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 True Baton Rouge Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Baton Rouge. If there’s an electrical fire from one of the appliances inside your home, we advise calling the town fire department before you attempt to eliminate the fire on your own.
An electrical fire from an appliance 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 is in flames, it is very important to not panic and to remain calm. Follow these easy guidelines below to keep your house safe from electrical fires.
HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES
You can stop electrical fires before they start by following some basic guidelines for appliance safety. Do not plug in too many devices into a single outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially if there is debris like paper or clothes close to the electrical outlet.
Sometimes we forget about the dangers of larger residential appliances because they remain plugged in all of the time, but they can present as much chance for a fire hazard as small electrical appliances like toasters and space heaters. Large appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left running overnight or any time you are away from home, and do not keep a refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight, to prevent overworking their cooling systems.
Examine all of the outlets regularly for excessive heat, burns, and crackling or buzzing noises that might point to electrical arcing. Make sure you store at least one working smoke detector on each floor of your house, and test the smoke detectors quarterly to keep them in good working order.
WHAT TO NOT DO
If there is an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it could be tempting to douse the fire with water, but water should not be used to fight an electrical appliance fire.
Water can conduct electricity, and throwing water on a power source can cause a severe electrical shock. It might even make the fire worse. Water might conduct the electricity to additional areas of the room, running the chance of igniting other flammable objects nearby.
HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE
The immediate step you want to do is unplug the electric device from the power outlet and call the local fire department. Even if you think you can take care of the fire by yourself, it’s a good idea to have help if the flames do get out of control.
For smaller fires, you might be able to use baking soda to extinguish the fire. Covering the fuming or burning spot with some baking soda will sometimes prohibit oxygen flow to the flames with very little chance of electrocution. Baking soda also contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same chemical used in standard fire extinguishers. You also could be able to put out a small fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only when the flames are small enough to not catch the blanket on fire.
For big electrical fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you have at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be inspected consistently to be sure they are not expired. If there’s a working fire extinguisher on hand, release the pin near the top, point the hose at the source of the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too big to put out alone or you are concerned the fire might block an exit, you should leave the house as fast as possible, close the door behind you, and then wait for help from the fire department.
For the smaller appliance fires, call True Baton Rouge Appliance Repair once the flames are under control and we can identify the reason for the fire and repair the electrical appliance and return it to its original condition.
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