Emergency Appliance Repair

A typical appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the appliance.

In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance right away and call Moore Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in California. If there’s an electrical fire resulting from one of the large or small appliances in your home, we recommend calling the fire department before attempting to eliminate the fire on your own.

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

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners can stop electrical fires from starting by following a couple of basic guidelines for appliance safety. Don’t plug in more than two devices into a single electrical outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially if there’s clutter like paper or clothes close to the outlet.

It can be easy to forget about the apparent dangers of large appliances since they remain plugged in all of the time, but they can present as much chance for a fire hazard as small electrical devices like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher should not be left running overnight or while you are away from home, and don’t keep a freezer or refrigerator in direct sunlight, in order to prevent overworking the cooling systems inside.

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

WHAT TO NOT DO

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

Water conducts electricity, and throwing water on or near a power source can cause a dangerous electrical shock. It might even make the fire even worse. Water might conduct the electricity to additional locations of the room, running the risk of igniting other flammable items in the area.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first thing you want to do is to unplug the device from the power outlet and call the local fire department. Even if you are able to handle the fire by yourself, it is a good idea to have help if the flames do get out of control.

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

For larger electrical appliance fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you have at least one Type C or multi-use fire extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be inspected often to make sure they have not expired. If you have a operational fire extinguisher on hand, just release the pin at the top, point the nozzle at the source of the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the flames get too dangerous to put out by yourself or you think the fire could block an exit, leave the home immediately, shut the door , and wait for help from the fire department.

For the small appliance fires, call Moore Appliance Repair once the fire is under control and we will diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the electrical appliance and restore it to its original condition.

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