An appliance repair emergency might be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the home appliance.
If an appliance emergency occurs, unplug the appliance immediately and call Nifty Naperville Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Naperville. If there’s an electrical fire involving one of the appliances inside of your home, we recommend calling the fire department before attempting to extinguish the fire on your own.
An electrical fire from an appliance is very scary and very dangerous, but there are a few ways to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If an appliance goes up in flames, it is important not to panic and remain calm. Follow these easy guidelines below to keep your house safe from electrical fires.
HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES
You are able to prevent electrical fires before they start by following a few basic rules of appliance safety. Be careful not to plug too many devices into a single outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there’s debris like clothes or paper close to the electrical outlet.
It is possible to forget about the apparent dangers of large home appliances since they remain plugged in all the time, but they can present as much chance for a fire hazard as smaller appliances like toasters and heaters. Larger appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left to run overnight or any time you are not at home, and don’t place a freezer or refrigerator in direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking their cooling systems inside.
Inspect all of the outlets regularly for extreme heat, signs of burns, and buzzing or crackling noises that might indicate electrical arcing. Be sure you store at least one working smoke detector on each story of your home, and test them quarterly 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 flames with water, however water should not be used to put out an electrical appliance fire.
Water can conduct electricity, and dumping water on or near a power source might give a severe electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water might conduct the electricity to additional areas of the room, increasing the risk of igniting more flammable items in the area.
HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE
The first step you need to do is unplug the electric device from the power outlet and call the local fire department. Even if you think you are able to take care of the fire on your own, it is important to have help if the flames do get out of control.
For little fires, you may be able to pour on baking soda to douse the fire. Covering the fuming or burning area with a layer of baking soda will sometimes block oxygen flow to the fire with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda also includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance used in regulation fire extinguishers. You may be able to put out a small fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only when the fire is small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire.
For larger electrical appliance fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should make sure you own at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be inspected regularly to ensure they aren’t expired. If there is a working fire extinguisher in the home, just release the pin near the top, point the hose at the source of the flames, and press the handle. If the flames get too big to fight by yourself or you think the fire may block an exit, leave the home right away, close the door behind you, and wait for help from the local fire department.
For the small appliance fires, call Nifty Naperville Appliance Repair once the flames are under control and we can diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the electrical appliance and restore it to its original condition.
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