Emergency Appliance Repair

A typical appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the home appliance.

If an appliance emergency occurs, unplug the appliance right away and call Sims Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in CITY. If there’s an electrical fire from one of the appliances inside your house, we recommend calling the fire department before you attempt to extinguish the fire on your own.

An electrical fire from an appliance can be scary and very dangerous, but there are a couple of ways to be prepared in case of an emergency. If an appliance goes up in flames, it is very important to not panic and to remain calm. Follow our simple guidelines to keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners can prevent electrical fires from ever starting by following some simple guidelines for appliance safety. Do not plug in too many devices into one outlet—the wiring might become overloaded and then spark a fire, especially if there’s debris like clothes or paper close to the electrical outlet.

It can be easy to forget about the dangers of large appliances because they are plugged in all of the time, but they present as much of a fire hazard as smaller electrical devices like toasters and heaters. Large appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left running overnight or any time you’re away from home, and try not to place a refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight, to prevent overworking the cooling systems inside.

Examine all of the outlets on a regular basis for excessive heat, burn marks, and crackling or buzzing noises that could point to electrical arcing. Make sure you store at least one smoke detector on each floor of your home, and test the smoke detectors regularly to keep them in working order.

WHAT NOT TO DO

If there is an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it can be tempting to put out the fire with water, but water shouldn’t be used to put out an electrical fire.

Water can conduct electricity, and pouring water on or near a power source could give a severe electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water could conduct the electricity to other parts of the room, increasing the chance of igniting other flammable objects in the area.

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first thing you need to do is unplug the appliance from the power source and call the fire department. Even if you think you might be able to take care of the fire by yourself, it’s important to have backup if the flames do get out of hand.

For smaller fires, you may be able to pour on baking soda to extinguish the flames. Covering the smoking or burning area with a layer of baking soda can prevent oxygen flow to the flames with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same chemical used in regulation fire extinguishers. You might be able to put out a small fire using a heavy blanket, but only when the flames are small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire too.

For large electrical fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you own at least one Type C or multi-use fire extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers need to be checked often to be sure they are not expired. If there is a working fire extinguisher on hand, pull the pin near the top, aim the nozzle at the source of the flames, and press the handle. If the fire gets too big to fight by yourself or you think the fire may block an exit, you should leave the house immediately, close the door behind you, and then wait for assistance from the local fire department.

For the small appliance fires, call Sims Appliance Repair once the fire is 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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Appliance Repair Cost
Appliance Repair Tips
Appliance Safety
Repair or Replace Appliances
Refrigerator Parts