A typical appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the appliance.
If an appliance emergency arises, unplug the appliance right away and call J&L Thousand Oaks Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Thousand Oaks. If there is an electrical fire resulting from one of the appliances inside your home, we recommend calling the town fire department even before attempting to extinguish the fire on your own.
An electrical fire is very scary and extremely dangerous, but there are a few steps to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If one of your appliances goes up in flames, it’s important not to panic and to remain calm. Follow these simple guidelines to keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.
You can prevent electrical fires before they start by following a couple of simple rules of appliance safety. Don’t plug a lot of electrical devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring can become overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there is clutter like clothes or paper close to the electrical outlet.
Sometimes we forget about the dangers of large appliances since they remain plugged in all the time, but they can present as much chance for a fire hazard as smaller devices like kitchen toasters and heaters. Large appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine shouldn’t be left running overnight or any time you are away from home, and don’t keep a refrigerator or freezer in line of direct sunlight, in order to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems.
Examine all of the outlets on a regular basis for excessive heat, signs of burns, and crackling or buzzing sounds that might point to electrical arcing. Be sure you store at least one smoke detector on each floor of your home, and test them regularly to keep them in good working condition.
If there’s an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it could be tempting to douse the flames with water, but water shouldn’t be used to fight an electrical appliance fire.
Water can conduct electricity, and pouring water on a power source can cause a severe electrical shock. It might even make the fire worse. Water can conduct electricity to additional areas of the room, increasing the risk of igniting other flammable objects nearby.
The immediate thing you need to do is unplug the electric device from the power source and call your fire department. Even if you can handle the fire on your own, it’s a good idea to have backup if the fire does get out of hand.
For little fires, you might be able to pour on baking soda to smother the fire. Covering the smoldering or burning spot with some baking soda can prevent oxygen flow to the flames with very little risk of electrocution. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance used in standard fire extinguishers. You may be able to extinguish a small fire with a heavy blanket, but only when the fire is small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire.
For larger electrical appliance fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you have at least one Type C extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be checked consistently to ensure they haven’t expired. If there is a operational fire extinguisher on hand, pull the pin at the top, aim the nozzle at the fire, and squeeze the handle. If the flames get too big to put out alone or you think the fire could block an exit, leave the house immediately, shut the door , and then wait for assistance from the fire department.
For the small appliance fires, call J&L Thousand Oaks Appliance Repair once the fire is under control and we can diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the appliance and return it to its original condition.
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