Emergency Appliance Repair

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

In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance immediately and call Noble Norfolk Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Norfolk. If there’s an electrical fire from one of the large or small appliances inside of your house, we suggest calling the local fire department even before you attempt to eliminate the fire yourself.

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 goes up in flames, it’s very important to not panic. Follow our simple guidelines below to help keep your house safe from electrical fires.

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

You are able to prevent electrical fires before they start by following some basic rules of appliance safety. Do not plug too many 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 larger appliances because they stay plugged in all of the time, but they present as much of a fire hazard as smaller devices like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Large appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left running overnight or while you are not at home, and don’t place a freezer or refrigerator in direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking their cooling systems inside.

Examine all of the outlets on a regular basis for excessive heat, burn marks, and buzzing or crackling sounds that might point to electrical arcing. Make sure you have at least one smoke detector on every floor of your house, and test them quarterly to keep them in good working condition.

WHAT NOT TO DO

If there is an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it can be tempting to put out the fire with water, but water shouldn’t be used on an electrical appliance fire.

Water can conduct electricity, and throwing water on or near a power source can cause a severe electrical shock. It might even make the fire even worse. Water might conduct the electricity to other parts of the room, running the chance of igniting other flammable objects nearby.

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The immediate thing you should do is to unplug the appliance from the power source and call your fire department. Even if you can take care of the fire yourself, it’s important to have backup if the fire does get out of control.

For minor fires, you could be able to pour on baking soda to extinguish the flames. Covering the smoldering or burning area with some baking soda can prevent oxygen flow to the flames with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda also contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance used in regulation fire extinguishers. You also could be able to extinguish a small fire with a heavy blanket, but only if the flames are small enough not to catch the heavy blanket on fire too.

For larger electrical appliance fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always be sure you have at least one Type C extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers should also be inspected regularly to make sure they haven’t expired. If there’s a operational fire extinguisher on hand, just release the pin near the top, aim the hose at the source of the fire, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too big to put out alone or you think the fire may block an exit, leave the home as fast as possible, shut the door behind you, and wait for help from the local fire department.

For the small appliance fires, call Noble Norfolk Appliance Repair once the fire is under control and we can diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the electrical appliance and return 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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