An appliance repair emergency might be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the appliance.
In the event of an appliance emergency in your home, unplug the appliance immediately and then call Prime Henderson Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Henderson. If there is an electrical fire from one of the large or small appliances inside of your home, we recommend calling the local fire department even before attempting to extinguish the fire on your own.
An electrical fire from an appliance can be very scary and very dangerous, but there are a few ways to be prepared in case of an emergency. If one of your appliances goes up in flames, it’s important not to panic. Follow these easy guidelines to help keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.
Homeowners can prevent electrical fires from starting by following a few simple guidelines for appliance safety. Do not plug in more than two electrical devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there’s clutter like clothes or paper close to the electrical outlet.
It’s possible to forget about the dangers of large home appliances because they remain plugged in all of the time, but they can present as much of a fire hazard as small appliances like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine shouldn’t be left to run overnight or while you are away from home, and try not to place a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems.
Examine all of the outlets on a regular basis for extreme heat, signs of burns, and crackling or buzzing sounds that could indicate electrical arcing. Be sure you have at least one working smoke detector on each floor of your house, and test them often to keep them in good working condition.
If there is an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it might be tempting to douse the flames with water, however water shouldn’t be used to douse an electrical appliance fire.
Water conducts electricity, and throwing water on a power source can cause a severe electrical shock. It could even make the fire worse. Water could conduct electricity to other parts of the room, running the risk of igniting other flammable objects in the room.
The immediate step you want to do is unplug the device from the power outlet and call your local fire department. Even if you think you might be able to take care of the fire yourself, it’s important to have backup if the flames do get out of control.
For minor fires, you might be able to pour on baking soda to douse the fire. Covering the smoking or burning area with baking soda can block oxygen flow to the fire with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the same chemical used in regulation fire extinguishers. You also could be able to put out a small fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only when 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 always be sure you have at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers should also be inspected often to ensure they haven’t expired. If there’s a working fire extinguisher on hand, pull the pin near the top, point the hose at the source of the flames, and press the handle. If the flames get too dangerous to fight by yourself or you think the fire may block an exit, leave the house immediately, shut the door , and wait for help from the fire department.
For the small appliance fires, call Prime Henderson Appliance Repair once the flames are under control and we will diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the appliance and restore it to working order.
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