A typical appliance repair emergency might be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the household appliance.
If an appliance emergency arises in your house, unplug the appliance right away and call Elite El Monte Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in El Monte. If there is an electrical fire from one of the large or small appliances inside of your house, we advise calling the local fire department even before you attempt to eliminate the fire on your own.
An electrical fire is scary and very dangerous, but there are a few steps to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If one of your appliances is in flames, it’s very important not to panic and remain calm. Follow these easy guidelines below to keep your home safe from electrical fires.
Homeowners can prevent electrical fires before they start by following a couple of simple rules of appliance safety. Be careful not to plug a lot of electrical devices into a single outlet—the wiring might get overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there is clutter like paper or clothes near the outlet.
It can be easy to forget about the apparent dangers of larger household appliances since they are 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 dishwasher or washing machine should not be left to run overnight or any time you are away from home, and don’t keep a refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking their cooling systems inside.
Inspect all of the outlets on a regular basis for extreme heat, signs of burns, and crackling or buzzing noises that could point to electrical arcing. Make sure you have at least one working smoke detector on every story of your home, and test them often to keep them in working order.
If there is an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it could be tempting to douse the fire with water, however water shouldn’t be used to douse an electrical fire.
Water can conduct electricity, and pouring water on or near a power source might give a harmful electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water can conduct electricity to additional areas of the room, increasing the chance of igniting more flammable items nearby.
The immediate step you need to do is unplug the appliance from the power outlet and call the fire department. Even if you think you are able to handle the fire on your own, it’s a good idea to have backup if the flames do get out of control.
For smaller fires, you may 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 includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance in regulation fire extinguishers. You may be able to put out a small fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only if the flames are small enough to not catch the blanket on fire too.
For larger electrical fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you have at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be inspected regularly to be sure they aren’t expired. If there is a operational extinguisher in the home, just release the pin near the top, aim the hose at the fire, and press the handle. If the fire gets too big to fight alone or you think the fire may block an exit, leave the home as fast as possible, shut the door behind you, and then wait for assistance from the local fire department.
For the small appliance fires, call Elite El Monte Appliance Repair once the flames are under control and we can diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the electrical appliance and return it to its original condition.
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