Dryer Fires – Is Yours Ready To Ignite
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Article by: Donald Grummett In recent years there has been many rumours about dryers , Part VI: Home Buyer Terms and Definitions catching on fire. , Go Easier on Yourself this Fall Should we be concerned? Yes of course. We should take seriously anything that may put our family at risk. Was the problem the dryer? Rarely. After investigating it is usually determined to have been the venting within the home , Gardening is Good Therapy catching on fire, , Want a garden but not enough room or soil? Then Hydroponics Gardening could be for you. and not the dryer. , Online Flower Delivery Services Obviously appliance manufacturers , Plants that Clean the Air are concerned about the possibility of any dryer , Want a garden but not enough room or soil? Then Hydroponics Gardening could be for you. related fires. , Affordable Paintings: Art Prints Buying Guide They have made it a policy to advise both service companies and consumers that the use of plastic , Affordable Paintings: Art Prints Buying Guide venting is prohibited. Also they have begun stressing not to exceed maximum limits for venting length. Let me try to explain the details of this problem. The drying process --------------------------- When clothes are being dried inside , Container Gardening Tips for Newbies your family dryer , Online Flower Delivery Services there are two processes happening. Firstly, heat , Decorating Color Schemes is applied to the air , Some Tips On Pruning Rose Bushes inside the dryer , The Answer Lies In The Soil drum as it turns. This raises the internal drum temperature , Go Easier on Yourself this Fall to approximately 175 Fahrenheit. This causes moisture , Backyard Ponds to be driven out of the clothing fibres by evaporation. Secondly, there is a vast volume of air , Want a garden but not enough room or soil? Then Hydroponics Gardening could be for you. being passed through the clothes. Surprisingly, the real trick to drying clothes is the air. , Container Gardening Tips for Newbies Ever wonder why the clothes on the clothesline dry so fast on a windy day? The hero is the wind. Well, the same process takes place inside , Full-size Cooking for Today’s Kitchens your family dryer. , Some Tips On Pruning Rose Bushes To make them dry faster air , Customize Your Home Décor Like a Pro is constantly blown through the clothes during the drying cycle. The tumbling action of the drum allows further exposure of the clothing to the hot air , Affordable Paintings: Art Prints Buying Guide flow. As they tumble the air , A Honda Lawn Mower is for people serious about lawn care! picks up moisture , Some Tips On Pruning Rose Bushes from the clothes, carries it down the venting, and dumps it outside , Five Tips For Helping Your Guests Feel At Home the home. , The Right Shower Curtain For Your Bathroom! Most people think the venting is to push the lint outside. , The Answer Lies In The Soil Actually, its primary purpose is to dump the moisture outside , Essential Tips on How to Build a Pond the home. , Customize Your Décor Like a Pro It is a process that works efficiently. That is, as long as nothing interferes with the process. Slow down, or stop the airflow and the process quickly fails. In the past homeowners who wanted to vent their dryers , How to Grow Bananas did it using rigid sections of venting. The dryer , The Easiest Homemade Hydroponics System would always sit against an outside , The Right Shower Curtain For Your Bathroom! wall in the basement. , The Right Shower Curtain For Your Bathroom! The sections were secured together (using screws , The Right Shower Curtain For Your Bathroom! or duct tape), and elbows were added if necessary to connect the dryer , The Art Of Power Washing and venting to the wall , Get Your Small Plants Ready For Planting outlet. Although time consuming to install, straight venting sections were durable and would usually outlive the dryer. , Lawn Aeration -- The Cure for Soggy Grass Carpets Then along came flexible venting. It was basically a coil of wire covered in a plastic , Essential Tips on How to Build a Pond sheath. It made installations and servicing easier. It turned an hour installation into a ten minute job. The flex though tended to become brittle and break easily. Also it was prone to blockage and needed to be replaced every few years. But, since flex venting was so much more convenient we continued with its use. Then came a change , Faux Painting Techniques in lifestyle. As both parents went off to work the household , Rosemary: The Herb of Remembrance and Friendship dryer was moved to accommodate our faster paced lifestyle. To save , Shower curtains can give your bathroom a quick and easy make us time it was moved from the basement , Using annuals in your garden to a ground floor , Affordable Paintings: Art Prints Buying Guide laundry room. , Backyard Ponds Although moved to the working level of the home, , Shower curtains can give your bathroom a quick and easy make it was still near an outside , The Answer Lies In The Soil wall. So you are saying, "I know all this, but what does it have to do with venting fires". I answer, "Have patience, we are almost there". Taking this desire for easy access still further the dryer , Container Gardening Tips for Newbies was moved again. The laundry room , The Answer Lies In The Soil is now often located near the centre of the home, , Plants and Trees Native to Montgomery Township Pa. close to