Emergency Appliance Repair

An appliance repair emergency might be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the household appliance.

In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance immediately and call One Pro Appliance Repairs for local appliance repair in Elizabeth. If there is an electrical fire from one of the large or small appliances inside your house, we advise calling the local fire department before you try to extinguish the fire on your own.

An electrical fire is scary and very dangerous, but there are a few steps to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If one of your appliances is in flames, it’s important not to panic. Follow our simple guidelines to keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

You can stop electrical fires from starting by following a few basic rules of appliance safety. Do not plug too many electrical devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring might become overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there’s clutter like paper or clothes close to the outlet.

It’s possible to forget about the apparent dangers of larger residential appliances because they remain plugged in all the time, but they still present as much chance for 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 while you are not at home, and try not to keep a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking their cooling systems.

Examine all outlets regularly for extreme heat, burn marks, and buzzing or crackling sounds that could indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you keep at least one working smoke detector on each floor of your home, and test the smoke detectors often to keep them in good working condition.

WHAT NOT TO DO

If there’s an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it could be tempting to douse the fire with water, but water shouldn’t be used to douse an electrical fire.

Water conducts electricity, and dumping water on or near a power source might give a severe electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water could conduct electricity to other parts of the room, increasing the risk of igniting other flammable items in the room.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first step you need to do is to unplug the appliance from the power source and call your fire department. Even if you might be able to handle the fire on your own, it’s a good idea to have backup if the flames do get out of hand.

For little fires, you could be able to use baking soda to smother the flames. Covering the fuming or burning spot with baking soda can prohibit oxygen flow to the fire with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance in standard fire extinguishers. You might be able to extinguish a small fire using a heavy blanket, but only if the fire is small enough not to catch the blanket on fire.

For larger electrical appliance fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always make sure you have at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers need to be inspected consistently to ensure they aren’t expired. If there is a operational fire extinguisher in the home, pull the pin near the top, aim the nozzle at the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the flames get too big to fight by yourself or you are concerned the fire might block an exit, you should leave the home right away, close the door behind you, and then wait for assistance from the local fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call One Pro Appliance Repairs once the fire is under control and we can identify the cause of the fire and repair the appliance and return it to its original condition.

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