Appliance Safety Tips

The appliances inside of a house make your life less stressful, but if you operate household appliances incorrectly, they might create significant health risks. It is best to care for appliances and be sure they don’t turn into hazards by adhering to these household appliance safety tips from ASAP Appliance Repair.

The tips below help prevent fires and injuries related to household appliances. Even still, hazards can still happen. In the event a home appliance breaks or begins to malfunction and becomes dangerous, call a local appliance repair Greenwood.

GFCI Outlets in Wet Locations in Your Home

Laundry rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, basements, outdoor areas and garages are susceptible to possible moisture or dripping water. Of course, electricity and water do not mix, that means electrical cords and wires should be plugged into GFCI outlets.

This prevents electrocution by tripping the circuit if any imbalances in electricity occur.

If you do not have GFCI outlets in wet areas around your home, it is time to install them or call an electrician in Greenwood. After that, for further safety measures, heed the warnings of appliance manuals that indicate an appliance is not meant for outdoor areas.

Electrical Cords, Outlets & Electronics Far Away From Water

Many appliances are specially designed for the outdoors, like barbecue grills, for example. If you have any electrical appliances outside – including dishwashers, refrigerators, ice makers, electric tools and more – ensure that all plugs and outlets are not wet. Using weatherproof electronics will help, as do GFCI outlets with gaskets that are water-tight.

Extension Cords are Only a Momentary Solution

Extension cords pose many noticeable risks, including:

The likelihood of loose connections that could cause sparks and cause a fire.
The possibility of power fluctuations that would damage the appliance.
Greater susceptibility to water penetration that may result in electrocution.
The odds of cords overheating and turning into a fire hazard when an insufficient extension cord is used for a high-power appliance.

When choosing an extension cord for limited-time use, make sure that it’s the right gauge for the electrical equipment in question. The lower the gauge, the greater the cord size. For instance, a electrical extension cord for a radio will have a 16-gauge cord where a heavy-duty cord for a AC unit uses a 12-gauge wire.

Length is also important. The longer the cord, the more electricity is used up on the way, also known as voltage drop. Shorter cords are good for power tools and similar equipment.

Be Sure to Read the Manual for Any Appliance You Purchase

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

You will find out whether your home’s wiring is enough to power the appliance. You may need to install a circuit to prevent overloading any existing ones.

You learn more about complicated features you might not otherwise known about.
You discover if the new appliance is OK for outdoor areas or not.

You avoid the stress that can sometimes come from attempting to start a home appliance with no instructions!

Unplug Small Appliances if You Aren’t Using Them

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

Unplug monitors, televisions, modems, printers, internet routers, video game systems, phone chargers and more to cut back on unnecessary energy usage. Just remember, it is worthwhile to keep DVRs and similar electronics plugged in to not miss their background features.

For more tips on how to use home appliances safely, or to hire a local appliance repair company, please contact ASAP Appliance Repair. Our technicians can fix all common household appliances!

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