Emergency Appliance Repair

An appliance repair emergency might be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the appliance.

In the event of an appliance emergency in your house, unplug the appliance immediately and call Total Toledo Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Toledo. If there is an electrical fire involving one of the appliances inside of your house, we advise calling the city fire department even before attempting to extinguish the fire by yourself.

An electrical fire from an appliance can be very scary and extremely dangerous, but there are a few steps to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If an appliance goes up in flames, it’s important to not panic. Follow these easy guidelines below to keep your home safe from electrical appliance fires.

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners are able to stop electrical fires from ever starting by following a couple of simple rules of appliance safety. Do not plug in too many devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there is clutter like paper or clothes nearby the outlet.

Sometimes we forget about the dangers of large household appliances since they stay plugged in all the time, but they can present as much of a fire hazard as small electrical devices like toasters and heaters. Larger appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher should not be left running overnight or any time you’re away from home, and don’t keep a refrigerator or freezer in line of direct sunlight, in order to prevent possibly overworking their cooling systems inside.

Check all outlets on a regular basis for excessive heat, burn marks, and crackling or buzzing noises that might indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you store at least one smoke detector on every story of your home, and test the smoke detectors often to keep them in good working order.

WHAT TO NOT DO

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

Water conducts electricity, and dumping water on a power source could cause a harmful electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water might conduct the electricity to other areas of the room, running the chance of igniting other flammable objects nearby.

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first step you need to do is to unplug the electric device from the power source and call the local fire department. Even if you think you are able to extinguish the fire on your own, it’s a good idea to have help if the flames do get out of control.

For little fires, you could be able to pour on baking soda to douse the fire. Covering the smoldering or burning spot with baking soda will sometimes prevent oxygen flow to the fire with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda also contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same chemical in regulation fire extinguishers. You could be able to put out a small fire with a heavy blanket, but only when the fire is small enough not to catch the heavy blanket on fire.

For big electrical appliance fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always make sure you own at least one Type C extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers need to be inspected regularly to be sure they have not expired. If there’s a operational extinguisher in the home, release the pin at the top, point the nozzle at the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to put out alone or you are concerned the fire could block an exit, leave the home immediately, shut the door behind you, and wait for help from the fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call Total Toledo Appliance Repair once the fire is extinguished and we can identify the cause of the fire and repair the appliance and return it to working order.

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