Emergency Appliance Repair

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

In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance right away and then call Payne Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in CITY. If there is an electrical fire from one of the large or small appliances inside of your home, we recommend calling the local fire department even before attempting to eliminate the fire yourself.

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

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

You can prevent electrical fires from starting by following a few simple rules of appliance safety in a home. Do not plug too many electrical devices into a single electrical outlet—the wiring might become overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there is clutter like paper or clothes nearby the outlet.

It is possible to forget about the apparent dangers of large residential appliances because they are plugged in all the time, but they present as much of a fire hazard as small electrical devices like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Large appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine shouldn’t be left running overnight or any time you’re away from home, and try not to place a freezer or refrigerator in direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems.

Check all of the outlets regularly for extreme heat, burn marks, and buzzing or crackling noises that could indicate 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 working order.

WHAT NOT TO DO

If there’s an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it can be tempting to douse the fire with water, but water should not be used to put out an electrical fire.

Water can conduct electricity, and throwing water on or near a power source could give a harmful electrical shock. It could even make the fire even worse. Water could conduct the electricity to additional parts of the room, increasing the chance of igniting other flammable objects nearby.

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The immediate thing you should do is to unplug the appliance from the power outlet and call the fire department. Even if you think you are able to handle the fire yourself, it is a good idea to have help if the fire does get out of hand.

For smaller 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 block oxygen flow to the fire with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda also includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the same chemical in regulation fire extinguishers. You could be able to smother a smaller fire using a heavy blanket, but only if the fire is small enough not to catch the heavy blanket on fire too.

For larger electrical fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should make sure you own at least one Type C or multi-use extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be checked consistently to ensure they haven’t expired. If you have a working extinguisher in the home, just release the pin near the top, point 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 as fast as possible, close the door , and then wait for assistance from the local fire department.

For the small appliance fires, call Payne Appliance Repair once the flames are extinguished and we will diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the electrical appliance and return it to its original condition.

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Appliance Repair Cost
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Appliance Safety
Repair or Replace Appliances
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