Perhaps you’ve turned it on as you head out the door. You try to get one last load finished as you tuck into bed. But while you’re away or sleeping there could be a danger smoldering in your walls.
Dryer lint built up in the system could ignite from the super-heated dryer air or even the smallest of sparks. Before you realize it, the whole laundry room could be burning.
"Dryers and washing machines were involved in one out of every 22 home structure fires reported to U.S. fire departments in 2006-2010." National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA)
"On occasion we'll find charred lint where a fire attempted to engage," said Robert Berry of Full Service Chimney.
Berry’s Overland Park company helps prevent dryer vent fires. He professionally cleans clothes dryer duct systems.
"We first find how far the dryer duct stretches through the house before it exits outside," Berry said. "The key is to remove the lint from the entire system so it doesn’t block airflow and potentially catch fire. Often we’re able to increase the homeowner’s performance by 50 percent by snaking out the system.
Overland Park Fire Marshal Mark Sweany calls lint, "the perfect fire starter. It’s light and extremely combustible.”
The leading cause of home clothes dryer and washer fires was failure to clean (32%), followed by unclassified mechanical failure or malfunction (22%). National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA)
Click each fire icon below to see dryer fire incidents around Missouri and Kansas in 2015
Jim Ellison’s house outside Detroit caught fire. He raced home to find his wife had escaped.
"When I got here the smoke was pouring out of the windows," he remembered.
The fire started in their laundry room.
Nearly 17,000 clothes dryer fires were reported in 2010. Fifty-one people died. Homeowners lost $236 million. National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA)
Professional duct cleaning companies advise homeowners to have their dryer systems professionally cleaned every 1 to 2 years. Cleaning out your lint tray is just the beginning.
Professionals will take apart the duct work and use a specialized brush that knocks free and pushes out lent built up inside the tubing.
Often the ducts twist and turn behind hidden parts of your house. Experts use cameras and monitors to access the system’s hidden spots to remove the lint.
"If a fire starts, whether in a floor or an attic or in a wall, the fire has time and opportunity to gain a foothold before being observed," explained Berry.
Three signs you should examine your dryer duct system:
- Your clothes take a long time to dry.
- The dryer gets extra hot during your normal dryer loads.
- You smell something burning when you dry a load of laundry.
- Find more tips and information here.
Fire Marshal Sweany said, "A lot of times we like to put things off but taking care of those items, that's real important to make sure your home, stays safe."
Consumer Reports says the brands with the least serious problems are:
- LG
- Maytag
- Kenmore
- Whirlpool
- Speed Queen
Based on an analysis of the ownership experiences of 105,474 Consumer Reports subscribers.
