A typical appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the appliance.
If an appliance emergency arises, unplug the appliance immediately and then call Renew Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Bowie. If there is an electrical fire happening with one of the large or small appliances inside of your house, we advise calling the local fire department even before you try to eliminate the fire on your own.
An electrical fire is very scary and very dangerous, but there are a few steps 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 our easy guidelines below to keep your house safe from electrical fires.
Homeowners can prevent electrical fires from starting by following some simple rules of appliance safety. Do not plug in too many electrical devices into a single electrical outlet—the wiring might get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there is clutter like clothes or paper close to the electrical outlet.
Sometimes we forget about the apparent dangers of larger appliances because they remain plugged in all the time, but they can present as much of a fire hazard as smaller electrical appliances like toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left to run overnight or any time you’re away from home, and do not keep a refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight, in order to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems inside.
Check all outlets regularly for extreme heat, signs of burns, and buzzing or crackling sounds that could indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you keep 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 such as an electrical fire, it can be tempting to douse the flames with water, but water shouldn’t be used on an electrical appliance fire.
Water will conduct electricity, and pouring water on a power source could give a dangerous electrical shock. It could even make the fire even worse. Water might conduct the electricity to additional areas of the room, increasing the chance of igniting more flammable items in the area.
The first step you want to do is to unplug the appliance from the power outlet and call your local fire department. Even if you think you can handle the fire by yourself, it’s important to have backup if the flames do get out of hand.
For smaller fires, you might be able to use baking soda to extinguish the flames. Covering the smoldering or burning area with baking soda can prevent oxygen flow to the fire with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the chemical used in regulation fire extinguishers. You also could be able to put out a smaller fire with a heavy blanket, but only when the fire is small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire too.
For big electrical appliance fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always make sure you have at least one Type C or multi-use extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers need to be checked often to be sure they are not expired. If there’s a operational extinguisher on hand, release the pin near the top, aim the hose at the fire, and press the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to fight by yourself or you think the fire might block an exit, you should leave the home immediately, close the door , and then wait for help from the local fire department.
For the smaller appliance fires, call Renew Appliance Repair once the fire is under control and we can diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the appliance and restore it to its original condition.
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