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 in your house, unplug the appliance immediately and then call Miller Appliance Repair for local appliance repair. If there is an electrical fire involving one of the large or small appliances inside your house, we recommend calling the city fire department before attempting to put out the fire on your own.

An electrical fire from an appliance is very scary and very dangerous, but there are a few steps to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If an appliance goes up in flames, it is important to not panic and remain calm. Follow our easy guidelines to keep your home safe from electrical fires.

PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES

You are able to prevent electrical fires before they start by following some basic rules of appliance safety. Be careful not to plug in more than two electrical devices into one outlet—the wiring might become overloaded and then spark a fire, especially if there is clutter like clothes or paper close to the electrical outlet.

Sometimes we forget about the dangers of larger home appliances because they remain plugged in all of the time, but they can present as much chance for a fire hazard as small electrical devices like toasters and space heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine shouldn’t be left to run overnight or while you are not at home, and don’t place a refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight, in order to prevent overworking the cooling systems.

Inspect all outlets on a regular basis for excessive heat, burns, and crackling or buzzing sounds that might indicate electrical arcing. Be sure you store at least one smoke detector on each floor of your home, and test them regularly to keep them in good working condition.

WHAT TO NOT DO

If there’s an appliance repair emergency such as an electrical fire, it can be tempting to douse the flames with water, however water shouldn’t be used on an electrical fire.

Water can conduct electricity, and throwing water on or near a power source could cause a severe electrical shock. It could even make the fire even worse. Water can conduct electricity to other parts of the room, increasing the chance of igniting more flammable objects in the area.

HOW TO PUT OUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first thing you need to do is unplug the electric device from the power outlet and call your fire department. Even if you think you can handle the fire on your own, it’s important to have help if the flames do get out of control.

For minor fires, you might be able to use baking soda to smother the fire. Covering the fuming or burning spot with a layer of baking soda can prohibit oxygen flow to the flames with little chance of electrocution. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance in standard fire extinguishers. You could be able to extinguish a smaller fire using a heavy blanket, but only if the fire is small enough to not catch the blanket on fire too.

For larger electrical fires, use a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always be sure you own at least one Type C fire extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers should also be checked often to ensure they have not expired. If you have a working fire extinguisher on hand, just release the pin near the top, aim the nozzle at the fire, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too dangerous to fight by yourself or you think the fire could block an exit, you should leave the house as fast as possible, shut the door behind you, and then wait for help from the fire department.

For the smaller appliance fires, call Miller Appliance Repair once the fire is extinguished and we can identify the cause of 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