A typical appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the household appliance.
If an appliance emergency occurs in your home, unplug the appliance right away and then call Griffin Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Torrance. If there’s an electrical fire involving one of the appliances inside of your house, we recommend calling the fire department even before you try to put out the fire by yourself.
An electrical fire is very scary and very dangerous, but there are a few ways to be prepared in case of an emergency. If an appliance is in flames, it’s important to not panic and to remain calm. Follow our easy guidelines below to keep your home safe from electrical appliance fires.
Homeowners are able to prevent electrical fires before they start by following some basic guidelines for appliance safety in a home. Do not plug in more than two devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring might become overloaded and then spark a fire, especially if there is clutter like paper or clothes close to the outlet.
It can be easy to forget about the apparent dangers of large residential appliances since they remain plugged in all the time, but they can present as much chance for a fire hazard as small appliances like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine shouldn’t be left running overnight or while you are not at home, and don’t keep a refrigerator or freezer in line of direct sunlight, in order to prevent possibly overworking their cooling systems inside.
Examine all outlets regularly for excessive heat, burn marks, and buzzing or crackling noises that might point to electrical arcing. Be sure you store at least one working smoke detector on each story of your home, and test them often to keep them in good working condition.
If there is an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it can be tempting to put out the fire with water, but water shouldn’t be used to put out an electrical appliance fire.
Water conducts electricity, and pouring water on a power source could give a severe electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water could conduct electricity to additional locations of the room, increasing the chance of igniting other flammable items nearby.
The first step you need to do is unplug the device from the power source and call your local fire department. Even if you think you can take care of the fire on your own, it is important to have help if the flames do get out of control.
For small fires, you might be able to pour on baking soda to extinguish the flames. Covering the smoking or burning area with a layer of baking soda can prevent oxygen flow to the flames with very little chance of electrocution. Baking soda also includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance in regulation fire extinguishers. You may be able to extinguish a small fire with a heavy blanket as well, but only when the flames are small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire too.
For larger electrical appliance fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you have at least one Type C or multi-use extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers need to be checked often to be sure they haven’t expired. If you have a working extinguisher on hand, release the pin near the top, aim the nozzle at the source of the fire, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to put out alone or you think the fire could block an exit, you should leave the home as fast as possible, shut the door , and wait for help from the fire department.
For the smaller appliance fires, call Griffin Appliance Repair once the flames are extinguished and we will diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the electrical appliance and restore it to its original condition.
OTHER RESOURCES:
Appliance Repair Cost
Appliance Repair Tips
Appliance Safety
Repair or Replace Appliances
Refrigerator Parts
Copyright ©2024 Torrance Appliance Repair