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Fire & Water - Cleanup & Restoration

Dryer Fires

11/9/2021 (Permalink)

Man putting clothes in dryer When putting clothes through the washer and dryer it is important to remember to not overfill them.

Laundry Room Fires

Whether you love doing laundry or you hate doing laundry, there are some essential things you need to keep in mind to ensure you aren’t putting your home at risk of a fire. Believe it or not, washers and dryers, on average, cause about 16,000 house fires each year, with dryers causing 92% of them, with 31% of the leading causes of these fires being failure to clean and perform routine maintenance. 

Causes of Dryer Fires

  • Mechanical and electrical failure:

Although these types of fires aren’t as common as the others, it is important to check to ensure the parts are working correctly. This allows any repairs that are needed to be made before it can lead to any significant problems. 

  • Improper Use:

Overfilling your dryer can potentially cause a fire because you are making the dryer work extra hard due to all the extra weight. By checking the clothing label you can have a better understanding of the material is intended for high-temperature heat. Some materials that aren’t suited for high temperatures are: plastic, rubber, or foam can heat and melt, leading to a fire. 

  • Dirty lint filters and vents

Clogged vents, ducts, and filters are the leading cause of dryer fires. Lint filters accumulate an excessive amount of dirt, grass, or other material left from the washer. Another cause of a dryer fire is when you don’t check the outside vent which causes improper airflow. Improper airflow leads to lint collecting on the screen which creates the perfect situation to start a fire. By cleaning this you aren’t allowing birds, insects, or rodents to nest in these perfect locations.  

Although doing laundry is a tedious task, you must be following these steps to ensure that you aren’t creating perfect conditions for dryer fires. 

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