Emergency Appliance Repair

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

If an appliance emergency happens, unplug the appliance immediately and call Acclaim Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Indianapolis. If there’s an electrical fire resulting from one of the large or small appliances inside your home, we advise calling the nearest fire department before attempting to extinguish the fire yourself.

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

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners are able to prevent electrical fires from starting by following a few basic guidelines for appliance safety in a home. Don’t plug more than two electrical devices into one outlet—the wiring can become overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there’s debris like paper or clothes close to the electrical outlet.

It is possible to forget about the dangers of large home appliances because they stay plugged in all of the time, but they still present as much of a fire hazard as smaller devices like kitchen toasters and heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine should not be left to run overnight or any time you are not at home, and try not to keep a refrigerator or freezer in line of direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking their cooling systems inside.

Check all outlets on a regular basis for excessive heat, burn marks, and crackling or buzzing noises that could indicate electrical arcing. Be sure you have at least one working smoke detector on every story of your home, and test them quarterly to keep them in working order.

WHAT TO NOT DO

If there is 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 put out an electrical fire.

Water conducts electricity, and dumping water on or near a power source could cause a severe electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water can conduct the electricity to additional areas of the room, increasing the chance of igniting more flammable items nearby.

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first thing you need to do is to unplug the device from the power source and call the local fire department. Even if you think you are able to extinguish the fire yourself, it is a good idea to have backup if the fire does get out of control.

For little fires, you may be able to pour on baking soda to douse the flames. Covering the smoking or burning area with some baking soda can prohibit oxygen flow to the fire with little risk of electrocution. Baking soda also includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the chemical used in regulation fire extinguishers. You could be able to smother a small fire with a heavy blanket as well, but only if the flames are small enough to not catch the blanket on fire too.

For big electrical fires, you need 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 aren’t expired. If there’s a operational extinguisher on hand, just release the pin at the top, aim the nozzle at the source of the fire, and press the handle. If the fire gets too big to fight by yourself or you are concerned the fire might block an exit, leave the home immediately, shut the door behind you, and then wait for assistance from the local fire department.

For the small appliance fires, call Acclaim Appliance Repair – serving Indianapolis and Evansville – once the flames are extinguished and we will diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the electrical appliance and return it to working order.

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