Emergency Appliance Repair

An appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the household appliance.

If an appliance emergency happens in your house, unplug the appliance right away and call First Rate Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. If there’s an electrical fire involving one of the appliances inside of your house, we recommend calling the local fire department even before you attempt to put out the fire on your own.

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

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

You can prevent electrical fires before they start by following a few basic rules of appliance safety in a home. Be careful not to plug too many devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring might get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there is debris like paper or clothes nearby the outlet.

It’s possible to forget about the apparent dangers of large appliances because they remain plugged in all the time, but they present as much chance for a fire hazard as small appliances like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine should not be left to run overnight or while you are not at home, and do not keep a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems.

Examine all outlets regularly for extreme heat, burn marks, and buzzing or crackling noises that could indicate electrical arcing. Be sure you have at least one smoke detector on every story of your house, and test the smoke detectors often to keep them in working condition.

WHAT TO NOT DO

If there is an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it could be tempting to put out the fire with water, however water should not be used to douse an electrical appliance fire.

Water can conduct electricity, and pouring water on a power source can cause a dangerous electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water can conduct electricity to other parts of the room, increasing the chance of igniting more flammable objects nearby.

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The immediate step you need to do is unplug the appliance from the power outlet and call the fire department. Even if you think you can handle the fire on your own, it’s important to have backup if the flames do get out of control.

For small fires, you may be able to use baking soda to extinguish the fire. Covering the fuming or burning area with a layer of baking soda will sometimes block oxygen flow to the flames with little chance of electrocution. Baking soda includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the chemical in regulation fire extinguishers. You might be able to smother a small fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only if the fire is small enough to not catch the blanket on fire as well.

For larger electrical appliance fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always be sure you own at least one Type C or multi-use extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers need to be checked often to ensure they have not expired. If there’s a working extinguisher in the home, pull the pin near the top, point the hose at the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to put out alone or you are concerned the fire may block an exit, you should leave the house immediately, shut the door , and then wait for help from the fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call First Rate Appliance Repair once the fire is extinguished and we can diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the appliance and return it to working order.

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Appliance Repair Cost
Appliance Repair Tips
Appliance Safety
Repair or Replace Appliances
Refrigerator Parts