What To Do If An Electrical Appliance Catches Fire

8/12/2020 (Permalink)

An electrical fire can be scary and extremely dangerous, but there are some guidelines to help keep your home safe from electrical fires.

Preventing Electrical Fires

• Be sure not to plug in too many devices into one outlet. If the wiring gets overloaded it can spark a fire.
• Check your outlets regularly for excessive heat, burn marks, and buzzing or crackling sounds.
• Make sure you have at least one smoke detector on every floor of your home, and test them regularly to keep them in good working order.

Common Appliances that Could Start a Fire

• Dishwashers contain heating elements that dry your dishes. Old or faulty elements can start a fire. Never turn on a dishwasher before leaving your home or overnight.
• Dryers need to have the lint trap cleaned often. The lint buildup in a dryer can start a fire.  Never run your washing machine or dryer when leaving your home or overnight.
• Microwaves can be very dangerous. There have been complaints in the past about microwaves starting on their own and causing a fire.
• Refrigerators can have an overheated compressor or an electrical short which can cause a fire.
• Toasters can fail or not turn off or have crumbs stuck to the heating elements which may start a fire.

If you have an electrical fire in your home or business, call SERVPRO of Medina County, Gateway, Western Lake County for your fire cleaning services.  1-800-933-7179.