Appliance Safety Tips

The appliances inside your house make life easier, but if you use appliances unsafely, they could pose significant risks. It is important to protect appliances and make sure they won’t turn into dangers by adhering to these helpful home appliance safety suggestions from Mayes Appliance Repair.

The tips in this article help prevent fires and injuries due to broken home appliances. Even still, hazards could still occur. If a home appliance breaks or malfunctions and becomes a safety issue, call a professional appliance repair CITY.

GFCI Outlets in Damp Locations

Laundry rooms, kitchens, entry ways, bathrooms, basements, outdoor areas and garages can be susceptible to moisture or water. As you are well aware, electricity and water don’t go together, that means power cords should be plugged into ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs).

This prevents electrocution by tripping the circuit if any imbalances in power arise.

If you don’t already have GFCI outlets installed in wet locations inside and around your house, it is time to install them or call an electrician in CITY. After that, for even more safety, be sure to heed the warnings of appliance manuals that note that an appliance is not meant for outdoor use.

Cords, Electronics & Outlets Away From Water

Some appliances are designed for outdoor areas, like barbecue grills. If you use any electrical appliances outside – including dishwashers, refrigerators, ice makers, electric tools and others – be sure that all of the plugs and outlets are 100% dry. Using weatherproof electronics can help with this, as do GFCI outlets with water-tight gaskets.

Extension Cords are Only a Momentary Answer

Extension cords can pose several potential risks, this includes:

• The chance for loose connections that might create sparks and cause a fire.
• The chance of power fluctuations that might break the appliance.
• Greater vulnerability to moisture penetration that can cause electrocution.
• The probability of wires overheating and turning into a fire hazard when an inadequate extension cord is used for a high-power appliance.

When choosing an extension cord for short-term use, make sure that it is the appropriate gauge for the electrical equipment in question. The smaller the gauge, the larger the wire size. For example, a basic extension cord for a radio may have a 16-gauge wire where a big cord for a AC unit requires a 12-gauge wire.

The length of the cord is also important. The longer the extension cord, the more electricity is used up enroute, also called voltage drop. Shorter cords are advised for power tools and equipment.

Be Sure to Read the Manual for Any Appliance You Purchase

It’s simple to guess that you know how to use your new washing machine or dishwasher without reading the manual, but consulting the manufacturer guidelines is necessary for many reasons:

You should find out if your house’s electrical wiring is enough to power the new appliance. You may have to install a circuit to stop overloading any existing ones.

You learn about complicated features you wouldn’t have otherwise have known.
You discover if the new appliance is safe for outdoor areas or not.

You do not have the stress that can come from attempting to use a new home appliance with no instructions!

Unplug Small Appliances in Your Home When Not Being Used

You are able to stop unnecessary energy consumption by unplugging appliances when you are not using them. This is because small appliances include LED signals, timers and other features standby mode.

Unplug televisions, computer monitors, routers, video game systems, smart phone chargers and more to stop wasteful energy usage. Just remember, it’s OK to keep DVRs and similar items plugged in to not miss their automatic background functions.

For extra tips on how to use appliances safely, or to call a professional appliance repair company, please contact Mayes Appliance Repair. Our repairmen can repair all name brand home appliances!

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