Emergency Appliance Repair

An 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 call Lynch Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in San Bernardino. If there is an electrical fire resulting from one of the large or small appliances inside of your house, we advise calling the local fire department before you try to eliminate the fire on your own.

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

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners are able to prevent electrical fires before they start by following a few basic rules of appliance safety in a home. Don’t plug a lot of electrical devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring might become overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there is debris like clothes or paper close to the outlet.

Sometimes we forget about the apparent dangers of large residential appliances since they are plugged in all of the time, but they still present as much chance for a fire hazard as small appliances like kitchen toasters and heaters. Large appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine should not be left running overnight or while you are away from home, and don’t place a refrigerator or freezer in line of direct sunlight, to prevent overworking the cooling systems.

Examine all of the outlets on a regular basis for extreme heat, signs of burns, and buzzing or crackling noises that might indicate electrical arcing. Be sure you keep at least one working smoke detector on every floor of your house, and test them regularly to keep them in good working condition.

WHAT NOT TO 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 on an electrical appliance fire.

Water conducts electricity, and pouring water on a power source can give a severe electrical shock. It might even make the fire worse. Water can conduct electricity to other parts of the room, running the risk of igniting more flammable items nearby.

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first step you want to do is to unplug the electric device from the power outlet and call your local fire department. Even if you might be able to extinguish the fire on your own, it’s a good idea to have backup if the fire does get out of hand.

For small fires, you might be able to pour on baking soda to smother the flames. Covering the smoking or burning spot with some baking soda can prohibit oxygen flow to the flames with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance used in regulation fire extinguishers. You might be able to smother a smaller fire with a heavy blanket, but only when the fire is small enough to not catch the blanket on fire too.

For large electrical fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always make sure you have at least one Type C or multi-use fire extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers need to be inspected regularly to ensure they are not expired. If you have a operational extinguisher in the home, just release the pin at the top, point the nozzle at the flames, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to put out by yourself or you think the fire might block an exit, leave the home immediately, close the door , and then wait for help from the fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call Lynch Appliance Repair once the fire is extinguished and we can diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the electrical appliance and return it to working order.

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