Prevent a Fire in Your Dryer
House fires can happen to anyone. We can take precaution, such as disconnecting power outlets when not in use, not allowing kids to play with matches, and so on. While all precaution can be taken there are some fire hazards that we may overlook. Our laundry appliances put us at risk of a house fire when they are not properly taken care of. The National Fire Protection Association recently estimated about 15,970 fires a year occur due to washers and dryers, with dust, fiber, and lint, being the number one cause of fires in a dryer. While the number is alarming, some individuals still don’t believe it can happen to them. A fire in your dryer is scary to think of but there are ways to prevent them.
No matter how often you do laundry, you should always make it a habit to clean out the dryer vent after every use. Lint left behind is a great fire hazard. Don’t believe us? Recently, ABC7 reported a house fire that occurred in Deer Park, Texas due to lint in a dryer. The family had put in a load of towels to dry before bed, just like many other individuals do. It was the middle of the night when they were awakened by fire alarms and smoke. What went wrong? Their dryer had caught on fire due to the lint that had backed up into their exhaust pipe. The exhaust pipe is a pipe that connects to the dryer and leads outside. Something as simple as putting a quick load of towels to dry turned a family’s life upside down.
You may be thinking that this does not apply to you, but it does! Simple dryer maintenance is constantly overlooked like, cleaning out the dust, lint, and fibers located in the dryer filter and exhaust pipe. How do fires occur like this? If not cleaned often, lint collects in the dryer and travels to the pipe. As the dryer is in constant use, lint gets trapped and begins to block heat from escaping the pipe, causing the likelihood of a fire to increase, as lint is very flammable.
No need to be alarmed if you are reading this and you have not cleaned your vent in a while. Simple tools are created to help make the cleaning process, quick, easy, and effective. All that is needed is a dryer vent brush. Don’t have one? Check out Snap Supply’s Universal Dryer Brush. Our brush is universal, which means it does not matter if you own a Whirlpool, Maytag, GE, or Kenmore dryer. A simple cleaning of the vent can save you energy on your bills and reduce the risk of fire in your home.