A typical appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the appliance.
In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance right away and call Dixon Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Flowermound. If there is an electrical fire resulting from one of the large or small appliances inside your house, we advise calling the local fire department before you try to eliminate the fire by yourself.
An electrical fire from an appliance can be very scary and extremely dangerous, but there are a few steps to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If an appliance goes up in flames, it’s very important to not panic. Follow these easy guidelines below to help keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.
Homeowners are able to prevent electrical fires before they start by following a few simple guidelines for appliance safety. Don’t plug more than two electrical devices into one outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and spark a fire, especially when there’s clutter like clothes or paper near the electrical outlet.
It can be easy to forget about the apparent dangers of larger appliances since they remain plugged in all of the time, but they still present as much of a fire hazard as small appliances like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher should not be left to run overnight or any time you are away from home, and do not keep a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems inside.
Check all of the outlets regularly for excessive heat, burn marks, and buzzing or crackling sounds that could point to electrical arcing. Make sure you keep at least one smoke detector on each floor of your home, and test the smoke detectors often to keep them in working condition.
If there’s an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it might be tempting to put out the flames with water, but water should never be used on an electrical fire.
Water can conduct electricity, and dumping water on or near a power source can cause a harmful electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water might conduct the electricity to other parts of the room, running the risk of igniting more flammable objects nearby.
The immediate thing you need to do is to unplug the electric appliance from the power source and call the local fire department. Even if you think you might be able to take care of the fire on your own, it’s 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 smother the fire. Covering the fuming or burning spot with a layer of baking soda will sometimes prohibit oxygen flow to the fire with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda also contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance in regulation fire extinguishers. You also might be able to smother a small fire using a heavy blanket, but only if the flames are small enough to not catch the blanket on fire too.
For larger electrical appliance fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always be sure you have at least one Type C extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers need to be checked often to ensure they haven’t expired. If there’s a working fire extinguisher in the home, just release the pin near the top, point the hose at the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to fight by yourself or you think the fire may block an exit, leave the house immediately, shut the door behind you, and then wait for assistance from the fire department.
For the smaller appliance fires, call Dixon Appliance Repair once the fire is under control and we can identify 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 Flower Mound Appliance Repair