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The Facts on Clothes Dryer Fires
According to the U.S. Fire Administration1, every year clothes dryer fires account for about 15,600 structure fires, 15 deaths and 400 injuries nationwide.
Lint build-up, specifically the failure-to-clean, is the most common cause.2 Many homeowners clean inside the lint trap of their dryer but most don’t stop to think about cleaning lint out of the exhaust duct. There’s where the fires start.
Just like with a toaster oven, there’s an ignition source there. Anything that gets caught in there is going to ignite. Another problem in many homes is that there is a plastic exhaust pipe connected to the dryer. That in itself is a fire hazard. It also voids the warranty of some manufacturers (GE for one).3 Plastic should be replaced with metal duct because it is non-flammable. Another cause of fires is distance from the dryer vent to the outside of the house. If lint has to travel through a pipe that’s under a floor or up through walls and is more than six feet long, it’s almost impossible to get it all blown out.4
With gas dryers, there are also concerns of carbon monoxide poisoning, This is one reason why you should never run your dryer while you’re sleeping or if you’re not at home.
Besides lint build-up, other fire contributors include mechanical failure, a missing or damaged lint screen, a crushed hose behind the dryer or even a bird/animal nest in the vent.5
Keep the area all around the dryer free of clutter. Make sure to empty it when it’s done and move the laundry basket out of the room.
Do not place anything made of plastic, rubber or foam into the dryer. They can ignite at very low temperatures and burn up very hot.
Clothing that has been soiled with volatile agents such as gasoline, cooking oils, cleaning products, or paints and stains should be handled carefully. If possible, wash twice and hang to dry. If you must use the dryer, use the lowest setting possible that has a cool-down cycle at the end. Do not leave them near the dryer when they’re done.
Another hazardous situation can occur when dryer vents do not exhaust outside at all. Improper installations can vent exhaust into the attic, crawlspace, chimney or interior walls. This can cause indoor air deterioration and mold build-up.6
The warning signs you should look for are these. The dryer is still producing heat but takes longer and longer to dry clothes, especially towels and jeans. If your dryer takes twice as long to dry clothes as it should, the number of loads it will dry in its lifetime is cut in half.7 Next, if clothes are damp or hotter than usual at the end of the cycle. When the dryer runs at a higher-than-designed temperature, the life of it decreases even more. The last warning sign is if the outdoor flapper on the vent hood doesn’t open when the dryer is on.
There are additional benefits to dryer vent cleaning. It allows your dryer to operate more efficiently, using less energy and saving you money. It protects your dryer from excess wear and “premature death”. It helps clothes dry faster (a time savings for busy families). It reduces excess household dust and humidity and lastly, it helps preserve clothing, as the life of many fabrics is damaged by excessive high heat.
There is however, one tried and true method to drying clothes: use of an old-fashioned clothes line outdoors. There are never any reports on clothesline fires! 8
Our cleaning procedure involves pulling the dryer away from the wall, disconnecting the dryer from the dryer duct and running the Rotobrush® with vacuum down the duct to remove any lint build-up. We also vacuum the back of the dryer. We can verify that the correct type of duct is in use. We can replace any old flexible duct at your request. We then reconnect your dryer to the duct and make sure there is proper airflow. Give us a call at 989-4697 or 667-3670 to set up an appointment.
NOTES:
1U.S. Fire Administration, National Fire Data Center; www.usfa.dhs.gov/statistics/reports/
2U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission; www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/5022.html
3Al’s Home Improvement Center, “Venting Clothes Dryers,” http://www.alsnetbiz.com/homeimprovement/dryervent.html
4WHNT-TV, Huntsville, AL, “Could Your Dryer Catch on Fire?” February 28, 2005, http://www.whnt.com/Global/story.asp?S=3014579&nav=1VPtWxLv
5Colonial Plumbing & Heating, “Dryer Fire Fact Sheet,” http://www.colonialplumbing.com/webapp/GetPage?pid=113
6Builder’s Best, “Do I Have to Vent My Dryer to the Outside?” www.buildersbest.com/indoor.htm
7Chimney Safety Institute of America, “Clothes Dryer Venting Safety”, http://www.csia.org/HomeownerResources/ClothesDryerVentSafetyTips/tabid/113/Default.aspx
8The Laundry Alternative, “Clothes Dryer Fire Prevention,” www.laundry-alternative.com/clothes_dryer_fire.htm | 
