Appliance Safety Tips

The appliances inside a home often make your life much easier, but if you operate household appliances unsafely, they could pose significant health risks. You should maintain appliances and ensure that they do not turn into hazards by adhering to these appliance safety suggestions from EZ Appliance Repair.

The professional tips below can help prevent fires and injuries due to kitchen appliances. However, hazards can still happen. If a home appliance breaks or malfunctions and becomes dangerous, call a professional appliance repair Missouri.

Install GFCI Outlets in Wet Locations in Your Home

Kitchens, laundry rooms, bathrooms, basements, outdoor areas and garages are all susceptible to possible moisture or water. As you well know, electricity and water don’t go together, therefore electrical cords should be plugged into ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs).

This type of outlet prevents electrocution by tripping the circuit when any inconsistencies in electricity are detected.

If you don’t currently have GFCI outlets installed in damp rooms around your home, it’s time to install them or call an electrician in Missouri. Once that is done, for additional safety measures, follow the warnings of manufacturer appliance manuals that note that a household appliance is not designed for outdoor use.

Wires, Outlets & Electronics Far Away From Water

A lot of home appliances are built for the outdoors, like charcoal and gas grills. If you make us of any electrical appliances outside – including dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers and ice makers, electric tools and others – be sure that all of the outlets and cords are not wet. Using weatherproof electronics can help with this, in addition to GFCI outlets with water-tight gaskets.

Extension Cords are Only a Temporary Answer

An extension cord poses a lot of risks, including:

• The chance for loose connections that sometimes can lead to sparks and start a fire.
• The possibility of power interruptions that would ruin the appliance.
• Greater susceptibility to water penetration that may lead to electrocution.
• The likelihood of wires overheating and turning into 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, make sure it’s the appropriate gauge for the electrical equipment in question. The smaller the gauge, the bigger the cord size. For instance, a basic electrical extension cord for a lamp will have a 16-gauge wire while a bigger cord for a air conditioner requires a 12-gauge wire.

Length is also crucial. The longer the cord, the more power is gone on the way, also called voltage drop. Shorter extension cords are advised for electric tools and equipment.

Always Read the Operating Manual for Any Appliance You Purchase

It’s obvious to assume that you know how to operate your brand new dishwasher or washing machine without consulting the operating manual, but reading the guidelines is important for a lot of reasons:

You will find out whether your house’s wiring is enough to power the appliance. You might need to install a new circuit to stop overloading your current ones.

You learn more about features you might not otherwise known about.
You learn whether the new appliance is intended for outdoor use or not.

You do not have the frustration that can come from trying to run a new home appliance without instructions!

Unplug Small Appliances in Your Home When Not in Use

You are able to reduce unnecessary energy use by unplugging appliances when you are not using them. The reason is small appliances include LED indicators, clocks and other energy-draining features standby mode.

Unplug monitors, TVs, printers, modems, routers, game systems, phone chargers and more to cut back on wasteful energy use. Just remember, it is worthwhile to keep DVRs and similar devices plugged in to not miss their background features.

For extra tips on using appliances safely, or to call a professional appliance repair company, please contact EZ Appliance Repair. We can fix all name brand household appliances!

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