the family room , An Introduction to the Bonsai tree or kitchen. , Plants and Trees Native to Montgomery Township Pa. If located upstairs it is often centrally located between the bedrooms, allowing faster access to where most dirty laundry , Interior Design Simply Means Personalizing Your Interior Env is produced. Easier for the homeowner that is, but no longer near an outside , Faux Painting Techniques wall. The distance from the dryer , New Style Waterbeds Help You To Sleep Better to the outside , Backyard Ponds wall of the home , Interior Design Simply Means Personalizing Your Interior Env is now substantially longer. Presto, we have come to the crux of our problem. The venting is too darned long. Physics and the venting pipe -------------- It is a lot more difficult to push air , Overwintering Pond Fish down a long venting pipe than a short one. This is because air , Gardening is Good Therapy inside the pipe has weight and volume. Obviously, the air , tips on how to plant herbs in your garden inside a longer pipe would weigh more than a shorter one. After about twenty feet of venting pipe the dryer , The Easiest Homemade Hydroponics System begins to have difficulty pushing against all this weight. The average dryer , Part VI: Home Buyer Terms and Definitions motor does not have enough strength to overcome the weight of the air , Cultivating Plants in your Garden...what to watch out for. inside the pipe. The result is that the air , Beds for the pets: sleeping in comfort in the pipe begins to slow down. Since the air , Online Flower Delivery Services slows down the moisture , Increasing the Value of Your Home with Kitchen Remodeling will accumulate in the venting rather than being carried outside. , Essential Tips on How to Build a Pond This causes the venting interior , Caring For Your Trees, Shrubs and Flowers to become wet and lint traveling down the venting it will cling to the wetness. This starts a vicious cycle as follows: The more lint inside , Cultivating Plants in your Garden...what to watch out for. the venting pipe, the more blockage; The more blockage, the slower the air , Plants and Trees Native to Montgomery Township Pa. flow; The slower the air , Lawn Aeration -- The Cure for Soggy Grass Carpets flow, the more moisture inside , Garden Arrangements can make a huge difference in your yard the pipe; The more moisture, , Overwintering Pond Fish the more lint inside , Full-size Cooking for Today’s Kitchens the venting. I think you get the scenario now. Taken to extremes the lint can block the venting closed. When this happens it can cause the dryer , Wall Oven - A Necessity For The Disabled to overheat. The normal drum temperature , Choosing The Best Stone of 175 Fahrenheit can quickly shoot up to 300 Fahrenheit or higher. It may even get hot , Backyard Ponds enough to allow lint in the venting (or in the dryer) to ignite. "So who is to blame for this problem"? I say there is no culprit in this scenario. If you want to blame anything, blame our fast paced lifestyle. Gone are the times when laundry , Get Your Small Plants Ready For Planting day was a full days work. We all want instant gratification and instantaneous results - even with our laundry , The Art Of Power Washing chores. Calculating true venting length ----------- Manufacturers generally suggest a venting length of 15 feet to be the maximum. As service technicians we commonly see venting lengths of forty feet or more. "So how do I know if my venting is too long"? If you want to determine the actual length of your venting do the following: (An elbow or abrupt turn is equivalent to an additional 4 feet) 1. Measure all the straight lengths and add them together 2. Count all the turns or elbows and multiply this number by 4 3. Add up the totals Example 20 feet of venting with 4 turns would actually be: 20 feet + 4X4 feet = 36 feet Don't be surprised by the true equivalent length of your venting. In modern homes , tips on how to plant herbs in your garden it can be substantial. Often it is 300% longer than recommended by the manufacturers. , Maximize Your Fireplace Heat-Output To Lower Fuel Bills Telltale signs ------------------------------------ If the blockage becomes critical the dryer , Part VI: Home Buyer Terms and Definitions will stop doing its job properly. As a homeowner watch for the following signs that the venting may be starting to block. · Clothes coming out wet · Excess lint left on clothes at cycle end · Inside , Affordable Paintings: Art Prints Buying Guide of dryer , Interior Design Simply Means Personalizing Your Interior Env feels wet · Taking too long to dry a load · Clothes very hot , Part VI: Home Buyer Terms and Definitions at end of cycle · Electrical consumption greatly increased So as a consumer what can you do to alleviate this problem? Well you cannot move the laundry room. , Go Easier on Yourself this Fall The best thing you can do is to be aware that the problem exists. Lastly, consider taking down the venting and cleaning out the lint buildup during your annual spring , Plants that Clean the Air cleaning. A small investment in time could make your family safer. About the Author: Copyright 2005 by Donald Grummett. All right reserved. In the trade over 30 years as a technician, business owner, and technical trainer. For more information , The Zen Of Charm Bracelets about appliances including FAQ, Stain guide, and Recycling visit http://www.mgservices.ca Source: www.isnare.com |
  
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