Fire Hazard Alert - is your Dryer ready to Ignite
|
Article by: Donald Grummett In recent years there has been many stories about dryers , Soil in the Garden catching on fire. , This Winter, Provide Water For The Birds 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 , Curtains offer many decorative choices catching on fire, , Rose Classification and not the dryer. , How to Find Cheap Home Improvement Loans Obviously appliance manufacturers , Clay Soil Planting Tips are concerned about the possibility of any dryer , Used But Not Used Up related fires. , Native Plant and Tree List For The Doylestown Pa. Area They have made it a policy to advise both service companies and consumers that the use of plastic , Rose Classification venting is prohibited. They have also begun issuing cautions not to exceed suggested maximums for venting length. Let me try to explain the details of this problem. The drying process --------------------------- When clothes are being dried inside , Summer Pruning / Pinch an Inch your family dryer , Annuals or Perennials that's the question there are two processes happening. Firstly, heat , Using the Propagation Technique Known as Budding to Grow Beautiful Ornamental Trees is applied to the air inside , Curtains offer many decorative choices the dryer , Thinking Vertically drum as it turns. This raises its internal temperature , The importance of proper soil chemistry to a healthy garden to approximately 175 Fahrenheit causing moisture to be driven out of the clothes by evaporation. Secondly, large amounts of air , Plants For Establishing a Hedge in Durham Township Pa. is passed through the clothes. Surprisingly, the real trick to efficiently dry clothes is not the heat, , Landscaping...How Does Your Garden Grow but rather this vast volume of air. , 10 Things To Consider Before Planning And Installing A New B 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 , Six Good Reasons For Going Organic your family dryer. , Burning Bushes Do Well In Hilltown Township To make them dry faster air , This Winter, Provide Water For The Birds is constantly blown through the clothes during the drying cycle. The tumbling action of the drum further exposes the clothing to the hot air , Using the Propagation Technique Known as Budding to Grow Beautiful Ornamental Trees flow. While they tumble the air , Growing Vegetables in Containers - The compact solution picks up moisture , Garden Groundcovers from the clothes, carries it down the venting, and dumps it outside , Using the Propagation Technique Known as Budding to Grow Beautiful Ornamental Trees the home. , Granite Countertops: An Overview Most people think the venting is to push the lint outside. , Thinking about selling your home? Actually, its primary purpose is to dump the moisture , Growing Vegetables in Containers - The compact solution outside the home. , Thinking Vertically It is a process that works efficiently. That is, as long as nothing is allowed to interfere with it. Impede, slow down, or stop the airflow and the process quickly fails. In the past homeowners who wanted to vent their dryers , Burning Bushes Do Well In Hilltown Township did it using rigid sections of venting. The sections were secured together (using screws , Tips for Backyard Fish Ponds Care or duct tape), and elbows were added if necessary, to connect the dryer , Native Trees and Plants For Columbia County, PA and venting to the wall , It’s a Jungle in There: Creating a Tropical Paradise in Your outlet. Although time consuming to install, straight venting sections were durable and would often outlive the dryer. , Granite Countertops: An Overview This was in the era when laundry , Deck Decoration equipment always sat in the basement, , Using the Propagation Technique Known as Budding to Grow Beautiful Ornamental Trees against an outside , Things You Should Know About Gardening wall. Then along came flexible plastic , Native Plant and Tree List For The Doylestown Pa. Area venting. It made installations 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 plastic , Landscaping with Roses venting was more convenient we continued with its use. Then came a change , Growing Vegetables in Containers - The compact solution in lifestyle. As both parents went off to work the household , Native Plant and Tree List For The Doylestown Pa. Area dryer was moved to accommodate our faster paced lifestyle. To save , Curtains offer many decorative choices us time it was moved from the basement to a ground floor , Butterfly - Life Cycle Summary laundry room. , Different Types of Bird Feeders Although moved to the working level of the home, , External vs. Submersible Pumps. Which one should you Use? it was still close to an outside wall. , Clay Soil Planting Tips 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 , Choosing Blinds For Damp Atmospheres was moved again. The laundry room , Annuals or Perennials that's the question is now often located near the centre of the home, close to the family room , Butterfly - Life Cycle Summary or kitchen. , How To Build a Compost Bin If located upstairs it is often centrally located between the bedrooms, allowing faster access to where most dirty laundry , Used But Not Used Up is produced. Easier for the homeowner that is, but no longer near an outside , This Winter, Provide Water For The Birds wall. The distance from the dryer , Plants For Establishing a Hedge in Durham Township Pa. to an outside wall , 10 Things To Consider Before Planning And Installing A New B of the home , Six Good Reasons For Going Organic is now substantially farther than it used to be. 