Emergency Appliance Repair

An appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the household appliance.

In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance right away and call Boyle Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in CITY. If there’s an electrical fire resulting from one of the large or small appliances in your home, we suggest calling the town fire department before you try to eliminate the fire by yourself.

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

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

You can prevent electrical fires before they start by following a couple of simple guidelines for appliance safety in a home. Do not plug more than two electrical devices into a single electrical outlet—the wiring might become overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there is debris like paper or clothes close to the outlet.

Sometimes we forget about the apparent dangers of larger appliances because they stay plugged in all the time, but they still present as much chance for a fire hazard as smaller devices like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Large appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine should not be left to run overnight or any time you are away from home, and do not keep a refrigerator or freezer in line of direct sunlight, in order to prevent overworking their cooling systems.

Check all outlets regularly for excessive heat, signs of burns, and crackling or buzzing noises that might point to electrical arcing. Be sure you store at least one smoke detector on each floor of your house, and test them often to keep them in working order.

WHAT NOT TO DO

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

Water can conduct electricity, and dumping water on a power source could cause a severe electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water might conduct the electricity to additional areas of the room, running the risk of igniting more flammable items in the area.

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first step you want to do is to unplug the appliance from the power source and call the local fire department. Even if you think you are able to handle the fire on your own, it is important to have backup if the fire does get out of control.

For small fires, you could be able to pour on baking soda to smother the flames. Covering the smoking or burning area with baking soda can prevent oxygen flow to the fire with little chance of electrocution. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance in standard fire extinguishers. You may be able to extinguish a small fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only when the flames are small enough not to catch the blanket on fire too.

For larger electrical appliance fires, you need 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 inspected regularly to make sure they haven’t expired. If you have a working extinguisher on hand, release the pin near the top, aim the nozzle at the fire, and press the handle. If the flames get too dangerous to put out by yourself or you are concerned the fire might block an exit, you should leave the house immediately, shut the door , and wait for assistance from the fire department.

For the small appliance fires, call Boyle Appliance Repair once the flames are under control and we can diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the electrical appliance and return it to its original condition.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Appliance Repair Cost
Appliance Repair Tips
Appliance Safety
Repair or Replace Appliances
Refrigerator Parts