Emergency Appliance Repair

An appliance repair emergency might be a leak or smoke or even a fire coming from the household appliance.

If an appliance emergency arises, unplug the appliance immediately and then call Anytime Arlington Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Arlington. If there is an electrical fire happening with one of the appliances inside of your home, we suggest calling the town fire department before attempting to eliminate the fire yourself.

An electrical fire from an appliance is scary and extremely dangerous, but there are a couple of ways to be prepared in case of an emergency. If an electrical appliance goes up in flames, it is very important to not panic and to remain calm. Follow these easy guidelines below to keep your home safe from electrical appliance fires.

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

You are able to stop electrical fires from ever starting by following a few basic rules of appliance safety. Do not plug in a lot of devices into one outlet—the wiring can become overloaded and then spark a fire, especially if there’s debris like clothes or paper near the electrical outlet.

Sometimes we forget about the dangers of larger residential appliances because they remain plugged in all the time, but they can present as much chance for a fire hazard as smaller appliances like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Large appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left running overnight or while you’re away from home, and don’t keep a refrigerator or freezer in line of direct sunlight, to prevent overworking their cooling systems.

Inspect all outlets regularly for excessive heat, burn marks, and buzzing or crackling sounds that might point to electrical arcing. Be sure you have at least one smoke detector on every floor of your home, and test the smoke detectors often to keep them in working condition.

WHAT NOT TO DO

If there is an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it can be tempting to put out the fire with water, however water should never be used to douse an electrical appliance fire.

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

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first step you need to do is to unplug the device from the power source and call the local fire department. Even if you can take care of the fire yourself, it is a good idea to have help if the flames do get out of hand.

For smaller fires, you may be able to use baking soda to extinguish the flames. Covering the smoldering or burning spot with a layer of baking soda can prohibit oxygen flow to the fire with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda also contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance in standard fire extinguishers. You also could be able to smother a smaller fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only when the fire is small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire as well.

For big electrical fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always be sure you have at least one Type C extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be checked regularly to ensure they are not expired. If there is a working extinguisher on hand, pull the pin at the top, point the hose at the source of the flames, and press the handle. If the flames get too big to fight alone or you think the fire might block an exit, you should leave the house right away, shut the door , and wait for help from the fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call Anytime Arlington Appliance Repair once the fire is 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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Appliance Repair Cost
Appliance Repair Tips
Appliance Safety
Repair or Replace Appliances
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