Emergency Appliance Repair

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

If an appliance emergency occurs, unplug the appliance right away and then call Gibbs Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in CITY. If there is an electrical fire happening with one of the large or small appliances inside of your home, we advise calling the local fire department before attempting to extinguish the fire by yourself.

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

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners are able to stop electrical fires from starting by following a few basic rules of appliance safety. Don’t plug a lot of devices into a single electrical outlet—the wiring can become overloaded and then spark a fire, especially if there’s clutter like clothes or paper near the outlet.

Sometimes we forget about the dangers of larger household appliances since they stay plugged in all of the time, but they still present as much of a fire hazard as smaller electrical devices like toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine should not be left to run overnight or while you are not at home, and try not to keep a refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight, in order to prevent overworking their cooling systems.

Check all of the outlets regularly for excessive heat, burns, and crackling or buzzing noises that might point to electrical arcing. Make sure you have at least one smoke detector on each floor of your home, and test the smoke detectors regularly to keep them in working order.

WHAT TO NOT DO

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

Water conducts electricity, and pouring water on or near a power source might give a dangerous electrical shock. It could even make the fire even worse. Water can conduct the electricity to other areas of the room, increasing the chance of igniting more flammable items nearby.

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The immediate thing you want to do is unplug the electric appliance from the power outlet and call your fire department. Even if you think you can extinguish the fire yourself, it is a good idea to have help if the fire does get out of hand.

For small fires, you could be able to use baking soda to extinguish the flames. Covering the smoldering or burning spot with a layer of baking soda can prohibit oxygen flow to the fire with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance in standard fire extinguishers. You also may be able to smother a small fire with a heavy blanket, but only when the flames are small enough not to catch the heavy blanket on fire too.

For larger electrical appliance fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you have at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers should also be inspected consistently to ensure they are not expired. If you have a operational fire extinguisher in the home, just release the pin near the top, aim the nozzle at the fire, and press the handle. If the flames get too big to put out alone or you think the fire could block an exit, leave the home right away, close the door , and wait for assistance from the local fire department.

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

OTHER RESOURCES:

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