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 , Native Plant and Tree List For The Doylestown Pa. Area down a long venting pipe than a short one. This is because air , Thinking about selling your home? inside the pipe has weight and volume. Obviously, the air , Things You Should Know About Gardening inside a longer pipe would weigh more than a shorter one. After about twenty feet of venting pipe the dryer , How to Grow Red Oak Trees Near Horsham Pa begins having difficulty pushing against all this weight. The average dryer , Best Gardening Gifts for All Occasions motor does not have enough strength to overcome the weight of the air , Growing Vegetables in Containers - The compact solution inside the pipe. The result is that the air , How to Find Cheap Home Improvement Loans in the pipe begins to slow down. Since the air , Native Plant and Tree List For The Doylestown Pa. Area slows down the moisture , Clay Soil Planting Tips accumulates in the venting rather than being carried outside. , Treated Lumber FAQ's This causes the venting interior , Thinking about selling your home? to become wet and lint traveling through the pipe will cling to this wetness. This starts a vicious cycle within the venting pipe. It goes something like this: The more lint in the venting, the more blockage; More blockage means slower air , Things You Should Know About Gardening flow; Slower air , Curtains offer many decorative choices flow means more moisture , 10 Things To Consider Before Planning And Installing A New B in the venting; More moisture , Used But Not Used Up in the venting means more lint. I think you understand the scenario now. Taken to extremes the lint can block the venting closed. When this happens it can cause the dryer , The Truth About Real Estate Investing… Is It Right For You? to overheat. The normal drum temperature , Landscaping with Roses of 175 Fahrenheit can quickly shoot up to 300 Fahrenheit or higher. It may even get hot , Landscaping...How Does Your Garden Grow enough to allow lint in the venting to ignite. If a fire , Native Trees and Plants For Columbia County, PA of this type starts within flexible plastic , Rose Classification venting it can quickly burn through the venting and allow the fire , Thinking Vertically to spread. Therefore, remove any flexible plastic , Choosing Roses For Your Landscape venting and replace with rigid, straight sections. If the total length is less than fifteen feet, flexible "metal venting" is acceptable. Calculating true venting length ----------- So lets look at how we can determine if a venting problem is in our future. Manufacturers generally suggest a venting length of 15 feet (and two elbows) to be the maximum. But the true venting length can be deceptive. "So how do I know if my venting is too long"? The true length of your venting is determined as follows: 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 Since an elbow or turn is equivalent to an additional 4 feet of pipe 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 , Clay Soils Planting Tips it can be substantially longer than the manufacturers , Energy Efficiency Will Save You Money On Light Bulbs suggested maximum. If the blockage becomes critical the dryer , Cable TV and Satellite TV - Which Is Better? 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 of dryer , Growing Vegetables in Containers - The compact solution feels wet ·Taking too long to dry a load ·Clothes very hot , Tips for Backyard Fish Ponds Care at end of cycle ·Electrical consumption greatly increased Summing up --------------------------------- "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 , Cable TV and Satellite TV - Which Is Better? day was a full days work. We all want instant gratification and instantaneous results - even with our laundry , Cable TV and Satellite TV - Which Is Better? chores. So as a consumer what can you do to alleviate this problem? Well you certainly can't move the laundry room. , 10 Things To Consider Before Planning And Installing A New B The best thing you can do is to be aware that the problem exists. Consider taking down the venting and cleaning out the lint buildup during your annual spring , The Truth About Real Estate Investing… Is It Right For You? cleaning. Also, regularly walk outside , Used But Not Used Up and check the vent cap where it exits your house. Remove any lint buildup and make sure the flap moves freely. If you see a lot of activity from birds , With a stylish bathroom vanity you can take pride in your ba in you backyard check it immediately. They simply love to build nests inside , This Winter, Provide Water For The Birds the vent cap. Other than the previous suggestions a little common sense might avert a tragedy. Do not operate your dryer , Landscaping...How Does Your Garden Grow while asleep, out of the house, , Innovative Kitchen Decorating Idea Brings the Look of Oil Pa or next door , How to Grow Red Oak Trees Near Horsham Pa at the neighbours. And always remember the old saying that states "better safe , Summer Pruning / Pinch an Inch than sorry". About the Author Copyright 2004 by Donald Grummett. All right reserved. |
  
|
mygarden.net.au Gardening | Landscaping | Climate Change | Home Improvement | How To DIY | Home Garden | Interior Design | Home Security | Home Finance | Forum | DIY | Add Your Link |