Leading cause of fires, hint not batteries

[JJJJ]

OK. Please feel free to move this thread to the appropriate area. This does not involve solar directly but is a safety consideration for all who use a household clothes dryer.

We are all familiar with the basic safety tips. Make sure to keep the exhaust vent clear of lint and debris. Keep items from around it to allow proper air flow.

Also fire departments advise to have a smoke detector in the area and to avoid running the dryer if not near the home to monitor in case of problems.

This morning I removed the rear cover. Please do not do this if you are not comfortable performing this, rather have a service technician attend to it. Anyhow there is a tube that has the lint filter at the top and it runs down the back of the dryer, carrying the exhaust air via a fan to the dryer exhaust vent. I found that this tube was full of lint. Some careful brushing with a soft bristle brush plus vacuuming removed the debris. I carefully put everything back together.

Had I not attended to this it could have been a potential cause of a house fire. I share this as helpful suggestion.

We spent a lot of money making sure our solar components are properly and safely installed. It is important to remember the daily maintenance that is just as important.

Hope this is helpful.

 

[Steve_S]

Home Dryer FiresIn 2014-2018, local fire departments responded to an estimated average of 13,820 home1structure fires per year in which dryers were involved in the ignition. These fires caused an average of seven civilian deaths, 344 civilian injuries, and $233 million in direct property damage annually. Dryers caused 4 percent of home structure fires, less than 1 percent of home fire deaths, and 3 percent of home fire deaths and direct fire property damage. One-third (32 percent) of dryer fires were caused by a failure to clean. This appears to be mainly lint build-up, as 27 percent of dryer fires started when dust, fiber or lint ignited. Mechanical failures or malfunctions caused 27% of dryer fires; 16% were caused by electrical failures or malfunctions. Seventy-eight percent of the dryers involved in home fires were powered by electricity while22% were powered by gas. This is generally consistent with usage. According to the American Housing Survey, 79% of household dryers in 2017 were powered by electricity and 21% by gas.

SOURCE: https://content.nfpa.org/-/media/Pr...ef98e86&hash=639DD7887A6C083F71E4FD34726B1197

House fires can have extremely damaging consequences. In 2022, residential fires in the U.S. caused just under $11 billion in property loss, 10,320 injuries and 2,760 civilian deaths. The leading causes of accidental residential fires include cooking, heating equipment, electrical distribution and lighting equipment, and smoking. Clothes dryers and washers cause approximately 4% of all residential fires.

SOURCE: https://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/how-many-house-fires-are-caused-by-dryers.html

 

[HRTKD]

I clean the vent tubes in the house about every five years. The dryer has recently been shutting down due to a "filter" issue. I'm thinking that the house vents are OK, but the dryer itself has a blockage or the sensor has gone bad. When I do get around to taking the dryer apart I'm going to clean it out real well and replace the sensor since I'm already in there.