Emergency Appliance Repair

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

In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance right away and then call Hialeah Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Hialeah. If there is an electrical fire resulting from one of the large or small appliances in your house, we advise calling the town fire department before attempting to eliminate the fire on your own.

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

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners are able to stop electrical fires before they start by following some simple rules of appliance safety in a home. Don’t plug in more than two devices into one outlet—the wiring might get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially if there’s debris like paper or clothes near the electrical outlet.

It can be easy to forget about the apparent dangers of large residential appliances since they remain plugged in all the time, but they still present as much chance for a fire hazard as smaller devices like toasters and heaters. Large appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left running overnight or while you’re not at home, and do not keep a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, in order to prevent possibly overworking their cooling systems.

Examine all outlets regularly for extreme heat, signs of burns, and crackling or buzzing sounds that might indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you keep at least one working smoke detector on each story of your house, and test them quarterly to keep them in good working condition.

WHAT TO NOT DO

If there’s an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it might be tempting to put out the fire with water, but water should never be used on an electrical appliance fire.

Water conducts electricity, and pouring water on a power source can give a severe electrical shock. It might even make the fire worse. Water could conduct electricity to additional locations of the room, running the chance of igniting other flammable items in the room.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first thing you should do is unplug the electric appliance from the power source and call your local fire department. Even if you might be able to extinguish the fire on your own, it is a good idea to have backup if the fire does get out of hand.

For small fires, you may be able to use baking soda to douse the fire. Covering the fuming or burning area with baking soda will sometimes prohibit oxygen flow to the flames with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda also contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the chemical used in standard fire extinguishers. You could be able to smother a smaller fire with a heavy blanket as well, but only when the fire is small enough not to catch the blanket on fire.

For large electrical appliance fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you have at least one Type C or multi-use extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be inspected regularly to ensure they are not expired. If there is a working fire extinguisher in the home, just release the pin at the top, aim the nozzle at the source of the fire, and press the handle. If the flames get too dangerous to fight alone or you think the fire might block an exit, leave the house immediately, close the door , and then wait for assistance from the local fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call Hialeah Appliance Repair once the fire is extinguished and we can diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the appliance and return it to working order.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Appliance Repair Cost
Appliance Repair Tips
Appliance Safety
Repair or Replace Appliances
Refrigerator Parts

CLICK-TO-CALL