A typical appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the household appliance.
In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance right away and then call Santa Clarita Appliance Repair ASAP for local appliance repair in Santa Clarita. If there’s an electrical fire from one of the appliances in your home, we advise calling the local fire department before you attempt to extinguish the fire on your own.
An electrical fire from an appliance is scary and very dangerous, but there are a couple of steps to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If one of your appliances goes up in flames, it’s very important to not panic. Follow these simple guidelines to help keep your home safe from electrical fires.
Homeowners are able to prevent electrical fires before they start by following some basic rules of appliance safety in a home. Don’t plug too many devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there is clutter like paper or clothes close to the electrical outlet.
It’s possible to forget about the apparent dangers of larger household appliances because they stay plugged in all the time, but they can present as much chance for a fire hazard as smaller electrical devices like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Large appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine shouldn’t be left to run overnight or any time you are away from home, and try not to place a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, to prevent overworking their cooling systems inside.
Inspect all outlets regularly for extreme heat, burn marks, and buzzing or crackling sounds that could indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you have at least one working smoke detector on each story of your home, and test the smoke detectors regularly to keep them in working order.
If there is an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it can be tempting to put out the flames with water, however water should not be used to fight an electrical fire.
Water conducts electricity, and pouring water on or near a power source could cause a dangerous electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water can conduct the electricity to additional parts of the room, running the risk of igniting other flammable items in the area.
The first thing you need to do is to unplug the appliance from the power outlet and call your local fire department. Even if you might be able to put out the fire by yourself, it’s a good idea to have backup if the flames do get out of control.
For small fires, you may be able to pour on baking soda to smother the fire. Covering the fuming or burning area with a layer of baking soda will sometimes prevent oxygen flow to the fire with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance in standard fire extinguishers. You might be able to put out a smaller fire with a heavy blanket, but only if the flames are small enough to not catch the blanket on fire too.
For large electrical appliance fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always be sure you own at least one Type C or multi-use extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers need to be checked often to be sure they have not expired. If there is a working extinguisher on hand, pull the pin near the top, aim the hose at the source of the fire, and press the handle. If the flames get too dangerous to fight by yourself or you are concerned the fire may block an exit, leave the home as fast as possible, close the door behind you, and wait for help from the fire department.
For the small appliance fires, call Santa Clarita Appliance Repair ASAP once the flames are extinguished and we will identify the cause of the fire and repair the appliance and restore it to working order.
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