Have you ever gotten a dryer fire? We sure hope not! I, personally, had a dryer fire many years ago. I didn’t even notice it until my son smelled something burning. It was a truly frightening experience. Luckily, we were all home and were able to handle it, without any harm to ourselves or our home.
You may not know it, but dryer fires are surprisingly common. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are around 15,500 dryer fires happening every year, mostly during the fall and winter. According to the National Fire Protection Association, around 14,630 fires caused by dryers get responded to by firefighters. Thankfully, the number of injuries and deaths caused by this problem is only ten a year. If that weren’t enough, the cost to fix the damages caused to your property is through the roof.
So, how exactly do dryer fires happen? It comes down to two main causes: lint accumulation and improper ventilation. When the airflow coming into your dryer is low or reduced and there is a pretty hefty amount of lint build up, you’ve got the conditions necessary for a fire to happen. However, out of the two, failing to keep your dryer clean is the one that can most easily trigger a fire. What happens is that lint starts blocking the ventilation, and one thing leads to the other. Of course, faulty appliances are to blame as well, but some dryer fires start because of improper maintenance, rather than technical issues.
Now, let’s get to the point. How can you prevent this from happening in your home? Keeping your house and your family safe is everyone’s top priority. Here are a few tips that you can implement to prevent a dryer fire from happening and ensure that no one in your home, or your home itself, is at risk.
- Taking out lint from the trapper is not enough
You might be thinking “oh, I clean the lint screen after each load, I’m covered”, but don’t be so sure. Much of the lint that your dryer produces doesn’t get trapped there. In fact, a lot of it ends up in the heating element. We do encourage you to clean out the screen every time you use your dryer, but we also recommend implementing deeper cleaning methods that can be performed by a professional. It’s a fact that a fire is triggered when there’s a problem inside the machine, but your cleaning practices and upkeep affect it just as much. Remember, never use a dryer without a lint trapper, or one that is damaged, loose or clogged.
- Replacing the duct
Lots of people use those accordion-style ducts to keep the ventilation of the dryer going. As it turns out, those are pretty dangerous and lint gets built up pretty easily. This happens because of the bends and low points in those types of ducts, lint gets into those spaces and sits there. We recommend that you change your duct to a metal one, whether it be a flexible or rigid one. This kind of ducts will not sag, as opposed to the accordion ones. That way, lint won’t accumulate in the ridges. Also, they don’t get crushed as easily as other materials, allowing for lint to be properly vented. It is also advised to use the shortest duct possible. Another thing to consider if you are going to replace your duct is the material it is made with. Avoid plastic, vinyl and foil ones if you can. Sticking to metal ducts is your best option!
- Clean out the duct periodically
If you ever notice that clothes are taking longer to dry, this may indicate that something is blocked. The easiest way to solve the problem is to take off the duct, clean it out, and reconnect it. It’s also recommended to clean behind and under the dryer as there may be lint in those spaces as well, clogging things up. In addition, during the winter months, make sure that there isn’t any snow blocking the outside vent of your dryer.
- Installation and placement are key!
If the dryer is placed near a wall or somewhere where the duct could get crushed, this can cause issues later on. We recommend that you don’t try to fit the duct in a tight, small space. It’s better to either find a more suitable place in your home or get a Dryerbox. The Dryerbox is a new, practical invention that allows you to create more space for your dryer while also preventing the crushing of the duct. If you’d like to know more about it, click here.
- Check your clothes after each load
Apart from just checking the dryer’s behavior and how it’s working, it’s advised to check clothing for burn marks or any scorching. If any of these show up on your clothes, they are tell-tale signs of faultiness in your machine or improper cleaning. Another tip is to be super careful when it comes to clothing stained with flammable products or chemicals, e.g: alcohol, cooking oil or gasoline. Those can actually start a fire when put into the dryer. For those cases, stick to washing it as much as it is needed and then hanging to dry.
- Some other things to consider
Please remember to never leave your house while the dryer is running, and don’t forget to read the manufacturer’s instructions.
Lastly, if you followed all the steps, and by any chance, a dryer fire does occur, please remember to leave the dryer door closed. It’s basic chemistry; fires need oxygen in order to keep going. The best thing to do is stop the power in your house, call the firefighters, and stay away from it!
We hope these tips are useful for preventing any casualties and keeping you safe!