Emergency Appliance Repair

 

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

In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance right away and then call Ward Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Atlanta. If there is an electrical fire resulting from one of the appliances inside of your home, we advise calling the town fire department before attempting to put out the fire yourself.

An electrical fire from an appliance is scary and very dangerous, but there are a few steps to be prepared in case of an emergency. If an appliance is in flames, it’s important not to panic and remain calm. Follow these simple guidelines below to keep your house safe from electrical fires before finding appliance repair near me to safely fix the problem.

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

You can prevent electrical fires before they start by following some simple guidelines for appliance safety in a home. Do not plug more than two electrical devices into one outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there’s debris like clothes or paper nearby the electrical outlet.

It is possible to forget about the apparent dangers of large residential appliances since they are plugged in all the time, but they can present as much of a fire hazard as smaller electrical appliances like kitchen toasters and heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine shouldn’t be left to run overnight or while you are not at home, and try not to place a refrigerator or freezer in line of direct sunlight, to prevent overworking the cooling systems.

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

WHAT TO NOT DO

If there’s an emergency involving an electrical fire in need of , it could be tempting to put out the fire with water, however water should not be used on an electrical fire.

Water can conduct electricity, and pouring water on or near a power source can give a dangerous electrical shock. It could even make the fire worse. Water might conduct the electricity to additional locations of the room, running the chance of igniting other flammable items nearby.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The immediate thing you need to do is unplug the device from the power source and call your local fire department. Even if you think you can extinguish the fire on your own, it is a good idea to have backup if the flames do get out of control.

For minor fires, you may be able to use baking soda to douse the fire. Covering the fuming or burning area with a layer of baking soda will sometimes prohibit oxygen flow to the fire with little risk of electrocution. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the chemical in standard fire extinguishers. You also may be able to smother a smaller fire with a heavy blanket as well, but only when the fire is small enough not to catch the 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 often to ensure they aren’t expired. If you have a operational extinguisher in the home, release the pin near the top, aim the nozzle at the flames, and press the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to fight by yourself or you think the fire could block an exit, you should leave the home as fast as possible, shut the door behind you, and then wait for help from the local fire department.

For the small appliance fires, call Ward Appliance Repair once the fire is under control and we can diagnose the cause of the fire and fix the electrical appliance and restore it to its original condition.

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