An appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the home appliance.
In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance immediately and then call Elite Bloomington Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Bloomington. If there’s an electrical fire resulting from one of the appliances in your home, we advise calling the fire department even before you try to extinguish the fire on your own.
An electrical fire is scary and very dangerous, but there are a few ways to be prepared in case of an emergency. If one of your appliances is in flames, it’s important not to panic and remain calm. Follow these easy guidelines below to keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.
HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES
You are able to prevent electrical fires from ever starting by following a couple of simple guidelines for appliance safety. Do not plug more than two devices into a single electrical outlet—the wiring can become overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there’s debris like clothes or paper close to the electrical outlet.
It can be easy to forget about the dangers of large home appliances since they are plugged in all the time, but they present as much of a fire hazard as small electrical appliances like toasters and heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine shouldn’t be left running overnight or any time you’re away from home, and do not place a freezer or refrigerator in direct sunlight, to prevent overworking the cooling systems inside.
Examine all outlets on a regular basis for extreme heat, burns, and buzzing or crackling sounds that might point to electrical arcing. Be sure you have at least one working smoke detector on each story of your home, and test them often to keep them in working condition.
WHAT NOT TO DO
If there is an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it could be tempting to put out the fire with water, but water should never be used to fight an electrical appliance fire.
Water can conduct electricity, and throwing water on or near a power source might cause a severe electrical shock. It could even make the fire worse. Water could conduct electricity to other locations of the room, running the risk of igniting other flammable items in the room.
HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE
The first thing you want to do is to unplug the appliance from the power outlet and call the fire department. Even if you think you might be able to handle the fire by yourself, it’s important to have backup if the fire does get out of control.
For little fires, you might be able to use baking soda to smother the flames. Covering the smoking or burning area with a layer of baking soda can prohibit oxygen flow to the fire with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the chemical in regulation fire extinguishers. You could be able to extinguish a smaller fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only when the flames are small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire too.
For large electrical fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always be sure you own at least one Type C extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be checked consistently to make sure they haven’t expired. If there’s a working extinguisher in the home, just pull 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 put out alone or you think the fire may block an exit, leave the home immediately, close the door , and then wait for assistance from the fire department.
For the smaller appliance fires, call Elite Bloomington Appliance Repair once the flames are under control and we will identify the reason for the fire and repair the electrical appliance and return it to working order.
OTHER RESOURCES:
Appliance Repair Cost
Appliance Repair Tips
Appliance Safety
Repair or Replace Appliances
Refrigerator Parts