Emergency Appliance Repair

An appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the appliance.

In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance immediately and then call Choice Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Cypress. If there is an electrical fire involving one of the appliances inside your home, we suggest calling the city fire department even before attempting to eliminate the fire yourself.

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

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

You are able to stop electrical fires from ever starting by following some basic rules of appliance safety. Don’t plug in more than two devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there is clutter like clothes or paper close to the electrical outlet.

It can be easy to forget about the apparent dangers of large appliances because they are plugged in all the time, but they still present as much of a fire hazard as smaller electrical appliances like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Large appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left running overnight or while you’re not at home, and do not place a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking their cooling systems.

Examine all outlets regularly for excessive heat, burn marks, and crackling or buzzing sounds that might point to electrical arcing. Make sure you store at least one smoke detector on each floor of your house, and test them often to keep them in working order.

WHAT TO NOT DO

If there is an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it might be tempting to put out the flames with water, but water shouldn’t be used to fight an electrical appliance fire.

Water will conduct electricity, and dumping water on a power source could give a severe electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water could conduct the electricity to additional areas of the room, running the risk of igniting more flammable items in the area.

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The immediate thing you want to do is unplug the device from the power outlet and call the fire department. Even if you can put out the fire on your own, it is a good idea to have help if the fire does get out of control.

For small fires, you may be able to pour on baking soda to smother the flames. Covering the smoking or burning area with some baking soda will sometimes block oxygen flow to the fire with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the chemical in standard fire extinguishers. You could be able to smother a small fire using a heavy blanket, but only if the fire is small enough to not catch the blanket on fire as well.

For large electrical fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you have at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers need to be inspected consistently to ensure they are not expired. If you have a working fire extinguisher in the home, just pull the pin at the top, aim the nozzle at the source of the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the flames get too big to put out alone or you think the fire could block an exit, you should leave the house immediately, shut the door behind you, and wait for help from the local fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call Choice Appliance Repair once the flames are under control and we can diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the electrical appliance and restore it to its original condition.

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Appliance Safety
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