Emergency Appliance Repair

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

In the event of an appliance emergency in your home, unplug the appliance right away and call Providence Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Providence. If there’s an electrical fire happening with one of the appliances inside of your house, we recommend calling the fire department before attempting to put out the fire by yourself.

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

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

You can stop electrical fires from ever starting by following some basic guidelines for appliance safety. Be careful not to plug too many devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring might get overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there is clutter like paper or clothes nearby the electrical outlet.

Sometimes we forget about the apparent dangers of larger household appliances since they stay plugged in all of the time, but they still present as much of a fire hazard as small appliances like kitchen toasters and heaters. Larger appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher should not be left running overnight or any time you’re not at home, and do not keep a freezer or refrigerator in direct sunlight, in order to prevent possibly overworking their cooling systems.

Inspect all outlets on a regular basis for excessive heat, signs of burns, and crackling or buzzing noises that might indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you store at least one working smoke detector on every floor of your house, and test the smoke detectors regularly to keep them in working order.

WHAT NOT TO DO

If there is an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it could be tempting to douse the flames with water, but water shouldn’t be used on an electrical fire.

Water conducts electricity, and throwing water on a power source can cause a severe electrical shock. It might even make the fire even worse. Water can conduct electricity to other locations of the room, running the risk of igniting more flammable objects nearby.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first step you want to do is unplug the electric device from the power outlet and call your local fire department. Even if you are able to handle the fire on your own, it’s a good idea to have help if the flames do get out of control.

For smaller fires, you could be able to pour on baking soda to extinguish the flames. Covering the fuming or burning area with a layer of baking soda can prohibit oxygen flow to the flames with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance in standard fire extinguishers. You could be able to smother a smaller fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only when the flames are small enough not to catch the blanket on fire as well.

For large electrical appliance fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should make sure you have at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers should also be inspected often to ensure they haven’t expired. If there is a working fire extinguisher on hand, just release the pin near the top, aim the nozzle at the flames, and press the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to fight by yourself or you think the fire may block an exit, leave the home immediately, close the door , and then wait for assistance from the fire department.

For the small appliance fires, call Providence Appliance Repair once the flames are under control and we can diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the appliance and restore it to its original condition.

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