A typical appliance repair emergency might be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the appliance.
In the event of an appliance emergency in your home, unplug the appliance right away and then call Same-Day Skokie Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Skokie. If there’s an electrical fire resulting from one of the appliances inside your home, we recommend calling the local fire department even before you attempt to eliminate the fire on your own.
An electrical fire from an appliance is very scary and very dangerous, but there are a couple of ways to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If one of your appliances goes up in flames, it is important not to panic and to remain calm. Follow these easy guidelines to keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.
Homeowners can stop electrical fires from starting by following a couple of basic rules of appliance safety. Do not plug in more than two devices into one outlet—the wiring might get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there is clutter like paper or clothes close to the electrical outlet.
Sometimes we forget about the dangers of large residential appliances because they remain plugged in all the time, but they present as much of a fire hazard as smaller electrical appliances like toasters and heaters. Large appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine should not be left running overnight or any time you’re not at home, and do not place a refrigerator or freezer in line of direct sunlight, to prevent overworking the cooling systems inside.
Inspect all outlets on a regular basis for excessive heat, signs of burns, and crackling or buzzing noises that might indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you have at least one working smoke detector on each story of your home, and test the smoke detectors regularly to keep them in good working condition.
If there is an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it could be tempting to put out the flames with water, however water should never be used to fight an electrical fire.
Water conducts electricity, and pouring water on or near a power source could give a harmful electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water might conduct the electricity to other areas of the room, increasing the chance of igniting other flammable items in the room.
The first step you should do is to unplug the device from the power source and call your fire department. Even if you think you might be able to put out the fire on your own, it’s a good idea to have help if the flames do get out of hand.
For small fires, you could be able to pour on baking soda to smother the fire. Covering the smoldering or burning area with baking soda can prevent oxygen flow to the flames with little chance of electrocution. Baking soda also contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance in standard fire extinguishers. You might be able to extinguish a smaller fire using a heavy blanket, but only if the fire is small enough not to catch the heavy blanket on fire as well.
For large electrical appliance fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you own at least one Type C or multi-use extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be checked often to be sure they have not expired. If there’s a operational fire extinguisher in the home, just pull the pin near the top, point the hose at the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the flames get too big to put out by yourself or you are concerned 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 fire department.
For the smaller appliance fires, call Same-Day Skokie Appliance Repair once the flames are under control and we can diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the electrical appliance and restore it to its original condition.
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