Truths and myths of dryer fires
Here’s a frightening claim: Fabric-softener sheets can burn out the heating unit of your clothes dryer and possibly cause a fire. That’s the warning in an e-mail message sent to one of our readers, who asked us whether it’s true.
The short answer is no, though dryer fires are a real hazard and there are ways to protect yourself.
In the e-mail, an unknown author warns of a clothes dryer’s burned-out heating unit. According to a “repair man,” the author writes, the burnout was caused by fabric-sheet film buildup on the lint filter. “You can’t SEE the film, but it’s there,” the author writes. “This is also what causes dryer units to catch fire and potentially burn the house down.” The best way to avoid these problems, according to the “repairman,” is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months.
But according to Consumer Reports testers, this e-mail mixes a lot of hyperbole with only a few helpful dryer-maintenance tips. At Consumer Reports we’ve tested hundreds of clothes dryers for our ongoing dryer Ratings and recommendations (available to subscribers). CR’s appliance director, Mark Connelly, says it’s possible that over a long period, fabric sheets, fabric softeners, and laundry detergent ingredients contribute to an unseen film or waxy buildup on the dryer lint screen. But “it’s highly doubtful,” he said, “that any such invisible buildup alone leads to heating-unit burnout or a fire.”
Improper dryer vents are a much bigger and more common safety problem. Here are a few tips to keep your clothes dryer running safely and efficiently.
To find the clothes dryer and a washing machine that best meet your needs, see our dryer Ratings and recommendations, and our washing machine Ratings and recommendations. For advice on whether repairing your broken dryer or washer is worthwhile, see our repair or replace report (all available to subscribers).
Dryer Vents
All homeowners should do periodic checks on their dryer vents to see that they are clean. I just came from a town house today that was built in 2007. The vent was clogged, and there was lint all over the attic. Lint is very flammable. If there is ever a fire it will spread rapidly. In this particular home the transition pipe was not fully attached. I am guessing the owner did this because his dryer was not drying properly (which is one indication that your pipe is clogged). The cost to have a vent cleaned is about $175.00, which is far less than the cost of a new dryer or making repairs after a fire.
Posted by Bill Siegel Florida Home Inspection Team Inc
Dryer venting
Many times you will see plastic dryer transition vents behind your dryer. These plastic hoses have been known to overheat and can cause a fire. The following notation from Underwriters Laboratories specifically states that the piping that can be used:
Underwriters Laboratories standards 560 and 2158 for clothes dryers require that all dryers listed must specify all metal dryer venting unless otherwise tested.
Underwriters Laboratories Inc., an independent testing agency that helps set national safety standards, requires that dryer manufacturers:
“include explicit instructions specifying that only rigid or flexible metal duct should be used for exhausting, unless the appliance has been investigated for use with nonmetallic duct.”
Maytag and other major dryer manufacturers recommend against the use of plastic flexible duct.
Although plastic flexible duct (cheap and easy to install) might seem like just the thing for exhausting a dryer, it isn’t. This type of exhaust duct, which resembles a plastic-covered slinky toy, is not recommended for several reasons.
- The Consumer Products Safety Commission estimates there are 24,000 clothes dryer fires each year in the United States, amounting to $96,000,000 in estimated property damage. Lack of maintenance is the leading cause of dryer fires, and LINT is the leading material to ignite. These fires can be caused by failure of mechanical and/or electrical parts within the dryer itself, improper materials being put into the dryer, and insufficient airflow as a result of improper installation.
- Clothes dryers can be a source of home fires. Be sure to check your dryer vent and vent hose regularly for lint accumulation. Lint is an excellent source of ignition for a fire. Vents should be made of rigid metal, because flexible vents can be damaged by heat, age and contact with other objects. All vents need to discharge directly to the home’s exterior.
SAFE USE OF HOUSEHOLD CLOTHES DRYERS
- North American-style household clothes dryers are required by manufacturers to be vented to the outdoors using a short length of rigid or flexible metal ducting. Manufacturers recommend that the maximum length of the metal ducting, which varies depending on the number of bends, should not be exceeded. This is clearly stated in the manufacturers installation instructions and the appliances are certified according to this requirement.
- It is strongly recommended that plastic ducting not be used. Plastic ducts often collapse causing blockage and lint build up within the dryer. This type of plastic ducting can ignite or melt and will not contain a fire within the dryer.