Emergency Appliance Repair

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

In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance immediately and call Cardinal Appliance Repair for local appliance repair. If there is an electrical fire involving one of the large or small appliances inside of your house, we advise calling the city fire department before attempting to extinguish the fire yourself.

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

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

You can prevent electrical fires from starting by following a couple of basic rules of appliance safety in a home. Be sure not to plug too many electrical devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring can become overloaded and then spark a fire, especially if there’s clutter like paper or clothes near the outlet.

Sometimes we forget about the dangers of large residential appliances because they are plugged in all the time, but they present as much of a fire hazard as small devices like toasters and heaters. Large appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher should not be left to run overnight or any time you’re not at home, and don’t place a freezer or refrigerator in direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking their cooling systems.

Inspect all of the outlets on a regular basis for excessive heat, burn marks, and buzzing or crackling noises that might indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you store at least one working smoke detector on each floor of your home, and test them often to keep them in working order.

WHAT NOT TO DO

If there’s an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it might be tempting to douse the flames with water, however water should not be used on an electrical fire.

Water conducts electricity, and pouring water on or near a power source could cause a harmful electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water might conduct electricity to additional parts of the room, increasing the risk of igniting more flammable items in the room.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first step you want to do is to unplug the appliance from the power outlet and call your local fire department. Even if you think you can put out the fire on your own, it’s important to have backup if the flames do get out of control.

For smaller fires, you could be able to pour on baking soda to douse the flames. Covering the smoldering or burning area with a layer of baking soda will sometimes prohibit oxygen flow to the flames with very little chance of electrocution. Baking soda includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance used in regulation fire extinguishers. You might be able to smother a small fire with a heavy blanket as well, but only when the flames are small enough not to catch the blanket on fire as well.

For large electrical fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always be sure you own at least one Type C extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers need to be checked consistently to be sure they are not expired. If you have a operational fire extinguisher on hand, just release the pin at the top, aim the hose at the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too big to fight alone or you are concerned the fire may block an exit, leave the house right away, shut the door , and then wait for assistance from the local fire department.

For the small appliance fires, call Cardinal Appliance Repair once the fire is under control and we can diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the appliance and restore it to working order.

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