Safety first
Emergency Appliance Repair in Hayward: First Steps
Cut the power or the water, keep the fridge shut, then call. Below is the order for each appliance, so nothing gets worse before the visit.
Which appliance problems can't wait?
Four things make an appliance call urgent: gas you can smell, heat or a burning smell, water on the floor, and food that's warming up. Hayward Appliance Care sets up emergency appliance repair visits for all of them in Hayward and nearby East Bay cities, and every one starts with a safe step you can take in the next few minutes.
Find your appliance below. Each section is short: what to do first, what to leave alone, and what to have ready when you call. If two things are going wrong at once, deal with gas and burning smells before water, and water before food.
Oven or stove smells like gas: who do you call first?
If the smell is strong or doesn't fade, PG&E comes before any repair. Get everyone out of the house, warn anyone nearby, and move a safe distance away before you make a call.
Do this now
- Leave the stove knobs, lights and switches exactly as they are. Don't use a phone or flashlight inside, light a match or start a car in the garage.
- From a safe distance, call 911, then PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.
- Stay out until PG&E or the fire department says the house is clear.
After PG&E clears the home and shuts off or tags the range if needed, call us and we'll set up the repair visit for the igniter, valve or connector that caused it. A faint smell that lasts a second or two as a burner or the oven lights is a different, smaller problem; the guide to an oven that smells like gas explains how to tell them apart.
Fridge or freezer died: how long does the food hold?
Keep the doors shut. A closed refrigerator keeps food safe for about 4 hours. A full freezer holds about 48 hours, and a half-full one about 24, according to FDA food safety guidance for power outages.
Before calling, check the simple power path: is the display lit, is the breaker tripped, and does the outlet work with a lamp? If the power just came back after an outage, the fridge-after-an-outage guide covers how long to wait before deciding it's broken.
If it has power, hums and still won't cool, that's a repair. Write down the model number from the sticker inside the fresh-food door frame and call.
Food safety lines
| Appliance, door closed | Holds safe for about |
|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 4 hours |
| Freezer, full | 48 hours |
| Freezer, half full | 24 hours |
FDA says to throw out perishables that sat above 40°F for 4 hours or more. The fridge not cooling guide covers what's behind a warm fridge.
Fridge still dark or warm after the checks? Call with the model number and how long it's been off.
Call (XXX) XXX-XXXXWasher leaking or full of water: what do you shut off first?
Power first, then water. If there's water near the washer's plug, switch the washer off at the breaker instead of reaching for the plug. Then close the hot and cold valves on the wall behind the machine.
- Breaker off if the floor is wet; otherwise press cancel and unplug.
- Both supply valves closed, turned clockwise until they stop.
- Towels down, and anything on the floor moved out of the water.
- In an upstairs unit, tell the neighbor below or the building manager so they can check their ceiling.
Leave a locked front-load door alone. Most stay locked while water is inside, and forcing the handle breaks the latch. The washer leaking guide shows how the spot where the puddle forms points to the hose, the door seal or the pump.
Dryer smells like burning: is it safe to run it again?
No. Stop the cycle and cut the power. Unplug it if you can reach the plug safely, or switch it off at the breaker. On a gas dryer, also close the gas valve on the pipe behind it.
Don't restart it to see whether the smell comes back. A burning smell usually means lint has packed in near the heater or burner, or the drum motor or a belt is overheating. If you see smoke or flame, get out and call 911.
Once it has cooled, empty the lint screen and look at the vent hose behind the dryer for a crushed section, then leave it off. More on what the tech checks is on the dryer repair page.
Dishwasher flooding the floor: how do you stop it?
Open the door to stop the cycle, then shut off its power and water. Most dishwashers are on a switch or plug under the sink or on their own breaker. The water supply is usually a small valve under the sink on the hot line.
Don't run the garbage disposal while the dishwasher is backing up, since they often share a drain. Mop up, keep the door closed, and call with the brand and any light or code that's flashing. The dishwasher repair page covers standing water and leaks at the door.
What counts as an emergency, and what can wait a day?
A rough guide to how fast to move. When in doubt, call and describe it.
| What you're seeing | How soon | First step |
|---|---|---|
| Strong or lasting gas smell | Right now, PG&E first | Leave the house, call from outside |
| Burning smell, smoke, scorched outlet | Right now | Power off at the breaker |
| Water spreading from a washer or dishwasher | Same day | Breaker off, supply valves closed |
| Fridge warm with food inside | Same day | Doors shut, check the breaker |
| Freezer thawing, full of food | Within a day | Doors shut, add ice if you have it |
| Oven won't heat, burners fine | Can wait a day | Cook on the cooktop |
| Ice maker stopped | Can wait a day | Check the water valve isn't closed |
| Disposal hums, sink still drains | Can wait a day | Switch off, nothing down the drain |
While you wait
What do people ask in the first few minutes?
Should I unplug a fridge that stopped cooling?
Not if it still has power and runs. Leave it plugged in and shut, and read us the temperature if you have a thermometer inside. Unplug it only if it smells hot, sparks or sits in water.
The gas smell went away. Can I use the oven tonight?
If the smell was strong or lasted, no, not until PG&E or the fire department has checked the home and the range has been looked at. A faint smell for a second or two at lighting is a different case, covered in the gas smell guide.
Can I run the washer again after mopping up?
Not until you know where the water came from. A split fill hose leaks whether the washer runs or not, so keep the valves closed until the visit.
Is a dryer that smelled hot once safe to use?
Treat it as unsafe until it has been checked. A burning smell usually means lint near the heat source or a motor working too hard, and both get worse with use.
Safe for now?
Check the ZIP, then call
With the power or water off and the doors shut, the next step is the visit. Type the ZIP where the appliance is.
Is the address covered?
The first ten minutes
Want the appliance working again, not just switched off?
Within the first ten minutes of the call, we'll know what failed, what you've already shut off, and when the visit can be.