A typical appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the appliance.
If an appliance emergency happens, unplug the appliance immediately and then call R&D Colorado Springs Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Colorado Springs. If there’s an electrical fire from one of the appliances inside your house, we recommend calling the fire department even before you attempt to eliminate the fire yourself.
An electrical fire is very scary and very dangerous, but there are a few ways to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If an electrical appliance goes up in flames, it’s important to not panic and to remain calm. Follow our easy guidelines below to help keep your house safe from electrical fires.
You are able to prevent electrical fires before they start by following some basic guidelines for appliance safety. Be sure not to plug too many electrical devices into a single outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there’s clutter like paper or clothes nearby the outlet.
Sometimes we forget about the dangers of larger household appliances since they are plugged in all of the time, but they present as much chance for a fire hazard as smaller appliances like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left running overnight or while you are not at home, and don’t place a refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight, in order to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems inside.
Examine all of the outlets regularly for excessive heat, burn marks, and buzzing or crackling noises that could indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you store at least one working smoke detector on each story of your home, and test the smoke detectors regularly to keep them in good working order.
If there is an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it might be tempting to put out the flames with water, but water shouldn’t be used to fight an electrical fire.
Water conducts electricity, and pouring water on a power source could cause a dangerous electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water could conduct electricity to additional locations of the room, increasing the chance of igniting other flammable items nearby.
The first thing you want to do is unplug the appliance from the power outlet and call the fire department. Even if you think you can handle the fire yourself, it’s a good idea to have backup if the flames do get out of control.
For little fires, you may be able to use baking soda to extinguish 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 risk of electrocution. Baking soda also includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance used in standard fire extinguishers. You also might be able to put out a small fire with a heavy blanket, but only when the flames are small enough not to catch the heavy blanket on fire too.
For big electrical fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should make sure you have at least one Type C extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be inspected consistently to make sure they have not expired. If there’s a working fire extinguisher in the home, pull the pin at the top, point the hose at the source of the fire, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too big to put out alone or you are concerned the fire could block an exit, leave the house right away, close the door behind you, and wait for assistance from the fire department.
For the small appliance fires, call R&D Colorado Springs Appliance Repair once the flames are extinguished and we can diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the appliance and return it to working order.
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