Appliance Safety Tips

The appliances inside of a home can make your life much easier, but when you use them incorrectly, they might create noticeable risks. You will want to care for appliances and be sure they will not turn into dangers by adhering to these helpful household appliance safety tips from Ready Reno Appliance Repair.

The tips in this article can help to prevent fires and injuries related to broken home appliances. That being said, hazards might still occur. In the event a home appliance breaks or malfunctions and becomes a danger, reach out to an appliance repair Reno Nevada service.

GFCI Outlets in Wet Locations

Laundry rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, basements, outdoor areas and garages can be susceptible to possible moisture or dripping water. Of course, electricity and water don’t go together, so power cords should be plugged into ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs).

This prevents electrocution by tripping the circuit when any imbalances in power are detected.

If you don’t have GFCI outlets in damp areas around your house, it’s time to install them or call an electrician. After that, for even more safety measures, heed the warnings of appliance manuals that indicate an appliance is not meant for outdoor areas.

Wires, Electronics & Outlets Away From Wet Areas

Quite a few home appliances are manufactured for the outdoors, like charcoal and gas grills. If you make us of any electrical appliances outdoors – including dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers and ice makers, power tools and others – ensure that all of the outlets and plugs are 100% dry. Weatherproof electronics will help, in addition to GFCI outlets with water-tight gaskets.

Extension Cords are a Momentary Answer

Extension cords can pose a lot of potential risks, this includes:

The chance for loose connections that might result in sparks and start a fire.
The chance of power fluctuations that will break the appliance.
Increased susceptibility to moisture penetration that could result in electrocution.
The potential for wires overheating and becoming 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 correct gauge for the appliance in question. The lower the gauge, the larger the size for the wire. For example, a simple household extension cord for a lamp could have a 16-gauge wire where a big cord for a air conditioner unit needs a 12-gauge wire.

The length of the cord is also important. The longer the cord, the more electricity is gone on the way, something called voltage drop. Short extension cords are good for power tools and similar outdoor equipment.

Always Be Sure to Read the Operating Manual for Any Type ofAppliance You Purchase

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

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

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

You avoid the extreme frustration that can come from trying to start a home appliance with no instructions!

Unplug Small Appliances When Not Being Used

You are able to reduce unnecessary energy usage by unplugging small appliances when you aren’t using them. This is because small appliances often include LED signals, clocks and other features during standby times.

Unplug televisions, monitors, internet routers, video game consoles, smart phone chargers and more to stop unnecessary energy consumption. Just remember, it’s worthwhile to keep DVRs and similar items plugged in to prevent missing out on their automatic background features.

For even more tips on how to use appliances safely, or to call a professional appliance repair service, please contact Ready Reno Appliance Repair. We can fix all name brand home appliances!

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