Home Fire Safety: Prevent Clothes Dryer Fires

Fires caused by clothes dryers

Clothes dryers have become an indispensable part of most family homes. Most people don’t know that clothes dryers are one of the major causes of house fires. Before clothes dryer makes it to your home they are rigorously tested, inspected and then certified to make sure that Australian standards are met. Once the clothes dryer is in your home is up to you to provide the fire extinguisher inspections required to keep them in good working order. We can install, test, inspect and maintain all of your fire equipment and provide fire safety certificates and annual fire safety statements. Our fire extinguisher service cost is affordable for every scale of business.

Each fire technician takes pride in their work, ensuring minimum disruption to your operations while making sure that all fire extinguisers are installed and tested according to fire extinguisher testing specifications. It will be cost-effective as we are providing affordable fire extinguisher testing cost.

Follow these steps to prevent clothes dryer fires:

• You should clean the link filter in your clothes dryer after every use
• Allow each load to go through its full cycle which will give the dryer a chance to cool down
• You should clean and dust from the grill of the clothes dryer to prevent excessive dust buildup and overheating.
• Don’t overload the PowerPoints in your laundry.
• Make sure that your clothes dryer is located in an area that has proper ventilation, airflow and enough airspace.
• You should clean the lint filter, periodically, with soapy water to remove any buildup on the filter.
• You should always turn off your dryer before you leave the house.
• Make it a priority to place it to a fire hydrant as much as possible.
• Install a fire smoke alarm in the same room where you have your clothes dryer.
• Have a designated fire exit in the room.

What is the cause of clothes dryer fires?

One of the major causes of clothes dryer fires is a lack of maintenance. Relinks track of your clothes dryer must be cleaned regularly. If the wind traps aren’t clean regularly you can result in a buildup of links and other material that will cause the dryer to underperform and operate at temperatures above what it is designed for. This can lead to the dryer overheating and may have dangerous consequences. You should also check your vent systems and make sure that they cleaned and maintained to allow for proper AFI.

You should only ever place the correct items in a close dryer.

Placing the wrong items in your clothes dryer can cause major problems. Items such as foam back rugs, sports shoes and backpacks. Make sure that you only put items in your clothes dryer that are safe and approved for drying. If you were in doubt about what you can and can’t put in your clothes dryer check the tag of the item for the washing instructions or check the manufacturer’s website for further information.

What you can do to prevent these fires

Consult your local council for any information that you may need. You should make sure that the dryer you had or you were looking to buy has metal venting in ducting materials which helps to sustain airflow . This also reduces the operating costs and extends the lifetime of the dryer as well is your clothing due to lower drying temperatures. Fire protection plan should always be a priority to prevent any mishaps from happening.  Make sure you have fully tested fire equipment all the time.

Fire safety in the laundry

Additional steps to follow:

• You should clean the lint catcher after every use.
• You should clean the back of the dryer where lint can also be trapped.
• You should have the interior of the dryer dryer and venting system cleaned by a qualified contractor.
• You should replace plastic or vinyl exhaust poses with flexible or rigid metal vents.
• Do not place any items in the dryer that may have something flowable on them such as alcohol, petrol, cooking oil, spot remover or dry cleaning solvent. These flammable substance can give off vapours that can ignite or even explode.
• You should read the manufacturers instructions as to the correct use and care of the close try that new house. You can also find warning markings on the inside of the dryers door or lid.
• Have a portable fire extinguisher in the area that you can easily grab in case of fire.

Clothes dryer facts

• In the US clothes dryers can be found in around 80% of homes, that’s around 81.5 million homes.
• When you place a full load of weight closing of clothes dryer it will contain around 1 1/2 L of water. As this water is removed from the clothes it creates went.
• Clothes dyers are one of the most expensive appliances to run in your home.
• Since the 1970s clothes dryer fires have dropped about 35%.

Dryers and washing machines

In the US dryers washing machine’s were involved in one out of every 22 structural home fires between 2006 and 2010.

How a fire occurs in a clothes dryer

It is the build up of link which reduces the air flow to the clothes dryer that is the major cause of fire. Lint is a highly combustible material. There are a number of causes and problems that can contribute to the lint build up.

US facts and figures

In 2010 there were around 16,800 reported structural home fires that involved clothes dryers or washing machines that resulted in 51 deaths, 380 injuries and $236 million of property damage.

• Out of these fires close dryers accounted for 92%, washing machine 4%, and washer dryer combos 4%.
• The leading cause of these fires was a failure to be claimed properly at 32% followed by mechanical failure or malfunctions at 22%.

Clothes dryer fire prevention

Video transcription:

Dryers are a common cause of fire because of the fluff. Delete the Kalex on the filter. So never leave the dryer on if you’re going out of the house. Make sure you turn off before you leave because if it’s on for too long you can overheat and the built-up lint can catch fire.
So always clean out the lint filter after you use the dryer. Or before you use the dryer. Always make sure there’s no wind in there.

Other resources:

1. http://www.laundry-alternative.com/clothes_dryer_fire.htm
2. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/appliances/laundry-and-cleaning/clothes-dryers/truths-and-myths-of-dryer-fires/overview/index.htm
3. http://www.ehow.com/how_5118758_prevent-dryer-fire.html
4. http://www.usfa.fema.gov/media/press/2012releases/080712.shtm
5. http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/consumers/dryer-safety.html
6. http://www.3dalarms.com/blog/when-your-clothes-catch-fire-in-the-dryer
7. http://www.diylife.com/2008/02/27/how-to-prevent-a-clothes-dryer-fire/
8. http://www.diylife.com/2008/02/27/how-to-prevent-a-clothes-dryer-fire/
9. http://www.cultureofsafety.com/safety-tips/dryer-fires/
10. http://www.dryerventspecialist.com/rich_text.html