A typical appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the appliance.
If an appliance emergency occurs in your house, unplug the appliance right away and then call Shine Sunrise Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Sunrise. If there’s an electrical fire involving one of the large or small appliances inside of your home, we suggest calling the fire department before attempting to extinguish the fire by yourself.
An electrical fire is scary and extremely dangerous, but there are a few ways to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If an appliance goes up in flames, it’s important not to panic and to remain calm. Follow these easy guidelines below to keep your home safe from electrical appliance fires.
HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES
Homeowners are able to prevent electrical fires from ever starting by following a couple of basic rules of appliance safety in a home. Don’t plug more than two electrical devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring might become overloaded and spark a fire, especially when there’s debris like paper or clothes near the outlet.
It can be easy to forget about the dangers of larger household appliances because they are plugged in all the time, but they present as much chance for a fire hazard as smaller electrical appliances like toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine shouldn’t be left to run overnight or while you are not at home, and try not to keep a freezer or refrigerator in direct sunlight, to prevent overworking the cooling systems.
Inspect all outlets regularly for excessive heat, signs of burns, and buzzing or crackling sounds that could point to electrical arcing. Make sure you keep at least one smoke detector on each floor of your house, and test the smoke detectors often to keep them in working condition.
WHAT NOT TO DO
If there’s an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it might be tempting to put out the fire with water, but water should not be used to douse an electrical fire.
Water will conduct electricity, and dumping water on a power source could give a severe electrical shock. It could even make the fire worse. Water might conduct electricity to additional areas of the room, increasing the risk of igniting other flammable objects nearby.
HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE
The immediate step you need to do is unplug the electric device from the power source and call the fire department. Even if you think you might be able to extinguish the fire by yourself, it’s a good idea to have help if the flames do get out of control.
For little fires, you could be able to use baking soda to smother the flames. Covering the fuming or burning spot with a layer of baking soda will sometimes prohibit oxygen flow to the fire with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the same chemical used in standard fire extinguishers. You also may be able to put out a small fire using a heavy blanket, but only when the fire is small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire as well.
For larger electrical appliance fires, you need 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 have not expired. If you have a working extinguisher on hand, just release the pin near the top, aim the hose at the source of the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the flames get too dangerous to fight by yourself or you are concerned the fire may block an exit, you should leave the house as fast as possible, shut the door behind you, and then wait for assistance from the fire department.
For the smaller appliance fires, call Shine Sunrise Appliance Repair once the flames are extinguished and we will identify the reason for the fire and repair the electrical appliance and restore it to its original condition.
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