Emergency Appliance Repair

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

If an appliance emergency arises, unplug the appliance right away and call P.D.Q. Cicero Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Cicero. If there’s an electrical fire from one of the large or small appliances inside of your home, we suggest calling the fire department even before attempting to eliminate the fire by yourself.

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

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

You are able to stop electrical fires from ever starting by following some simple rules of appliance safety in a home. Do not plug more than two devices into one outlet—the wiring can become overloaded and spark a fire, especially if there is clutter like clothes or paper near the outlet.

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

Inspect all outlets on a regular basis for extreme heat, burns, and buzzing or crackling sounds that might indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you have at least one smoke detector on each story of your home, and test the smoke detectors regularly to keep them in working condition.

WHAT TO NOT DO

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

Water conducts electricity, and throwing water on or near a power source might give a harmful electrical shock. It might even make the fire stronger. Water might conduct electricity to additional parts of the room, running the risk of igniting more flammable items nearby.

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first step you should do is to unplug the device from the power outlet and call the fire department. Even if you can handle the fire on your own, it is a good idea to have help if the flames do get out of control.

For small fires, you might be able to pour on baking soda to smother the flames. Covering the smoking or burning spot with a layer of baking soda will sometimes prevent oxygen flow to the fire with minimal risk of electrocution. Baking soda includes sodium bicarbonate, which is the substance in standard fire extinguishers. You may be able to smother a small fire using a heavy blanket as well, but only if the flames are small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire too.

For big electrical fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should make sure you have at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be checked consistently to ensure they have not expired. If there’s a operational fire extinguisher in the home, pull the pin at the top, point the nozzle at the source of the flames, and press the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to put out alone or you think the fire may block an exit, leave the home right away, shut the door behind you, and then wait for help from the local fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call P.D.Q. Cicero Appliance Repair once the fire is under control and we can identify the cause of the fire and repair the appliance and return it to working order.

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