Emergency Appliance Repair

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

If an appliance emergency happens in your house, unplug the appliance right away and call Prime Nampa Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Nampa. If there’s an electrical fire involving one of the large or small appliances inside of your house, we advise calling the town fire department before attempting to extinguish the fire by yourself.

An electrical fire can be very scary and very dangerous, but there are a few steps to be prepared in case of an emergency. If an electrical appliance is in flames, it is very important not to panic and remain calm. Follow these simple guidelines below to help keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

You are able to stop electrical fires before they start by following some basic rules of appliance safety. Be sure not to plug too many devices into one outlet—the wiring might get overloaded and spark a fire, especially when there’s clutter like paper or clothes nearby the outlet.

Sometimes we forget about the apparent dangers of large household appliances because they are plugged in all of the time, but they still present as much chance for a fire hazard as small appliances like toasters and heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine shouldn’t be left running overnight or while you are not at home, and try not to place a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, in order to prevent overworking the cooling systems.

Examine all outlets regularly for excessive heat, burn marks, and crackling or buzzing noises that could point to electrical arcing. Be sure you store at least one working smoke detector on each floor of your home, and test the smoke detectors quarterly to keep them in working condition.

WHAT TO NOT DO

If there’s an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it could be tempting to put out the flames with water, however water should not be used on an electrical appliance fire.

Water can conduct electricity, and dumping water on or near a power source could cause a severe electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water might conduct the electricity to additional parts of the room, increasing the risk of igniting more flammable objects in the room.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first thing you should do is unplug the device from the power source and call your fire department. Even if you might be able to take care of the fire on your own, it is a good idea to have help if the fire does get out of hand.

For smaller fires, you may be able to pour on baking soda to douse the flames. Covering the smoking or burning area with some baking soda will sometimes block oxygen flow to the fire with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda also contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance used in regulation fire extinguishers. You also may be able to put out a small fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only if the fire is small enough not to catch the blanket on fire too.

For larger electrical appliance fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you own at least one Type C extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers should also be inspected regularly to be sure they have not expired. If you have a working fire extinguisher in the home, release the pin at the top, aim the hose at the source of the fire, and squeeze the handle. If the flames get too big to put out alone or you are concerned the fire might block an exit, leave the house right away, close the door behind you, and wait for assistance from the local fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call Prime Nampa Appliance Repair once the fire is under control and we can diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the appliance and return it to working order.

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