Appliance Safety Tips

The appliances in your home make your life less stressful, but when you use household appliances the wrong way, they could produce evident risks. You will want to maintain your appliances and ensure that they will not turn into hazards by following these home appliance safety recommendations from Hall Appliance Repair.

The professional tips below can help to prevent fires and injuries from broken kitchen appliances. However, hazards could still happen. If a home appliance has problems or malfunctions and becomes a safety concern, reach out to a professional appliance repair CITY.

GFCI Outlets in Damp Locations

Laundry rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, basements, mud rooms, garages and outdoor areas can be susceptible to possible wetness or water. Of course, electricity and water do not mix, so power cords and wires should be plugged into ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs).

This type of electrical outlet will prevent electrocution by tripping the circuit when any interruptions in power arise.

If you don’t already have GFCI outlets in wet areas around your home, it is time to install them or call an electrician in CITY. After that, for even more safety measures, follow the warnings of certain appliance manuals that note that they are not meant for outdoor areas.

Cords, Electronics & Outlets Away From Wet Areas

Several appliances are built for outdoor areas, such as barbecue grills. If you make us of any electrical appliances outside – including dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers and ice makers, power tools and more – ensure that all plugs and outlets are 100% dry. Weatherproof electronics will help with this, as do GFCI outlets with gaskets that are water-tight.

Extension Cords are a Temporary Answer

An extension cord poses a lot of potential risks, this includes:

The chance for a loose connection that could create sparks and start a fire.
The chance of power fluctuations that can break the appliance.
Increased vulnerability to moisture penetration that might lead to electrocution.
The chance of wires overheating and turning into a fire hazard when an low-quality extension cord is used for a high-power appliance.

When deciding on an extension cord for short-term use, ensure that it is the correct gauge for the home appliance in question. The smaller the gauge, the greater the wire size. For instance, a extension cord for a radio might have a 16-gauge cord whereas a larger cord for a air conditioner requires a 12-gauge wire.

Length is also important. The longer the cord is, the more power is gone on the way, this is referred to as voltage drop. Shorter extension cords are recommended for electric tools and equipment.

Always Be Sure to Read the Operating Manual for Any Type of Appliance You Buy

It is easy to guess that you know how to operate your brand new dishwasher or washing machine without consulting the manual, but reading the manufacturer instructions is important for many reasons:

You should find out whether your home’s electrical wiring is enough to power the appliance. You might have to install a circuit to prevent overloading your existing ones.

You learn more about features you might not otherwise have known about.
You understand if the new appliance is OK for outdoor use or not.

You don’t have the stress that can come from trying to start a new appliance with no instructions!

Unplug Small Appliances in Your Home if You Are Not Using Them

You can prevent unnecessary energy use by unplugging appliances when not in use. The reason is small appliances sometimes include LED signals, clocks and other features during standby times.

Unplug monitors, televisions, printers, modems, internet routers, video game systems, phone chargers and more to limit wasteful energy usage. But remember, it’s alright to keep DVRs and similar devices plugged in to not miss their background functions.

For additional tips on using home appliances safely, or to hire a local appliance repair service, please contact Hall Appliance Repair. Our repairmen can repair all common home appliances!

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