Emergency Appliance Repair

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

In the event of an appliance emergency, unplug the appliance immediately and then call Ignite Miami Beach Appliance Repair for local appliance repair in Miami Beach. If there’s an electrical fire from one of the large or small appliances inside your house, we recommend calling the city fire department even before attempting to put out the fire on your own.

An electrical fire from an appliance is very scary and extremely 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 very important to not panic and remain calm. Follow our simple guidelines to help keep your house safe from electrical fires.

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners are able to stop electrical fires from ever starting by following a couple of simple rules of appliance safety in a home. Be sure not to plug more than two devices into a single outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially if there’s debris like clothes or paper near the electrical outlet.

Sometimes we forget about the apparent dangers of larger household appliances since they remain plugged in all of the time, but they still present as much of a fire hazard as small devices like kitchen toasters and heaters. Larger appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine should not be left to run overnight or while you’re away from home, and do not place a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, to prevent overworking the cooling systems inside.

Examine all of the outlets on a regular basis for excessive heat, burns, and crackling or buzzing sounds that might indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you have at least one working smoke detector on every floor of your home, and test them quarterly to keep them in 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 fire with water, but water shouldn’t be used on an electrical fire.

Water conducts electricity, and pouring water on or near a power source might give a dangerous electrical shock. It might even make the fire even worse. Water can conduct electricity to other areas of the room, running the chance of igniting other flammable objects in the area.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The first 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 are able to take care of the fire on your own, it’s a good idea to have help if the fire does get out of hand.

For minor fires, you may be able to use baking soda to smother the fire. Covering the smoking or burning spot with some baking soda will sometimes block oxygen flow to the flames with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same chemical in standard fire extinguishers. You could be able to smother a small fire with a heavy blanket, but only if the fire is small enough not to catch the blanket on fire.

For large electrical fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should always be sure you own at least one Type C or multi-use fire extinguisher in your home. Extinguishers should also be inspected often to be sure they have not expired. If there’s a working extinguisher on hand, just pull the pin at the top, aim the hose at the source of the fire, and squeeze the handle. If the fire gets too big to put out alone or you think the fire may block an exit, leave the house right away, close the door , and wait for assistance from the fire department.

For the small appliance fires, call Ignite Miami Beach Appliance Repair once the fire is extinguished and we can diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the appliance and restore it to working order.

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