An appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the appliance.
If an appliance emergency happens in your home, unplug the appliance right away and then call Express Vista Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Vista. If there is an electrical fire resulting from one of the appliances in your home, we advise calling the local fire department even before attempting to extinguish the fire on your own.
An electrical fire can be scary and very dangerous, but there are a few steps 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 our easy guidelines below to keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.
HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES
You are able to stop electrical fires before they start by following a few simple rules of appliance safety. Don’t plug too many devices into a single electrical outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there’s debris like paper or clothes near the electrical outlet.
It can be easy to forget about the 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 smaller electrical appliances like toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine should not be left to run overnight or any time you’re not at home, and try not to keep a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, in order to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems inside.
Inspect all of the outlets on a regular basis for extreme heat, burn marks, and crackling or buzzing noises that could point to electrical arcing. Be sure you keep at least one working smoke detector on every story of your home, and test the smoke detectors often to keep them in working condition.
WHAT TO NOT DO
If there is an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it can be tempting to douse the flames with water, however water shouldn’t be used to douse an electrical fire.
Water can conduct electricity, and throwing water on a power source can cause a dangerous electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water can conduct the electricity to other locations of the room, increasing the risk of igniting more flammable objects nearby.
HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE
The first thing you need to do is to unplug the electric device from the power outlet and call your local fire department. Even if you think you can take care of the fire yourself, it is important to have help if the fire does get out of hand.
For little fires, you could be able to pour on baking soda to douse the fire. Covering the smoking or burning spot with a layer of baking soda will sometimes prohibit oxygen flow to the flames with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda also includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the same chemical in standard fire extinguishers. You could be able to smother a smaller fire with a heavy blanket as well, but only when the flames are small enough not to catch the heavy blanket on fire too.
For large electrical appliance fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should make sure you own at least one Type C or multi-use extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers should also be inspected regularly to ensure they have not expired. If there is a working fire extinguisher on hand, just pull the pin near the top, point the nozzle at the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the flames get too dangerous to fight alone or you think the fire may block an exit, leave the house as fast as possible, close the door , and wait for assistance from the fire department.
For the small appliance fires, call Express Vista Appliance Repair once the fire is under control and we can diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the appliance and return it to its original condition.
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