Emergency Appliance Repair

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

If an appliance emergency happens in your home, unplug the appliance right away and then call Pierce Appliance Repair for local appliance repair. If there is an electrical fire from one of the appliances in your house, we suggest calling the town fire department before you try to extinguish the fire by yourself.

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

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

You are able to stop electrical fires from starting by following a few simple rules of appliance safety in a home. Be careful not to plug more than two devices into one outlet—the wiring can become overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there’s clutter like paper or clothes nearby the electrical outlet.

It can be easy to forget about the dangers of larger appliances because they remain plugged in all the time, but they can present as much chance for a fire hazard as smaller electrical appliances like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left to run overnight or any time you are away from home, and try not to place a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems inside.

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

WHAT NOT TO DO

If there’s an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it can 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 pouring water on or near a power source might cause a dangerous electrical shock. It might even make the fire worse. Water might conduct the electricity to other areas of the room, increasing the risk of igniting other flammable items in the area.

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first step you should do is unplug the electric device from the power outlet and call the fire department. Even if you think you are able to extinguish the fire by yourself, it is a good idea to have backup if the flames do get out of control.

For minor fires, you could be able to pour on baking soda to extinguish 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 same substance used in regulation fire extinguishers. You might be able to smother a small fire using a heavy blanket, but only when the flames are small enough not to catch the heavy blanket on fire too.

For large electrical fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should make sure you own at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be inspected regularly to make sure they haven’t expired. If there is a working fire extinguisher on hand, just release the pin at the top, aim the hose at the flames, and press the handle. If the fire gets too big to fight by yourself or you think the fire may block an exit, leave the home right away, shut the door , and then wait for assistance from the fire department.

For the small appliance fires, call Pierce Appliance Repair once the fire is under control and we will identify the cause of the fire and repair the electrical appliance and restore it to its original condition.

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