Appliance Safety Tips

The appliances inside your house can make your life much less stressful, but when you operate household appliances incorrectly, they might create evident risks. You should care for your appliances and make sure they don’t become dangers by adhering to these home appliance safety tips from Cross Appliance Repair.

The professional tips below can help prevent fires and injuries due to broken home appliances. That being said, hazards can still happen. In the event a home appliance breaks or malfunctions and becomes a safety concern, reach out to a professional appliance repair CITY.

Install GFCI Outlets in Wet Locations in a Home

Kitchens, laundry rooms, bathrooms, basements, outdoor areas and garages can be susceptible to possible dampness or dripping water. As you are well aware, electricity and moisture don’t mix, that means electrical cords and wires should always be plugged into GFCI outlets.

This will prevent electrocution by tripping the circuit if any interruptions in electricity are detected.

If you don’t have GFCI outlets in damp areas inside and around your house, it’s time to install them or call an electrician in CITY. After that, for additional safety, you will want to heed the warnings of certain appliance manuals that indicate an appliance is not for outdoor areas.

Wires, Outlets & Electronics Away From Water

A lot of appliances are specially manufactured for the outdoors, such as charcoal and gas grills, for example. If you have electrical appliances outdoors – including refrigerators, dishwashers, ice makers and freezers, power tools and others – ensure that all cords and outlets are not wet. Weatherproof electronics can help, as do GFCI outlets with water-tight gaskets.

Extension Cords are a Momentary Answer

Extension cords pose many evident risks, this includes:

• The likelihood of loose connections that could lead to sparks and a fire.
• The chance of power inconsistencies that might damage the appliance.
• Increased vulnerability to water penetration that can cause electrocution.
• The potential for cords overheating and turning into a fire hazard when an inadequate extension cord is combined with a high-power appliance.

When determining an extension cord for short-term use, ensure it is the right gauge for the home appliance in question. The smaller the gauge, the larger the size for the cord. For example, a basic electrical extension cord for a lamp might have a 16-gauge wire where a bigger cord for a window air conditioner needs a 12-gauge wire.

The length is also crucial. The longer the extension cord is, the more electricity is used up enroute, something known as voltage drop. Short extension cords are advised for electric tools and equipment.

Read the Manual for Any Appliance You Purchase

It is easy to guess that you know how to operate a new dishwasher or washing machine without consulting the operating manual, but reading the guidelines is necessary for many reasons:

You will find out whether your home’s electrical wiring is enough to support the new appliance. You may need to install a new circuit to stop overloading any current ones.

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

You avoid the extreme stress that can come from attempting to run a new home appliance with no instructions!

Unplug Small Appliances When Not Being Used

You can reduce unnecessary energy consumption by unplugging appliances when not in use. This is because small appliances sometimes include LED lights, timers and other energy-consuming features while in standby mode.

Unplug monitors, televisions, printers, modems, routers, game consoles, cellphone chargers and more to limit wasteful energy use. But remember, it is alright to keep DVRs and similar electronics plugged in to prevent missing out on their automatic background functions.

For more tips on using appliances safely, or to schedule a professional appliance repair service, please contact Cross Appliance Repair. Our technicians can repair all common household appliances!

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