Emergency Appliance Repair

A typical appliance repair emergency might be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the household appliance.

If an appliance emergency arises, unplug the appliance immediately and call Power Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Reston. If there is an electrical fire from one of the appliances inside of your home, we recommend calling the town fire department before you attempt to eliminate the fire on your own.

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

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners are able to stop electrical fires from starting by following some simple rules of appliance safety in a home. Don’t plug in more than two electrical devices into one outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there’s debris like clothes or paper close to the outlet.

It can be easy to forget about the dangers of larger residential appliances since they remain plugged in all of the time, but they still present as much of a fire hazard as small devices like toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine should not be left to run overnight or any time you’re away from home, and try not to place a refrigerator or freezer in line of direct sunlight, in order to prevent overworking the cooling systems.

Examine all of the outlets regularly for excessive heat, burn marks, and buzzing or crackling noises that could point to electrical arcing. Be sure you store at least one working smoke detector on every story of your home, and test them regularly to keep them in good working condition.

WHAT NOT TO DO

If there’s an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it can be tempting to douse the flames with water, however water should never be used on an electrical appliance fire.

Water can conduct electricity, and dumping water on or near a power source could give a severe electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water could conduct the electricity to other areas of the room, increasing the chance of igniting more flammable objects in the area.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first step you need to do is to unplug the electric appliance from the power source and call the local fire department. Even if you can put out the fire yourself, it is a good idea to have backup if the flames do get out of control.

For smaller fires, you might be able to pour on baking soda to smother the fire. Covering the smoking or burning spot with some baking soda can prohibit oxygen flow to the flames with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda also includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance in regulation fire extinguishers. You might be able to smother a smaller fire with a heavy blanket, but only if the fire is small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire as well.

For larger electrical appliance fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always make sure you own at least one Type C extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers need to be inspected consistently to ensure they haven’t expired. If there’s a operational fire extinguisher in the home, release the pin at the top, aim the nozzle at the flames, and press the handle. If the flames get too big to put out alone or you think the fire might block an exit, you should leave the house right away, close the door behind you, and then wait for assistance from the fire department.

For the small appliance fires, call Power Appliance Repair once the flames are extinguished and we will diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the appliance and restore it to its original condition.

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Appliance Safety
Repair or Replace Appliances
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