Emergency Appliance Repair

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

If an appliance emergency happens, unplug the appliance immediately and then call Cooper Appliance Repair for local appliance repair. If there’s an electrical fire involving one of the large or small appliances inside your house, we advise calling the fire department even before you try to put out the fire by yourself.

An electrical fire from an appliance is very scary and very dangerous, but there are a few ways to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If an appliance goes up in flames, it’s very important not to panic. Follow these easy guidelines to help keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners are able to prevent electrical fires before they start by following some simple rules of appliance safety. Don’t plug more than two devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring might get overloaded and spark a fire, especially when there is debris like paper or clothes close to the electrical outlet.

Sometimes we forget about the apparent dangers of larger home appliances since they remain plugged in all of the time, but they still present as much chance for a fire hazard as small electrical devices like toasters and heaters. Large appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine should not be left to run overnight or while you’re away from home, and do not place a freezer or refrigerator in direct sunlight, in order to prevent possibly overworking their cooling systems.

Inspect all outlets regularly for extreme heat, burns, and buzzing or crackling noises that could point to electrical arcing. Make sure you have at least one smoke detector on each floor 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 douse the flames with water, but water shouldn’t be used on an electrical appliance fire.

Water conducts electricity, and pouring water on or near a power source might give a severe electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water can conduct electricity to other locations of the room, running the chance of igniting more flammable objects nearby.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The immediate step you want to do is to unplug the appliance from the power source and call your fire department. Even if you can take care of the fire on your own, it’s a good idea to have backup if the fire does get out of control.

For small fires, you could be able to use baking soda to douse the flames. Covering the smoldering or burning area with some baking soda will sometimes block oxygen flow to the fire with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda also includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the same chemical used in regulation fire extinguishers. You also could be able to put out a small fire with a heavy blanket as well, but only when the flames are small enough not to catch the heavy blanket on fire as well.

For larger electrical appliance fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always make sure you have at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers should also be checked regularly to ensure they haven’t expired. If you have a working extinguisher on hand, release the pin at the top, aim the hose at the fire, and press the handle. If the flames get too dangerous to fight alone or you are concerned the fire might block an exit, leave the house immediately, shut the door , and wait for help from the fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call Cooper Appliance Repair once the flames are under control and we can identify the cause of the fire and repair the electrical appliance and restore 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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