A typical appliance repair emergency might be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the appliance.
If an appliance emergency arises, unplug the appliance right away and then call H&H Denton Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Denton. If there is an electrical fire from one of the appliances in your house, we recommend calling the fire department before attempting to extinguish the fire by yourself.
An electrical fire from an appliance is scary and extremely dangerous, but there are a few ways to be prepared in case of an emergency. If one of your appliances is in flames, it’s important not to panic and remain calm. Follow these easy guidelines below to help keep your home safe from electrical fires.
You can prevent electrical fires from ever starting by following a few simple rules of appliance safety. Be careful not to plug in more than two devices into a single electrical outlet—the wiring might get overloaded and spark a fire, especially when there’s debris like clothes or paper nearby the electrical outlet.
It’s possible to forget about the dangers of larger appliances because they remain plugged in all of the time, but they still present as much of a fire hazard as small electrical appliances like kitchen toasters and heaters. Large appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine should not be left running 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 the cooling systems inside.
Examine all outlets regularly for excessive heat, burns, and crackling or buzzing noises that could indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you keep at least one working smoke detector on each story of your house, and test them often to keep them in good working condition.
If there’s an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it might be tempting to put out the flames with water, however water should not be used on an electrical fire.
Water conducts electricity, and throwing water on or near a power source might cause a dangerous electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water can conduct electricity to additional locations of the room, running the chance of igniting more flammable items in the area.
The immediate step you want to do is to unplug the electric appliance from the power outlet and call your local fire department. Even if you think you can take care of the fire on your own, it is a good idea to have backup if the fire does get out of control.
For minor fires, you might be able to use baking soda to extinguish the flames. Covering the smoking or burning spot with a layer of baking soda can block oxygen flow to the flames with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda also includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the chemical in standard fire extinguishers. You may be able to put out a small fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only when the flames are small enough not to catch the heavy blanket on fire as well.
For large electrical fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always make sure you have at least one Type C or multi-use fire extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers should also be inspected often to ensure they have not expired. If you have a working extinguisher in the home, just pull the pin near the top, aim the hose at the source of the fire, and squeeze the handle. If the flames get too dangerous to fight by yourself or you are concerned the fire could block an exit, you should leave the house immediately, shut the door , and then wait for assistance from the local fire department.
For the small appliance fires, call H&H Denton Appliance Repair once the flames are under control and we can diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the electrical appliance and restore it to working order.
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