Emergency Appliance Repair

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

In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance immediately and call North Las Vegas Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in North Las Vegas. If there is an electrical fire involving one of the appliances inside your house, we suggest calling the fire department even before you attempt to eliminate the fire on your own.

An electrical fire can be very scary and very dangerous, but there are a few ways to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If one of your appliances goes up in flames, it’s very important not to panic. Follow our simple guidelines to keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

You can stop electrical fires from ever starting by following some basic guidelines for appliance safety. Do not plug too many electrical devices into a single electrical outlet—the wiring can become overloaded and spark a fire, especially when there’s debris like clothes or paper near the outlet.

Sometimes we forget about the dangers of larger home appliances because they remain plugged in all of the time, but they can present as much chance for a fire hazard as smaller appliances like toasters and heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine should not be left running overnight or any time you are away from home, and don’t keep a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, in order to prevent overworking the cooling systems inside.

Check all of the outlets regularly for extreme heat, signs of burns, and crackling or buzzing noises that could indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you keep at least one working smoke detector on every floor of your house, and test them often to keep them in good working condition.

WHAT NOT TO DO

If there is an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it can be tempting to put out the fire with water, however water shouldn’t be used to fight an electrical fire.

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

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The immediate step you want to do is to unplug the appliance from the power source and call your local fire department. Even if 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 little fires, you might be able to pour on baking soda to douse the fire. Covering the smoking or burning spot with baking soda can block oxygen flow to the flames with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the same chemical in regulation fire extinguishers. You also may be able to smother a small fire with a heavy blanket as well, but only when the fire is small enough not to catch the heavy blanket on fire.

For big electrical appliance fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you have at least one Type C or multi-use fire extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers should also be checked often to ensure they are not expired. If you have a operational fire extinguisher on hand, release the pin near the top, point the nozzle at the source of the fire, and press the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to put out by yourself or you think the fire might block an exit, leave the home right away, shut the door behind you, and wait for assistance from the fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call North Las Vegas Appliance Repair once the fire is extinguished and we will diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the appliance and restore it to working order.

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Appliance Repair Cost
Appliance Repair Tips
Appliance Safety
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