Emergency Appliance Repair

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 immediately and then call Livermore Appliance Repair Pros for local appliance repair in Livermore California. If there is an electrical fire from one of the appliances inside of your house, we advise calling the local fire department even before you try to extinguish the fire yourself.

An electrical fire from an appliance is scary and very dangerous, but there are a few ways to be prepared in case of an emergency. If one of your appliances goes up in flames, it is very important to not panic. Follow these easy guidelines below to keep your home safe from electrical fires.

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners are able to stop electrical fires before they start by following a couple of basic rules of appliance safety in a home. Do not plug a lot of devices into a single outlet—the wiring might become overloaded and spark a fire, especially when there is clutter like paper or clothes close to the outlet.

Sometimes we forget about the apparent dangers of larger household appliances because they remain plugged in all of the time, but they can present as much chance for a fire hazard as smaller electrical appliances like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left running overnight or while you’re away from home, and don’t keep a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, to prevent overworking their cooling systems inside.

Check all outlets on a regular basis for excessive heat, burns, and crackling or buzzing sounds that could indicate electrical arcing. Be sure you store at least one working smoke detector on each floor of your home, and test them often to keep them in working order.

WHAT NOT TO DO

If there is an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it might be tempting to douse the fire with water, but water shouldn’t be used to put out an electrical appliance fire.

Water can conduct electricity, and throwing water on or near a power source might cause a severe electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water might conduct electricity to additional parts of the room, increasing the risk of igniting more flammable objects in the area.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first thing you should do is to unplug the electric device from the power source and call the local fire department. Even if you think you can handle the fire on your own, it’s important to have backup if the fire does get out of control.

For smaller 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 can prevent oxygen flow to the flames with little chance of electrocution. Baking soda also contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance used in standard fire extinguishers. You also may be able to smother a small fire with a heavy blanket as well, but only if the flames are small enough not to catch the blanket on fire.

For big electrical fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should make sure you have at least one Type C or multi-use fire extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers need to be inspected regularly to ensure they are not expired. If you have a working extinguisher in the home, just release the pin near the top, aim the nozzle at the fire, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to fight alone or you think the fire might block an exit, leave the house right away, close the door behind you, and wait for assistance from the local fire department.

For the small appliance fires, call Livermore Appliance Repair Pros once the fire is extinguished and we can diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the electrical appliance and restore it to working order.

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