An appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the home appliance.
In the event of an appliance emergency in your home, unplug the appliance immediately and then call Done-Right Davie Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Davie. If there’s an electrical fire resulting from one of the appliances inside your house, we recommend calling the city fire department even before you try to eliminate the fire by yourself.
An electrical fire from an appliance is scary and very dangerous, but there are a couple of steps to be prepared in case of an emergency. If an electrical appliance is in flames, it is very important to not panic. Follow these simple guidelines to keep your house safe from electrical fires.
HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES
Homeowners can prevent electrical fires before they start by following a couple of simple rules of appliance safety. Don’t plug in too many electrical devices into one outlet—the wiring might become overloaded and spark a fire, especially when there’s debris like clothes or paper close to the electrical outlet.
Sometimes we forget about the dangers of large appliances since they remain plugged in all the time, but they can present as much of a fire hazard as smaller devices like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Large appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher should not be left to run overnight or while you’re away from home, and don’t place a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking their cooling systems inside.
Inspect all of the outlets regularly for extreme heat, signs of burns, and crackling or buzzing sounds that could indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you have at least one smoke detector on each floor of your house, and test them often to keep them in good working condition.
WHAT NOT TO DO
If there is an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it could be tempting to douse the flames with water, but water should never be used on an electrical fire.
Water conducts electricity, and dumping water on or near a power source could give a severe electrical shock. It might even make the fire worse. Water might conduct the electricity to additional areas of the room, increasing the chance of igniting more flammable objects nearby.
HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE
The first step you need to do is unplug the device from the power outlet and call the fire department. Even if you are able to handle the fire yourself, it is a good idea to have backup if the flames do get out of control.
For smaller fires, you could be able to pour on baking soda to douse the flames. Covering the smoldering or burning area with some baking soda will sometimes prevent oxygen flow to the flames with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda also includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the chemical used in regulation fire extinguishers. You also could be able to extinguish a small fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only if the flames are small enough not to catch the heavy blanket on fire as well.
For larger electrical appliance fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always be sure you own at least one Type C or multi-use extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be inspected regularly to make sure they haven’t expired. If there’s a working extinguisher in the home, release the pin near the top, aim the hose at the source of the fire, and press the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to put out by yourself or you are concerned the fire might block an exit, leave the home right away, shut the door , and wait for help from the fire department.
For the smaller appliance fires, call Done-Right Davie Appliance Repair once the flames are extinguished and we can diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the electrical appliance and return it to working order.
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