Appliance Safety Tips

The appliances in your house make your life easier, but if you use them incorrectly, they could produce significant risks. It is important to protect your appliances and make sure they do not become hazards by following these helpful home appliance safety suggestions from Choice Appliance Repair.

The professional tips in this post will help to prevent fires and injuries due to broken appliances. That being said, hazards could still happen. In the event an appliance breaks or starts to malfunction and becomes dangerous, hire a professional appliance repair Cypress.

GFCI Outlets in Damp Locations

Laundry rooms, kitchens, basements, bathrooms, mud rooms, garages and outdoor areas are all susceptible to wetness or dripping water. Of course, electricity and moisture do not mix, therefore electrical cords should be plugged into ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs).

This prevents electrocution by tripping the circuit when any inconsistencies in power are detected.

If you don’t currently have GFCI outlets installed in wet rooms inside and around your house, it’s time to install them or call an electrician in Cypress. Once that is done, for even more safety measures, follow the warnings of manufacturer appliance manuals that indicate a home appliance is not for outdoor use.

Electrical Wires, Outlets & Electronics Far Away From Wet Areas

Several appliances are built for outdoor use, like gas and charcoal grills. If you use any electrical appliances outside – including dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers and ice makers, power tools and others – monitor that all plugs and outlets are 100% dry. Using weatherproof electronics help, along with GFCI outlets with water-tight gaskets.

Extension Cords are Only a Temporary Option

Extension cords pose several evident risks, this includes:

The likelihood of loose connections that sometimes can result in sparks and cause a fire.
The chance of power inconsistencies that would ruin the appliance.
Greater vulnerability to moisture penetration that can lead to electrocution.
The chance of wires overheating and becoming a fire hazard when an inadequate extension cord is combined with a high-power appliance.

When determining an extension cord for short-term use, be sure it’s the correct gauge for the electrical equipment in question. The lower the gauge, the greater the cord size. For example, a extension cord for a radio may have a 16-gauge cord while a heavy-duty cord for a window air conditioner needs a 12-gauge wire.

The length of the cord is also important. The longer the cord, the more power is lost on the way, a phenomenon called voltage drop. Shorter extension cords are recommended for power tools and equipment.

Read the Manual for Any Appliance You Buy

It’s simple to assume that you know how to operate a brand new dishwasher or washing machine without reading the manual, but reading the manufacturer instructions is important for several reasons:

You should find out if your house’s wiring is good enough to support the appliance. You may have to install a better circuit to prevent overloading any current ones.

You learn about features you might not otherwise known about.
You learn if the new appliance is OK for outdoor locations or not.

You do not have the stress that can sometimes come from trying to start a home appliance without instructions!

Unplug Small Appliances in Your Home When Not in Use

You are able to reduce unnecessary energy use by unplugging them when you are not using them. This is because small appliances include LED lights, timers and other features during standby times.

Unplug televisions, computer monitors, routers, video game consoles, phone chargers and more to cut back on wasteful energy consumption. Just remember, it’s worthwhile to keep DVRs and similar devices plugged in to not miss their automatic background features.

For more tips on how to use appliances safely, or to schedule a professional appliance repair company, please contact Choice Appliance Repair. Our repairmen can fix all name brand household appliances!

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