Northeast Times

Only you can prevent
clothes dryer fires

Kids Stuff
By William Feldman

Welcome to Kids Stuff. Today’s column includes another great safety tip and a cryptogram.
I received an e-mail from Steve Paulosi of Teaneck, N.J., who loved the relevance of barbecue safety in my June 7 column and suggested that I write a column on dryer safety. Listen up. This could really affect you, too.
This is another safety tip, which people don’t think of often. To write this column I used various Web sites to gather my information.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, each year there are an estimated 15,500 fires, 10 deaths and 10 injuries caused by dryer fires. I couldn’t believe this one: several hundred people a year are subjected to carbon monoxide poisoning from improper dryer-safety measures.
Also, it did mention that in some cases faulty appliances are to blame, but many fires can be prevented with proper dryer-safety precautions.
HOW THE FIRES START
Dryer fires occur because lint accumulates, which reduces air flow. This makes the perfect conditions for a fire, because it is highly combustible. Most people assume their lint traps catch all the lint, and that all they need to do is clean the traps out after each load. No! There is more to this! A significant amount of this lint is NOT caught by the lint trap and builds up inside the dryer, even on the heating element.
As one Web site stated, "If you are skeptical, try this experiment: pull out the lint trap and look underneath it. You may find large mounds of lint staring at you. Lint can build up on the heating element and in other places inside the dryer, causing it to overheat and possibly catch fire. As a rule, a fire starts from a spark in the machine."
There are many incorrect dryer vent practices that restrict air flow and lead to lint buildup. They are:
1. Dirty ducts.
2. Years ago, dryers were in a basement; newer homes tend to have dryers located away from an outside wall in bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and hall closets. These new locations mean dryers tend to be vented longer distances and vents are generally installed with sharp turns and bends to accommodate the structure of the home. As a result, dryer vents are harder to reach and create more places for lint to gather.
3. Use of flammable, flimsy plastic or foil duct extenders. Only metal vents should be used, which is what most manufacturers specify. Metal vents also resist crushing better than plastic/foil, which allows the air and lint to be carried out of the system.
4. Inadequate clearance space between dryer and wall. Many people create problems by putting their dryer right against the wall, crushing the venting material in the process. The cumulative effect of reduced air flow and the resulting lint buildup prevent the dryer from drying at the normal rate. This causes the high-temperature-limit safety switch to cycle on and off to control the heater. Most high-temperature-limit safety switches were not designed to continuously cycle on and off, so they fail over a period of time.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Signs of a problem could be as simple as clothes taking a very long time to dry, coming out hotter than usual or if the vent hood flapper doesn’t open. If you have these problems, maintenance will be needed. Also:
1. Make sure the dryer duct is made of solid metallic material. Vinyl and foil are combustible, and spiral-wound surfaces tend to catch lint more readily.
2. The dryer duct should vent to the exterior, not to the attic or crawlspace. Avoid the use of inside heat recovery diverter valves or termination boxes, which do not comply with current standards.
3. Avoid kinking or crushing the dryer duct to make up for installation in tight quarters — this restricts air flow.
4. Minimize the length of the exhaust duct. Maximum recommended lengths depend on a number of factors, such as number of bends, and vary by model. Check with your manufacturer for specifications.
5. Don’t use screws to put your vent pipe together — the screw shafts inside the piping collect lint and cause additional friction.
Keep the dryer duct in good condition. Disconnect, clean and inspect the dryer duct on a regular basis or hire a professional.
Keep your dryer as lint-free as possible. Here are four ways:
1. Use a lint brush or vacuum attachment to remove accumulated lint from under the lint trap and other accessible places on a periodic basis.
2. Every one to three years, depending upon usage, have the dryer taken apart and thoroughly cleaned out by a qualified service technician.
3. Clean the lint trap after each load and behind the dryer, where lint can build up.
4. Keep the dryer free of clutter.
Also, take special care when drying clothes that have been soiled with volatile chemicals: gasoline, cooking oils, cleaning agents, or finishing oils and stains. Wash the clothing more than once and, preferably, hang the clothes to dry.
If using a dryer, use the lowest heat setting and a drying cycle that has a cool-down period at the end of the cycle. To prevent clothes from igniting after drying, do not leave the dried clothes in the dryer or piled in a laundry basket.
Here are two more good rules:
1. Never let your clothes dryer run while you are out of the house or especially when you are asleep.
2. Read manufacturers’ instructions regarding the safe use of their dryers.