Clothes Dryer Fires – Costly and Dire

6/5/2020 (Permalink)

Annually, clothes dryer fires cause 233 million dollars in property damage, accounting for seven deaths and 344 civilian injuries. According to the National Fire Prevention Association, fire fighters respond to over 13,000 home fires caused by clothes dryers each year. The primary factor for dryer fires is failure to clean – the root cause of 27% of these fires can be attributed to electrical component malfunction with lint acting as a tinder to accelerate the fire. Preventive measures are essential in protecting both yourself and your home. Here are a few key tips you can easily put into practice to lessen the risk of a home dryer fire:

• Clean the lint trap before and after each use
• Never operate the dryer without the lint trap
• Do not overload the dryer
• Have gas dryers serviced annually
• Check the duct work that exhausts outside the home for proper connection
• Check the exhaust flap to ensure it is properly working
• Dry on the lowest setting after washing chemically stained clothing
• Do not operate the dryer while away from the home
• Pull the dryer out, clean under and behind it to remove potential fire hazards
• Have SERVPRO of South Durham and Orange County clean your dryer ducts semi-annually or annually (depending on dryer use)
• Replace flexible duct with a ridged duct, as flexible ductwork can accumulate large amounts of lint and sag causing a fire hazard