An appliance repair emergency might be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the home appliance.
If an appliance emergency arises in your house, unplug the appliance right away and then call Gold Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Fishers. If there is an electrical fire happening with one of the appliances inside of your home, we advise calling the local fire department before attempting to extinguish the fire on your own.
An electrical fire can be very scary and extremely dangerous, but there are a few steps to be prepared in case of an emergency. If one of your appliances goes up in flames, it’s important to not panic. Follow our simple guidelines to keep your home safe from electrical fires.
HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES
Homeowners can stop electrical fires before they start by following a couple of simple guidelines for appliance safety. Be sure not to plug in too many electrical devices into a single electrical outlet—the wiring can become overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there’s debris like clothes or paper close to the electrical outlet.
It’s possible to forget about the dangers of large appliances because they are plugged in all the time, but they can present as much of a fire hazard as small devices like toasters and heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine shouldn’t be left running overnight or while you’re away from home, and don’t keep a freezer or refrigerator in direct sunlight, in order to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems inside.
Examine all outlets regularly for extreme heat, signs of burns, and buzzing or crackling sounds that might indicate electrical arcing. Be sure you have at least one working smoke detector on each floor of your home, and test the smoke detectors often to keep them in good working condition.
WHAT NOT TO DO
If there’s an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it might be tempting to douse the fire with water, but water shouldn’t be used on an electrical fire.
Water can conduct electricity, and throwing water on a power source could give a severe electrical shock. It might even make the fire worse. Water can conduct electricity to additional areas of the room, running the chance of igniting more flammable objects in the area.
HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE
The immediate step you want to do is to unplug the electric device from the power source and call the fire department. Even if you can handle the fire by yourself, it’s important to have backup if the flames do get out of hand.
For little fires, you could be able to use baking soda to extinguish the fire. Covering the smoldering or burning spot with baking soda will sometimes prevent oxygen flow to the fire with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda also contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance in regulation fire extinguishers. You might be able to smother a small fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only when the flames are small enough to not catch the blanket on fire as well.
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 inspected consistently to be sure they have not expired. If there is a operational fire extinguisher on hand, release the pin near the top, aim the nozzle at the fire, and press the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to put out alone or you are concerned the fire may block an exit, leave the home immediately, close the door , and then wait for help from the fire department.
For the small appliance fires, call Gold Appliance Repair once the flames are extinguished and we can identify the reason for the fire and repair the electrical appliance and return it to its original condition.
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