A typical appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the home appliance.
If an appliance emergency happens, unplug the appliance immediately and then call Duncan Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Jersey City. If there’s an electrical fire involving one of the large or small appliances inside your house, we recommend calling the fire department before attempting to extinguish the fire on your own.
An electrical fire from an appliance is very scary and very dangerous, but there are a couple of steps to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If an electrical appliance is in flames, it’s very important not to panic and to remain calm. Follow these simple guidelines to keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.
Homeowners can stop electrical fires from starting by following a few basic guidelines for appliance safety. Do not plug more than two devices into a single electrical outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there’s debris like clothes or paper near the outlet.
It’s possible to forget about the apparent dangers of large residential appliances because they stay plugged in all of the time, but they can present as much chance for a fire hazard as smaller electrical devices like kitchen toasters and heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine shouldn’t be left running overnight or any time you are away from home, and try not to place a freezer or refrigerator in direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking their cooling systems inside.
Check all outlets on a regular basis for extreme heat, signs of burns, and crackling or buzzing noises that could indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you keep at least one working smoke detector on every floor of your house, and test them quarterly to keep them in working condition.
If there’s an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it might be tempting to put out the fire with water, but water should never be used to fight an electrical fire.
Water can conduct electricity, and pouring water on or near a power source can cause a dangerous electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water can conduct electricity to other locations of the room, running the risk of igniting other flammable items in the room.
The immediate thing you need to do is to unplug the appliance from the power source and call your fire department. Even if you are able to handle the fire on your own, it’s a good idea to have help if the fire does get out of hand.
For smaller fires, you may be able to use baking soda to smother the fire. Covering the smoking or burning area with some baking soda will sometimes prohibit oxygen flow to the fire with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance used in regulation fire extinguishers. You could be able to put out a small fire using a heavy blanket, but only if the flames are small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire as well.
For larger electrical fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you own at least one Type C or multi-use extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers should also be inspected consistently to make sure they aren’t expired. If you have a operational fire extinguisher in the home, just release the pin near the top, point the nozzle at the source of the fire, and squeeze the handle. If the flames get too dangerous to fight by yourself or you think the fire could block an exit, you should leave the home right away, close the door behind you, and wait for assistance from the fire department.
For the small appliance fires, call Duncan Appliance Repair once the fire is extinguished and we will diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the electrical appliance and return it to its original condition.
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