A typical appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the appliance.
If an appliance emergency happens, unplug the appliance right away and then call Elite Honolulu Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Honolulu. If there’s an electrical fire resulting from one of the large or small appliances inside of your home, we advise calling the city fire department before attempting to eliminate the fire yourself.
An electrical fire can be very scary and extremely dangerous, but there are a couple of steps to be prepared in case of an emergency. If an electrical appliance is in flames, it is very important to not panic and remain calm. Follow these simple guidelines below to keep your house safe from electrical fires.
HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES
Homeowners are able to prevent electrical fires before they start by following a few simple guidelines for appliance safety. Be sure not to plug a lot of electrical devices into one outlet—the wiring might get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there’s clutter like paper or clothes nearby the electrical outlet.
Sometimes we forget about the dangers of larger residential appliances since they are plugged in all the time, but they can present as much of a fire hazard as small devices like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left to run overnight or any time you are not at home, and do not place a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems inside.
Check all outlets on a regular basis for excessive heat, burn marks, and crackling or buzzing sounds that could point to electrical arcing. Be sure you have at least one smoke detector on each story of your home, and test the smoke detectors often to keep them in good working condition.
WHAT TO NOT DO
If there’s an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it might be tempting to douse the flames with water, but water should never be used to put out an electrical appliance fire.
Water can conduct electricity, and dumping water on or near a power source might cause a harmful electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water might conduct the electricity to additional locations of the room, running the chance of igniting more flammable items in the area.
HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE
The first step you should do is to unplug the device from the power source and call your local fire department. Even if you might be able to take care of the fire by yourself, it is a good idea to have help if the fire does get out of hand.
For minor fires, you may be able to pour on baking soda to douse the flames. Covering the smoldering or burning spot with a layer of baking soda can prohibit oxygen flow to the fire with very little risk of electrocution. Baking soda also includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the same chemical used in standard fire extinguishers. You could be able to extinguish a smaller fire with a heavy blanket as well, but only when the flames are small enough not to catch the 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 extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers need to be inspected consistently to be sure they aren’t expired. If you have a working fire extinguisher in the home, just release the pin at the top, point the hose at the fire, and press the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to put out by yourself or you think the fire may block an exit, leave the house immediately, shut the door behind you, and wait for assistance from the local fire department.
For the smaller appliance fires, call Elite Honolulu Appliance Repair once the fire is extinguished and we can diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the appliance and return it to its original condition.
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