The leading cause of home clothes dryer fires is the failure to clean them.
Collingwood Fire Department Fire Prevention Officer Carl Prochilo offers the following tips for preventing fires from starting in your clothes dryer.
Every year, firefighters across the country respond to home fires caused by clothes dryers. These fires are caused by an accumulation of lint, which means that not cleaning out your dryer vent can set you up for a dangerous situation that’s far more serious than the drop in performance caused by constricting a dryer’s duct work.
Some dryers have indicators designed to alert you when lint has built up and blocked the vent. But did you know how important taking care of your clothes dryer is to the safety of your home? You are at higher risk of having a clothes dryer fire if you don’t clean your lint filter and dryer vents.
Here are a few simple safety tips that can help prevent a clothes dryer fire:
- Have your dryer installed and serviced by a professional.
- If you are installing your own dryer, follow the manufacturer’s instructions before installing the dryer vent.
- Do not use the dryer without a lint filter.
- Make sure you clean the lint filter before or after each load of laundry.
- Remove lint that has collected around the drum.
- Rigid or flexible metal venting material should be used to sustain proper air flow and drying time. Plastic or metal foil ducts are more prone to kinking, sagging and crushing, which leads to lint build-up. Plastic ducting is also more prone to ignition and melting.
- Make sure the air exhaust vent pipe is not restricted and the outdoor vent flap will open when the dryer is operating. Once a year, or more often if you notice that it is taking longer than normal for your clothes to dry, clean lint out of the vent pipe or have a dryer lint removal service do it for you.
- Clothes dryers located in closet-type spaces or totally enclosed rooms (e.g. in apartments) should have sufficient incoming air for proper operation (see manufacturer’s instructions).
- Keep dryers in good working order. Gas dryers should be inspected by a qualified professional to make sure that the gas line and connection are intact and free of leaks.
- Make sure the right plug and outlet are used and that the machine is connected properly.
- Follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions and don’t overload your dryer.
- Turn the dryer off if you leave home or when you go to bed.
- Install a carbon monoxide alarm in your home if using a natural gas or propane dryer.
- Ensure there are working smoke alarms on every storey of the home and outside all sleeping areas.
For more fire safety tips or if you have any questions, please contact Collingwood Fire Department at 705-445-3920.
