Emergency Appliance Repair

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

If an appliance emergency occurs, unplug the appliance right away and call Henry’s Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in The Villages. If there’s an electrical fire from one of the appliances inside your home, we recommend calling the city fire department before attempting to put out the fire by yourself.

An electrical fire from an appliance can be scary and extremely dangerous, but there are a few ways to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If an electrical appliance goes up in flames, it’s important not to panic and remain calm. Follow our simple guidelines below to keep your house safe from electrical appliance fires.

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

You are able to prevent electrical fires before they start by following a couple of simple rules of appliance safety in a home. Be sure not to plug too many electrical devices into one electrical outlet—the wiring might become overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there’s debris like paper or clothes nearby the electrical outlet.

It’s possible to forget about the dangers of larger home 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 toasters and heaters. Large appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine should not be left running overnight or while you are not at home, and don’t place a refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight, to prevent overworking their cooling systems inside.

Check all outlets on a regular basis for excessive heat, signs of burns, and buzzing or crackling noises that could point to electrical arcing. Be sure you keep at least one smoke detector on each story of your house, and test them often to keep them in good working order.

WHAT NOT TO DO

If there’s an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it might be tempting to put out the fire with water, however water should never be used to put out an electrical fire.

Water will conduct electricity, and pouring water on or near a power source can give a severe electrical shock. It might even make the fire worse. Water might conduct the electricity to additional areas of the room, running the risk of igniting more flammable objects in the area.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The immediate step you need to do is to unplug the electric device from the power source and call your fire department. Even if you think you can extinguish the fire on your own, 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 douse the fire. Covering the fuming or burning spot with a layer of baking soda can prohibit oxygen flow to the fire with little risk of electrocution. Baking soda also contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance used in standard fire extinguishers. You may be able to put out a smaller fire with a heavy blanket, but only if the flames are small enough to not catch the blanket on fire as well.

For larger electrical appliance fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should be sure you own at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers should also be checked often to ensure they aren’t expired. If there is a operational fire extinguisher on hand, release the pin near the top, aim the nozzle at the source of the flames, and press the handle. If the fire gets too big to put out by yourself or you are concerned the fire might block an exit, you should leave the house right away, shut the door behind you, and then wait for assistance from the fire department.

For the small appliance fires, call Henry’s Appliance Repair once the fire is extinguished and we will diagnose the reason for the fire and repair the appliance and return it to working order.

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Appliance Repair Cost
Appliance Repair Tips
Appliance Safety
Repair or Replace Appliances
Refrigerator Parts