Why it's important to keep that dryer vent clean!

[Designgeek]

There's paranoia and there's prudence. Toggleswitch's toggleswitch on the AC is prudent. I unplug anything high-wattage when I'm not using it, and I don't leave high-wattage things running when I'm not home & nearby. I would be cautious about high-wattage things with standby controls, for example a large TV if I had one, would be unplugged (or turned off with a power strip) when not in use.

My base load consists of the fridge, clock radio, PBX (phone system) and computer network. Everything else is on when in use and off (generally unplugged) otherwise.

What would really be cool is a wall-mountable power strip with a separate switch for each outlet. The computer "power center" things aren't useful for this because they're designed to sit under your monitor, which is the wrong set of dimensions for wall mounting.

One can always scratchbuild. Take a standard plastic electrical box for six outlets (three columns wide); put two sets of two outlets each in there (two columns), and the third column is a double wall switch (typically the switches in these have horizontal throw, left/right rather than up/down). Each switch controls one set of outlets. Use a heavy duty grounded cord. Wall mount for convenience. Done. If need be, mount this in a wood enclosure and paint to suit. (Note, all connections should be made to the terminal screws or in standard wiring nuts, not with solder which can melt under the heat of high wattage and cause dangerous conditions.)

 

[retroguy]

DADoES.....

I think of all the electric devices that i have plugged in here, the only one that REALLY bugs me is the sump pump. I mean it's in a deep hole in the basement floor. A deep hole that always seems to be full of water. Well, ok, maybe not full, but the water level is always higher than the top of the pump. And, I dont know, maybe it's just me, but anytime I see an electric cord plugged in, that disappears into water, I'm a tad uncomfy! =)

 

[bingwsguy]

I have a client who works for the local Electric and Gas company who told me that one of the top causes for house fires is the dryer. People don't clean the vent or under it often enough.

 

[toggleswitch]

found a live 12GA shotgun shell,in the vent near the blower.

WOW.

Remind me of something that happened to me. My neighbors in the co-opeative apt (NYC version of a condo)had keys and were allowed to use my W&D. Utilites were a flat-rate charge by magt and were un-metered to indivisual tenants.

Anyhoo. Mr. pretty-boy police officer neighbor left bullets in his pocket. Wifey washed and dried uniforms.

LIVE ROUNDS WERE TUMBLING IN MY DRYER.

I was cooking at the stove immediately next to the dryer, as it was running. [GOOD for them if all their clothes smelled like onion and garlic]. It's a miracle my jingle-bobs were not shot off.

 

[chestermikeuk]

And

Dont forget that even the best of dryers have their problems. On my dryer there was recall / replacement of a faulty batch of dryer sensors, unfortunatly it didnt happen in time for me, I loaded the dryer and set Auto programme2, which gives a normal dry sensor programme.

I went back upstairs to the office, 3 floors away, and about an hour later was aware of a burning smell, house is tall and the kitchen / utility act like a chimney, the stairs being in the centre of the house.

I started to walk downstairs and could hear this very loud rumbling noise, and could see a blue haze etc..legged it into the laundry and the dryer had overheated, (faulty sensor) the clothes where smoking, the elements glowing red at the back, the bottom panel had come off on one side due to the plastic holding bracket had melted, the panel was rattling on the floor as the drum turned hence the noise.

I couldnt touch the clothes by hand, behind the lower panel the condensor fan and chamber had distorted with heat and the condensor cover panel was open as the tabs had warped.

Couldnt fault the service, dryer quickly exchanged along with the matching washer because of the differnce in stainless steel.

Just goes to show sometimes even the best appliances /cars /consumer goods fail simply because of one small faulty part.

It certainly made me re-think my appliance work practices.

Steve, GFIs in UK = RCD, Residual Circuit Device (tend to be hard wired) or RCB Residual Circuit Breaker, a portable plug in device used for outside appliances like garden tools/power tools...or my antique washing machines n vacs etc...

 

[toggleswitch]

Thanks Mike. I stand corrected.

