Emergency Appliance Repair

A typical appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the home appliance.

In the event of an appliance emergency in your house, unplug the appliance right away and call ASAP Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Simi Valley. If there is an electrical fire from one of the appliances inside of your house, we recommend calling the city fire department before attempting to put out the fire by yourself.

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

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

You are able to prevent electrical fires before they start by following a couple of basic rules of appliance safety. Do not plug too many electrical devices into one outlet—the wiring can become overloaded and spark a fire, especially when there is clutter like clothes or paper nearby the electrical outlet.

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

Check all of the outlets on a regular basis for extreme heat, signs of burns, and crackling or buzzing sounds that could point to electrical arcing. Make sure you have 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 can be tempting to put out the flames with water, but water should not be used to fight an electrical fire.

Water conducts electricity, and dumping water on a power source might cause a dangerous electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water might conduct electricity to other parts of the room, running the risk of igniting other flammable items in the room.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The immediate step you want to do is unplug the appliance from the power outlet and call your fire department. Even if you think you might be able to extinguish the fire on your own, it’s important to have backup if the fire does get out of control.

For little fires, you could be able to use baking soda to extinguish the fire. Covering the fuming or burning area with baking soda can prevent oxygen flow to the fire with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance used in regulation fire extinguishers. You may be able to put out a small fire with a heavy blanket as well, but only when the fire is small enough not to catch the blanket on fire.

For big electrical appliance fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always make sure you own at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be checked consistently to make sure they are not expired. If there’s a operational fire extinguisher in the home, just pull the pin at the top, aim the hose at the source of the flames, and press the handle. If the flames get too big to fight by yourself or you are concerned the fire could block an exit, you should leave the home immediately, close the door behind you, and then wait for assistance from the local fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call ASAP Appliance Repair once the flames are extinguished and we can diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the appliance and restore it to working order.

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