Emergency Appliance Repair

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

If an appliance emergency arises in your home, unplug the appliance right away and then call Champion Deltona Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Deltona. If there is an electrical fire happening with one of the appliances in your house, we suggest calling the town fire department before you try to eliminate the fire on your own.

An electrical fire from an appliance can be very 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 and remain calm. Follow these simple guidelines below to help keep your home safe from electrical appliance fires.

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners can prevent electrical fires before they start by following a few basic guidelines for appliance safety. Do not plug in a lot of electrical devices into a single electrical outlet—the wiring might get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there’s debris like paper or clothes nearby the electrical outlet.

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

Inspect all of the outlets regularly for excessive heat, burns, and crackling or buzzing sounds that could point to electrical arcing. Be sure you store at least one smoke detector on each story of your home, 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 flames with water, but water shouldn’t be used to fight an electrical appliance fire.

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

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first step you need to do is to unplug the appliance from the power outlet and call the fire department. Even if you think you can handle the fire yourself, it’s important to have help if the fire does get out of control.

For minor fires, you might be able to pour on baking soda to douse the flames. Covering the smoking or burning spot with some baking soda will sometimes prevent oxygen flow to the flames with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same chemical used in regulation fire extinguishers. You also could be able to put out a small fire using a heavy blanket, but only when the fire is small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire as well.

For big electrical fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always be sure you have at least one Type C extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers need to be inspected consistently to be sure they have not expired. If you have a operational fire extinguisher on hand, pull the pin near the top, aim the hose at the flames, and press the handle. If the fire gets too big to fight by yourself or you are concerned the fire may block an exit, leave the home immediately, close the door , and then wait for assistance from the local fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call Champion Deltona Appliance Repair once the flames are under control and we will diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the electrical appliance and return it to its original condition.

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