An appliance repair emergency might be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the household appliance.
In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance immediately and call Las Cruces Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Las Cruces. If there is an electrical fire from one of the appliances inside of your home, we suggest calling the town fire department before attempting to extinguish the fire on your own.
An electrical fire is very scary and very dangerous, but there are a few steps to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If an electrical appliance is in flames, it’s important to not panic and to remain calm. Follow these easy guidelines below to keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.
PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES
Homeowners can prevent electrical fires from ever starting by following a couple of simple guidelines for appliance safety in a home. Don’t plug in more than two electrical devices into a single outlet—the wiring might get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there’s debris like paper or clothes near the outlet.
It’s possible to forget about the apparent dangers of large residential appliances since they are plugged in all the time, but they present as much chance for a fire hazard as small electrical appliances like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Large appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine shouldn’t be left to run overnight or any time you are not at home, and do not keep a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, in order to prevent possibly overworking their cooling systems.
Examine all of the outlets on a regular basis for extreme heat, burns, and crackling or buzzing sounds that could point to electrical arcing. Make sure you keep at least one working smoke detector on each floor of your home, and test the smoke detectors quarterly to keep them in working condition.
WHAT NOT TO DO
If there is an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it could be tempting to put out the flames with water, however water should not be used to douse an electrical fire.
Water conducts electricity, and pouring water on or near a power source might give a harmful electrical shock. It could even make the fire worse. Water could conduct the electricity to other areas of the room, increasing the risk of igniting other flammable objects in the area.
HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE
The immediate step you need to do is unplug the device from the power source and call the fire department. Even if you might be able to handle the fire yourself, it is a good idea to have backup if the flames do get out of control.
For smaller fires, you may be able to use baking soda to extinguish the fire. Covering the smoldering or burning area with a layer of baking soda will sometimes prohibit oxygen flow to the flames with little chance of electrocution. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance in standard fire extinguishers. You may be able to smother a small fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only if the fire is small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire as well.
For larger electrical fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you have at least one Type C or multi-use extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers need to be checked regularly to ensure they are not expired. If you have a working fire extinguisher in the home, just release the pin near the top, aim the nozzle at the fire, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to fight alone or you think the fire could block an exit, you should leave the house immediately, shut the door behind you, and wait for help from the fire department.
For the smaller appliance fires, call Las Cruces Appliance Repair once the flames are extinguished and we will diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the electrical appliance and restore it to working order.
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