Emergency Appliance Repair

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

In the event of an appliance emergency in your house, unplug the appliance right away and call Yates Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in CITY. If there is an electrical fire from one of the large or small appliances inside your home, we recommend calling the city fire department before you attempt to eliminate the fire yourself.

An electrical fire can be very scary and extremely dangerous, but there are a few steps to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If an appliance is in flames, it’s very important not to panic and remain calm. Follow our simple guidelines below to keep your house safe from electrical fires.

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners are able to prevent electrical fires before they start by following a couple of simple guidelines for appliance safety. Be careful not to plug too many devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring might become overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there is clutter like clothes or paper nearby the electrical outlet.

Sometimes we forget about the apparent dangers of larger household appliances because they are plugged in all of the time, but they present as much of a fire hazard as smaller electrical devices like toasters and heaters. Larger appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left running overnight or any time you’re away from home, and do not place a refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight, in order 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 keep at least one smoke detector on each floor of your house, and test them often to keep them in good working order.

WHAT NOT TO DO

If there’s an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it could be tempting to put out the flames with water, but water should not be used to put out an electrical appliance fire.

Water will conduct electricity, and throwing water on a power source can cause a dangerous electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water might conduct electricity to other areas of the room, increasing the chance of igniting more flammable items nearby.

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first thing you need to do is unplug the electric appliance from the power source and call the fire department. Even if you are able to handle the fire on your own, it’s important to have help if the fire does get out of hand.

For small fires, you may be able to pour on baking soda to douse the flames. Covering the smoking or burning area with baking soda can prohibit oxygen flow to the fire with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance in regulation fire extinguishers. You could be able to put out a smaller fire with a heavy blanket as well, but only when the fire is small enough not to catch the blanket on fire.

For larger electrical appliance fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you have at least one Type C extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers should also be inspected consistently to ensure they are not expired. If there’s a operational fire extinguisher in the home, release the pin at the top, point the nozzle at the source of the fire, and squeeze the handle. If the flames get too big to fight by yourself or you are concerned the fire could block an exit, leave the house as fast as possible, close the door , and then wait for help from the local fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call Yates Appliance Repair once the fire is under control and we can diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the electrical appliance and restore it to its original condition.

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Appliance Repair Cost
Appliance Repair Tips
Appliance Safety
Repair or Replace Appliances
Refrigerator Parts