An appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the appliance.
If an appliance emergency happens, unplug the appliance immediately and call Campbell Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Arlington. If there is an electrical fire happening with one of the large or small appliances inside of your house, we suggest calling the town fire department before you attempt to eliminate the fire on your own.
An electrical fire is very scary and extremely dangerous, but there are a few steps to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If an appliance goes up in flames, it is very important not to panic and remain calm. Follow our easy guidelines below to keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.
Homeowners can prevent electrical fires before they start by following a few basic guidelines for appliance safety in a home. Be careful not to plug a lot of electrical devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring can become overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there is clutter like paper or clothes close to the outlet.
Sometimes we forget about the apparent dangers of larger residential appliances because they are plugged in all the time, but they present as much of a fire hazard as small appliances like toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left to run overnight or while you are away from home, and try not to keep a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, to prevent overworking the cooling systems.
Examine all outlets on a regular basis for extreme heat, burns, and crackling or buzzing sounds that might point to electrical arcing. Make sure you store at least one smoke detector on every story of your home, and test them regularly to keep them in working condition.
If there’s an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it could be tempting to douse the flames with water, however water should never be used to fight an electrical fire.
Water can conduct electricity, and pouring water on a power source could cause a dangerous electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water might conduct electricity to other locations of the room, increasing the risk of igniting more flammable objects in the room.
The first thing you need to do is unplug the device from the power outlet and call your local fire department. Even if you might be able to handle the fire yourself, it is a good idea to have backup if the fire does get out of control.
For small fires, you may be able to use baking soda to extinguish 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 substance in regulation fire extinguishers. You also may be able to smother a small fire with a heavy blanket as well, but only when the flames are small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire too.
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 need to be checked regularly to ensure they haven’t expired. If you have a working fire extinguisher on hand, pull the pin at the top, point the nozzle at the source of the fire, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to put out by yourself or you are concerned the fire might block an exit, you should leave the house right away, shut the door , and wait for help from the local fire department.
For the smaller appliance fires, call Campbell Appliance Repair once the flames are extinguished and we will diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the appliance and return it to working order.
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