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 happens, unplug the appliance immediately and then call Hi-Tech Miramar Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Miramar. If there is an electrical fire happening with one of the large or small appliances inside of your house, we advise calling the fire department before attempting to extinguish the fire on your own.

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

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners can prevent electrical fires before they start by following some simple guidelines for appliance safety. Don’t plug in too many electrical devices into a single electrical outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there’s debris like clothes or paper nearby the outlet.

It can be easy to forget about the dangers of large appliances since they stay plugged in all of the time, but they still present as much of a fire hazard as small appliances like toasters and heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine should not be left running overnight or while you’re away from home, and don’t keep a refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight, to prevent overworking the cooling systems.

Examine all of the outlets regularly for extreme heat, burn marks, and crackling or buzzing noises that could point to electrical arcing. Be sure you store at least one smoke detector on each floor of your home, and test them often to keep them in good working condition.

WHAT TO NOT DO

If there is an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it might be tempting to douse the fire with water, however water should never be used to fight an electrical appliance fire.

Water will conduct electricity, and throwing water on or near a power source might give a severe electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water can conduct electricity to additional areas of the room, running the risk of igniting more flammable objects nearby.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The immediate thing you need to do is to unplug the electric appliance from the power outlet and call the fire department. Even if you might be able to take care of the fire on your own, it’s a good idea to have backup if the fire does get out of control.

For minor fires, you could be able to pour on baking soda to extinguish the flames. Covering the fuming or burning spot with some baking soda will sometimes prevent oxygen flow to the fire with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda also includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the same chemical in standard fire extinguishers. You may be able to extinguish a smaller fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only if the flames are small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire.

For big electrical appliance fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always make sure you own at least one Type C extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers need to be inspected consistently to ensure they are not expired. If you have a working extinguisher in the home, release the pin near the top, point the nozzle at the source of the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the flames get too big to fight alone or you think the fire may block an exit, you should leave the home as fast as possible, close the door , and wait for help from the local fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call Hi-Tech Miramar Appliance Repair once the fire is extinguished and we will identify the cause of the fire and repair the electrical appliance and restore it to working order.

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