Emergency Appliance Repair

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

If an appliance emergency happens in your home, unplug the appliance right away and then call P&G Union Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Union. If there’s an electrical fire happening with one of the large or small appliances inside your home, we advise calling the local fire department before attempting to put out the fire on your own.

An electrical fire can be scary and very dangerous, but there are a couple of steps to be prepared in case of an emergency. If one of your appliances is in flames, it is important not to panic and remain calm. Follow our easy guidelines below to help keep your home safe from electrical fires.

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

You are able to stop electrical fires from starting by following a few basic rules of appliance safety. Don’t plug in more than two electrical devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring can become overloaded and spark a fire, especially when there is debris like clothes or paper close to the electrical outlet.

It’s possible to forget about the apparent dangers of larger appliances since they remain plugged in all the time, but they present as much of a fire hazard as smaller electrical devices like toasters and space heaters. Large appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine should not be left running overnight or any time you’re away from home, and try not to keep a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, in order to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems inside.

Inspect all of the outlets regularly for excessive heat, burns, and crackling or buzzing noises that could indicate electrical arcing. Be sure you keep at least one working smoke detector on every story of your home, and test the smoke detectors quarterly to keep them in good working order.

WHAT NOT TO DO

If there’s an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it might be tempting to douse the flames with water, but water should never be used to fight an electrical fire.

Water will conduct electricity, and throwing water on a power source can give a dangerous electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water could conduct electricity to additional locations of the room, increasing the chance of igniting more flammable items nearby.

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The immediate thing you want to do is unplug the appliance from the power outlet and call the 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 might be able to pour on baking soda to douse the fire. Covering the fuming or burning spot with some baking soda will sometimes block oxygen flow to the flames with very little chance of electrocution. Baking soda also includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the chemical in regulation fire extinguishers. You also might be able to extinguish a smaller fire with a heavy blanket as well, but only if the fire is small enough to not catch the blanket on fire.

For big electrical fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you own at least one Type C extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers need to be inspected consistently to ensure they haven’t expired. If you have a operational extinguisher on hand, pull the pin at the top, aim the hose at the source of the fire, and press the handle. If the flames get too big to put out by yourself or you think the fire might 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 P&G Union Appliance Repair once the fire is extinguished and we will identify the reason for the fire and repair the electrical appliance and return it to its original condition.

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