A typical appliance repair emergency might be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the appliance.
If an appliance emergency arises in your home, unplug the appliance right away and then call Tru Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Massachusetts. If there is an electrical fire from one of the large or small appliances inside your house, 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 couple of steps to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If one of your appliances is in flames, it is very important to not panic and to remain calm. Follow these easy guidelines below to keep your home safe from electrical fires.
HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES
Homeowners are able to prevent electrical fires before they start by following some basic rules of appliance safety. Be careful not to plug a lot of electrical devices into a single outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there is clutter like paper or clothes nearby the electrical outlet.
It can be easy to forget about the apparent dangers of larger household appliances since they are plugged in all of the time, but they present as much chance for a fire hazard as small electrical appliances like toasters and heaters. Larger appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher should not be left running overnight or any time you’re not at home, and try not to place a refrigerator or freezer in line of direct sunlight, in order to prevent overworking the cooling systems.
Examine all of the outlets on a regular basis for excessive heat, signs of burns, and crackling or buzzing noises that could point to electrical arcing. Make sure you store at least one smoke detector on each floor of your home, and test the smoke detectors often to keep them in working condition.
WHAT TO NOT DO
If there is an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it might be tempting to douse the fire with water, however water should never be used to fight an electrical fire.
Water conducts electricity, and pouring water on a power source might cause a severe electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water can conduct electricity to additional areas of the room, increasing the risk of igniting more flammable items nearby.
HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE
The immediate step you should do is to unplug the electric device from the power outlet and call your fire department. Even if you think you can put out the fire on your own, it is a good idea to have help if the fire does get out of hand.
For smaller fires, you might be able to pour on baking soda to smother the flames. Covering the smoldering or burning spot with a layer of baking soda can prevent oxygen flow to the flames with little risk of electrocution. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance in regulation fire extinguishers. You also could be able to smother a smaller fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only if the fire is small enough not to catch the heavy blanket on fire as well.
For large electrical fires, you need 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 often to make sure they haven’t expired. If there’s a operational extinguisher in the home, just release the pin near the top, aim the nozzle at the source of the fire, and press the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to put out by yourself or you are concerned the fire could block an exit, leave the home as fast as possible, shut the door behind you, and wait for help from the local fire department.
For the smaller appliance fires, call Tru Appliance Repair once the fire is under control and we can diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the appliance and restore it to its original condition.
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