A typical appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the appliance.
In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance immediately and then call Longmont Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Longmont. If there’s an electrical fire involving one of the appliances in your home, we advise calling the town fire department even before you try to eliminate the fire yourself.
An electrical fire can be scary and extremely 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 is important to not panic. Follow these simple guidelines below to help keep your house safe from electrical fires.
PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES
You can prevent electrical fires from ever starting by following some simple rules of appliance safety in a home. Do not plug in more than two electrical devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring might become overloaded and then spark a fire, especially if there’s clutter like clothes or paper close to the electrical outlet.
Sometimes we forget about the dangers of large appliances because they remain plugged in all the time, but they still present as much chance for a fire hazard as smaller appliances like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Large appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left to run overnight or any time you’re away from home, and try not to keep a refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems inside.
Inspect all outlets regularly for excessive heat, signs of burns, and buzzing or crackling sounds that might point to electrical arcing. Make sure you keep at least one smoke detector on every floor of your home, and test them regularly to keep them in working condition.
WHAT NOT TO DO
If there’s an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it can be tempting to douse the flames with water, but water should not be used on an electrical appliance fire.
Water conducts electricity, and throwing water on or near a power source can cause a harmful electrical shock. It might even make the fire even worse. Water can conduct the electricity to additional locations of the room, running the risk of igniting more flammable items nearby.
HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE
The first thing you want 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 yourself, it is a good idea to have backup if the fire does get out of control.
For small fires, you could be able to pour on baking soda to douse the fire. Covering the smoking or burning area with some baking soda can block oxygen flow to the flames with very little risk of electrocution. Baking soda also includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance in standard fire extinguishers. You also may be able to extinguish a smaller fire using a heavy blanket, but only if the flames are small enough not to catch the heavy blanket on fire too.
For large electrical appliance fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you own at least one Type C or multi-use extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers need to be checked regularly to ensure they have not expired. If there’s a operational extinguisher in the home, release the pin near the top, point the hose at the source of the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too big to put out alone or you think the fire might block an exit, you should leave the home right away, shut the door , and wait for help from the local fire department.
For the small appliance fires, call Longmont Appliance Repair once the flames are under control and we can identify the reason for the fire and repair the electrical appliance and return it to working order.
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