Just read a report that says 40% of appliance fires start in the kitchen, and dryers are the second biggest cause.

I was looking up some safety stats for a class I'm helping with, and I found this report from the National Fire Protection Association. It really hit me. We all know to clean dryer vents, but the report said the main cause of those fires isn't lint in the duct, it's lint that gets inside the dryer cabinet itself, around the motor and heating element. I pulled a dryer apart last week for a noise complaint and the amount of fine dust packed behind the drum was scary. It made me think, how many of us are just checking the outside vent and calling it good? I'm going to start telling my customers they need a full cabinet clean-out every few years, not just a vent hose check. Has anyone else changed their service routine after seeing hard numbers like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

kevin_lane17d ago

Started using a leaf blower to clear the cabinet after seeing those same numbers.

charlieh7417d ago

You ever see the lint packed around the blower wheel housing? That's the real scary spot. I started pulling the front panel on every dryer service call after I saw a near miss. Just vacuuming the vent isn't enough anymore.

jamiesullivan17d ago

And people forget the lint gets WET sometimes from steam or damp clothes. That wet lint turns into a brick around the blower. I had one where it was like concrete, the motor was straining so hard it melted its own wire nuts. It's not just a fire thing, it's a total system kill.