A typical appliance repair emergency could 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 call Superior Santa Monica Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Santa Monica. If there’s an electrical fire from one of the appliances inside of your house, we advise calling the fire department even before attempting to put out the fire yourself.
An electrical fire is scary and extremely dangerous, but there are a couple of ways to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If one of your appliances is in flames, it is very important not to panic. Follow our simple guidelines below to keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.
HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES
Homeowners can stop electrical fires from starting by following some simple guidelines for appliance safety in a home. Do not plug in more than two electrical devices into a single electrical outlet—the wiring might become overloaded and spark a fire, especially when there is clutter like paper or clothes nearby the outlet.
It’s possible to forget about the dangers of large residential appliances since they remain plugged in all the time, but they present as much of a fire hazard as smaller devices like toasters and space heaters. Large appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine shouldn’t be left running overnight or while you are not at home, and do not place a refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems inside.
Examine all outlets regularly for extreme heat, burn marks, and buzzing or crackling noises that might indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you have at least one working smoke detector on every floor of your house, and test them regularly to keep them in working order.
WHAT NOT TO DO
If there is an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it can be tempting to douse the fire with water, but water shouldn’t be used to fight an electrical fire.
Water can conduct electricity, and dumping water on or near a power source can cause a severe electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water could conduct the electricity to other areas of the room, running the chance of igniting other flammable objects nearby.
HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE
The first thing you want to do is to unplug the device from the power outlet and call your fire department. Even if you think you might be able to put out the fire yourself, it is a good idea to have help if the flames do get out of hand.
For smaller fires, you may be able to use baking soda to extinguish the fire. Covering the smoldering or burning area with some 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 used in standard fire extinguishers. You also could be able to put out a smaller fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only if the fire is small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire.
For big electrical fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always make sure you own at least one Type C or multi-use extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be checked regularly to be sure they have not expired. If there is a operational fire extinguisher on hand, just release the pin at the top, point the hose at the fire, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to put out alone or you think the fire may block an exit, leave the home as fast as possible, close the door , and wait for help from the fire department.
For the smaller appliance fires, call Superior Santa Monica 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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