Did you know there are as many dryer vent fires in this country as there are chimney fires?
Many people take their dryer vent for granted and think that every thing is ok as long as the clothes are drying ok.
This can be a big mistake. The clothes may still dry but the vent could be almost plugged up and get to hot from the
heat the dryer produces and cause a fire in the dryer vent. Most homes still have the old style plastic dryer vent system
that melts as soon as it gets to hot.
Today the approved system is made of aluminum and will handle the heat better. You should up date your system
if you have the old plastic style.
Call the store for more information and to set up an appointment
Consumer Reports: Dryer fire caution
As many as 15,000 fires start in the laundry room every year when lint from clothes dryers builds up and catches fire. Those fires result in up to 19 deaths per year.
The following safety information from Consumer Reports can help you to prevent a disaster:
- Clothes dryers accounted for the largest share of appliance and tool fires between 1994-1998*
- Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that 15,000 clothes dryer fires occur annually. These fires account for an average of 10 deaths, 310 injuries, and more than $84.4 million in property damage.
- There were 14,300 clothes dryer fires in the U.S. in 1998, resulting in 19 deaths, 312 injuries and $67.7 million in direct property loss according to NFPA
News Stories
Clothes dryer fires are one of the most common causes of house fires. Last year, more than 17,000 house fires were caused by a clothes dryer, costing homeowners more than $95,000,000 in damages. Last month, News Channel 19's own Kym Richardson was one of those homeowners whose house caught fire because of a dryer. She shares information she's learned on how to prevent a dryer.
SCRANTON, PA - A dryer fire ripped through a mobile home in Luzerne County Sunday night. A teenage girl was in the home when the fire started about 10 p.m. She got out safely but the home and nearly everything inside were destroyed. The girl, who wasn't identified, lived in the home with her father. He is in the hospital in Hershey. The girl is staying with relatives.
TIPTON, IA - A fire, which began in a clothes dryer, destroyed a home southeast of Mechanic-sville and sent one person to the hospital for smoke inhalation. Tipton Fire Chief John Miller said Jessica Massey, 20, was taken to Mercy hospital in Iowa City by the Tipton ambulance. Two other people inhaled smoke and were examined at the scene. Miller said the home was a total loss.
Contact Big Ash today to have your dryer vent cleaned!