Safety Tips from Appliance Repair of Brooklyn, NY Safety of the appliance: all that is really needed is common sense.
If the appliance you're lifting is heavy protect yourself and
the appliance by getting some help. Even then, be sure that you and your
partner are using the proper lifting technique. Meaning lift with your legs
and not with your back. If you're bent over, you're not doing it
right. The correct motion is an almost straight up-down motion,
with the majority of the force being supplied by your legs.
If you feel the appliance slipping from your grip, don't be too
proud to admit to it and set the appliance down again
for a better grip, or a rest, or to simply abandon the attempt until
even more help can be found.
All wall outlets, light switches, and overhead and wall light fixtures
are mounted in small metal or plastic boxes called electrical cases.
These boxes are screwed or nailed to the studs or framework of the
house, and then the outlet, switch, or light fixture is mounted
over the case. The exposed (stripped of insulation) wire is wrapped
around screw taps or solder connections, providing an electrical
path to the outlet. Over periods of months and years, the outlet
boxes become filled with dust. Some dust particles are flammable,
as well as conductive. When an appliance is plugged in or out or
a switch turned on or off, there can be a slight electrical spark
when current first reaches the contact. This is caused when the
contact is slightly corroded or otherwise not as solid as it should
be. The spark that results is the number one cause of household
fires in the United States. The most frequent occurrence is when
an iron or a space heater, drawing heavy current, is pulled from
a wall outlet or plugged into an outlet while the appliance is on.
A spark naturally occurs when electricity jumps to the circuit being
completed or opened by insertion or withdrawal of the plug.
Never plug an appliance in or remove a wall plug unless the power
switch for that appliance has been turned to the off position. And
it's a good habit once a year to remove all plastic wall plates
covering outlets, switches and fixtures. Carefully use a plastic
(insulated) extension on a vacuum cleaner to dust out the outlet
boxes. If the vacuum attachment won't reach into the small areas,
blow hard to get loose dust out, or use a small air compressor to
blow out the dirt and grime.
Most modern appliances require little or no maintenance. With some
disassembly required for internal maintenance isn't worth the risks.
However, there are some things that you can do to increase the lenght
life of your appliance, while reducing the number of times that
you have to call in the for appliance repair or replace the appliance.
Most of it is common sense, and proper cleanliness. It doesn't require
a lot of time or effort. And for that slight investment, you can
safe the life of your appliances while cutting the costs to keep
your appliances running perfectly. There is no better way to repair
an appliance other than to keep it from breaking down in the first
place.
Start thinking of preventive maintenance even as you are making
the purchase. Will the appliance do the job? Does it have the features
you need? Will it fit? Is it compatible with the wiring in your
home? This involves some careful shopping on your part, and even
a few measurements and calculations.
WILL IT DO THE JOB?
The most common for a new purchaser to expect an appliance to do
something it can't. This both causes disappointment for the owner,
and could tempt owner to use the appliance in a situation where
it could be damaged. This is the first problem. The appliance you
buy should be capable of doing what you want it to do. And you shouldn't
try to get it to do it what isn't designed to handle. The more complex
the appliance, the more likely it is that some things will go wrong
sooner or later.