Sign in pub in UK:

English spoken
American understood

Have some yellow cake, an I'll have some spotted d. LOL

 

[chestermikeuk]

!!!!

Hey your`re never corrected , always understood...

Now, wheres that desert!!!

 

[polkanut]

This is why we hang our laundry outside whenever possible. To avoid just this sort of disaster

 

[bingwsguy]

Polkanut....some people call it archaic, but I also hang wash whenever possible, to me it smells so nice. A friend of mine said "Your sheets that smell so nice are acting like giant HEPA filters hanging on that line". Never thought of it that way, but guess it's kind of true, however I still like to do it.

 

[knitwits1975]

Another Great Reason...

Aside from what your local fire marshall will tell you (point taken) is that a clean vent that is free of obstructions will allow your dryer to flow freely and dry the clothes much faster. This will prolong your dryer's life, decrease your energy bills, and cut down on drying time. Let's face it friends, you just don't want your dryer to work any harder than it has to.

 

[polkanut]

So what if my laundry is acting like a big HEPA filter, it is saving me money and I get that "great" outdoor scent indoors.

 

[norgeman]

To Polkanut:

I also like to hang clothes outside it puts a fresh smell in them espically bed sheets and pillow cases. So don't feel alone, and this is a big savings on electric and gas or propane bills. Oh BTW. My dryer is a Maytag Neptune and we don't have any problem using dryer sheets as our lint screen is a woven mesh. A friend of our bought a new Whirlpool and the dryer had a metal mesh screen and it is a pretty tight mesh and the wax from the dryer sheets will build up in time and not let air to flow through the screen. If this happens or before it happens wash the lint screen with a dishwashing or liquid laundry detergent and this should take care of the problem. But you will need to wash it from time to time if you use dryer sheets. But like I said in another thread if you get caught using dryer sheets in a new Whirlpool or one of their products you void the warrenty. Whirlpool will not replace or fix the dryer.

 

[DADoES]

<blockquote>But like I said in another thread if you get caught using dryer sheets in a new Whirlpool or one of their products you void the warrenty. Whirlpool will not replace or fix the dryer.</blockquote>
That's interesting. Whirlpool used to include a sample package of dryer sheets in their new machines. Apparently they don't do that any more?

 

[spinout]

Maybe the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing... Or it's some sort of co-op promotion. Wouldn't be the first time I've seen that happen.

 

[Designgeek]

If they're including the dryer sheets with the machine, they can't void the warranty if you use 'em. That would be a huge lawsuit on grounds of consumer fraud, i.e. the allegation that WP was deliberately trying to trick people into voiding their warranties. Though what's really going on would have been the result of lack of communications between the manufacturing dept and the marketing dept. Chances are if this ever happened, some WP dealer would spot it immediately and raise holy hell with WP over it, and that would get it stopped in its tracks.

 

[toggleswitch]

HA! What goes around comes around.

When first introduced, dryer sheets were NOT recommened by machine mannies.

Then they changed their tune to say, well maybe if your vent is not plastic.

And here we go again back to their orginal thought!

 

[leesdkenmore]

Just a few thoughts. I quit using dryer sheets about a year ago because of the stains I kept finding on my clothes. My washer broke down so I was sending my laundry over to a relative who was willing to do it for me til I got mine fixed. The clothes were comming back smelling great, from a smokers home noless.her product? Good Old Fashioned Downy...wowo I had forgotten how great the smell was. Never again will this laundry room see any kind of dryer sheets.....

Now about the whole leaving appliances plugged in. I am not going to go about worrying about this. As it is I have to make a trip back to the house half the the time to retrieve the stupid cell phone. Im not going to start second trips to go back and unplug everything.

But one item that has come to my concern is that big screen TV. It never even occured to me that that sucker is pulling in electricty even while it was off much less doing weird things with it while Im gone. Thanks guys Ill be up all night getting this figured out...lol. Its just too big to move from the wall everytime and unplugg it, so I got an idea.....anyone know where I can get a gas big screen tv?!!!!