Appliance Safety Tips

The appliances inside a home make life easier, but if you operate them unsafely, they might pose noticeable health risks. It is important to protect appliances and ensure that they will not become dangers by adhering to these helpful appliance safety recommendations from Evans Appliance Repair.

The tips in this post will help prevent fires and injuries from home appliances. Even still, hazards can still happen. In the event a home appliance breaks or begins to malfunction and becomes a danger, hire a professional appliance repair.

GFCI Outlets in Damp Locations in Your Home

Laundry rooms, kitchens, basements, bathrooms, outdoor areas and garages are all susceptible to possible wetness or dripping water. As you well know, electricity and moisture do not mix, therefore power cords and wires should always be plugged into ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs).

This special type of outlet can prevent electrocution by tripping the circuit when any inconsistencies in electricity arise.

If you do not have GFCI outlets installed in wet locations around your house, now is the time to install them or call an electrician in CITY. Then, for safety measures, follow the warnings of manufacturer appliance manuals that note that a home appliance is not designed for outdoor use.

Wires, Electronics & Outlets Away From Water

Quite a few appliances are specifically built for outdoor use, such as barbecue grills. If you have electrical appliances outside – including refrigerators, dishwashers, ice makers and freezers, electric tools and others – be sure that all outlets and plugs are not wet. Weatherproof electronics help with this, combined with GFCI outlets with gaskets that are water-tight.

Extension Cords are Only a Temporary Solution

Extension cords pose several noticeable risks, this includes:

The likelihood of a loose connection that can cause sparks and a fire.
The possibility of power fluctuations that will break the appliance.
Increased vulnerability to water penetration that could result in electrocution.
The chance of wires overheating and becoming a fire hazard when an low-quality extension cord is paired with a high-power appliance.

When deciding on an extension cord for temporary use, be sure that it’s the appropriate gauge for the electrical tool in question. The smaller the gauge, the bigger the wire size. For example, a basic extension cord for a garden tool may have a 16-gauge wire where a bigger cord for a AC unit needs a 12-gauge wire.

The length of the cord is also important. The longer the cord is, the more power is lost enroute, also called voltage drop. Shorter cords are advised for electric tools and outdoor equipment.

Always Read the Operating Manual for Any Appliance You Purchase

It’s obvious to guess that you know how to operate a new dishwasher or washing machine without consulting the manual, but reading the instructions is necessary for a lot of reasons:

You will want to find out whether your house’s wiring is sufficient to support the appliance. You may have to install a new circuit to prevent overloading any current ones.

You learn about complicated features you would not have otherwise known.
You understand whether the new appliance is intended for outdoor areas or not.

You do not have the frustration that can come from trying to run a appliance with no instructions!

Unplug Small Appliances in Your Home if You Aren’t Using Them

You are able to limit unnecessary energy use by unplugging them when not in use. The reason is small appliances often include LED lights, timers and other energy-consuming features during standby times.

Unplug televisions, computer monitors, internet routers, game systems, phone chargers and more to reduce unnecessary energy use. Just remember, it’s OK to keep DVRs and similar electronics plugged in to not miss their automatic background functions.

For extra tips on using appliances safely, or to schedule a local appliance repair service, please contact Evans Appliance Repair. Our repairmen can fix all name brand home appliances!

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