A typical appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the appliance.
If an appliance emergency occurs, unplug the appliance immediately and then call IBC Irving Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Texas. If there’s an electrical fire resulting from one of the appliances in your home, we recommend calling the fire department before you try to put out the fire yourself.
An electrical fire from an appliance 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 important not to panic and to remain calm. Follow these simple guidelines to keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.
You are able to stop electrical fires before they start by following a few simple rules of appliance safety in a home. Be careful not to plug too many electrical devices into a single outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and spark a fire, especially when there’s debris like clothes or paper close to the electrical outlet.
Sometimes we forget about the apparent dangers of larger residential appliances because they remain plugged in all of the time, but they still present as much of a fire hazard as smaller devices like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine shouldn’t be left to run overnight or while you are away from home, and don’t keep a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, in order to prevent overworking the cooling systems inside.
Inspect all of the outlets regularly for extreme heat, signs of burns, and buzzing or crackling noises that might point to electrical arcing. Be sure you have at least one working smoke detector on each floor of your house, and test the smoke detectors regularly to keep them in good working order.
If there is an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it could be tempting to douse the flames with water, but water shouldn’t be used to put out an electrical fire.
Water conducts electricity, and throwing water on a power source could cause a harmful electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water could conduct electricity to additional locations of the room, increasing the risk of igniting other flammable objects nearby.
The immediate thing you need to do is to unplug the device from the power outlet and call the local fire department. Even if you are able to put out the fire by yourself, it is a good idea to have help if the fire does get out of control.
For minor fires, you may be able to pour on baking soda to douse the flames. Covering the smoking or burning area with a layer of baking soda can prevent oxygen flow to the fire with little risk of electrocution. Baking soda also contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance used in standard fire extinguishers. You also could be able to put out a smaller fire with a heavy blanket, but only when the flames are small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire.
For larger electrical fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always be sure you own at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be inspected consistently to make sure they haven’t expired. If there is a working fire extinguisher on hand, release the pin at the top, aim the hose at the fire, and press the handle. If the flames get too big to fight alone or you think the fire could block an exit, leave the house right away, shut the door , and then wait for assistance from the fire department.
For the smaller appliance fires, call IBC Irving Appliance Repair once the fire is under control and we will identify the cause of the fire and repair the electrical appliance and return it to its original condition.
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