduct the electricity to additional locations of the room, running the chance of igniting other flammable items in the room.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The immediate step you want to do is to unplug the electric device from the power source and call your fire department. Even if you think you can put out the fire on your own, it is a good idea to have backup if the flames do get out of hand.

For minor fires, you might be able to pour on baking soda to douse the fire. Covering the smoldering or burning area with baking soda can prohibit oxygen flow to the fire with little chance of electrocution. Baking soda also includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance in standard fire extinguishers. You also may be able to smother a smaller fire with a heavy blanket, but only when the flames are small enough not to catch the heavy blanket on fire as well.

For large electrical fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you own at least one Type C extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers need to be inspected regularly to be sure they have not expired. If you have a operational fire extinguisher in the home, release the pin at 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 as fast as possible, shut the door , and then wait for help from the local fire department.

For the small appliance fires, call Elizabeth Appliance Repair once the fire is extinguished and we will diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the appliance and restore it to working order.

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