I did an interview on The Joe Madison Show last week which
reaches a worldwide audience on Sirius Satellite radio. The subject matter was
the recent death of a 10 year old boy caused by a clothes dryer catching fire
in his home. This needless tragedy is repeated more than 20 times a year in
this country directly attributed to the product called, “the clothes dryer.” Let
me ask a few questions of all readers of this column.
Should the person responsible for a home take the necessary
precautions with clothes dryer? Should that person take it apart or have a
technician take it apart to clean the inside? Shouldn’t someone make sure the
vent line is properly installed and cleaned at least once on a yearly basis? That
little boy died because his guardians didn’t know of these questions or simply was
not cognizant of how dangerous a clothes dryer really is.
There are 42 dryer fires every day in this country and those
are only the ones reported to a fire department. I believe the number may be as
high as 3 times this amount which is fortunate for those folks who were there
to extinguish the fire. Some of these fires could have been caused by a
malfunction of the dryer itself but I think that number is very small. I know
for a fact that the majority of dryer fires occur because a vent line is packed
with lint, the inner cabinet of the dryer is filled with lint in every crevice
possible or the vent line is made of the wrong material or possibly travels too
long a distance.
I received several emails from my recent radio interview and
most of those were from people who didn’t have a clue how serious problem dryer
fires have become.
Some 20 years ago when I first began investigating dryer
fires and Frank Felts the Fire Chief of Garden City reported there were 12
dryer fires in the city that year, I could well imagine how big this problem
was across the country. When I helped draft and write the law for the State of Michigan pertaining to
the outlaw of plastic (vinyl) or tinfoil vent line, it became a national story.
I am sure the efforts have saved lives but yet that effort was not enough.
Several times a year I hear or am involved in litigation caused by tragedy of
some sort dealing with dryer fires. I sometimes feel so useless in my endeavors
to prevent any of the current 42 dryer fires that occur each day. I need help
from every person possible. I wish the manufacturers would do more and they
can. I need people to make this subject important in their daily conversation
at the water cooler or a lesson at the dinner table. If you had a killer in
yours or your children’s laundry room, wouldn’t you take the necessary steps?
The following are facts for discussion.
Plastic, vinyl vent line is against the law. Solid metal or
flexible metal is the proper vent line to use. Tin foil is not considered metal
according to State codes. Vent line should be no longer than 16 feet with the
use of only 2 elbows. More than 2 elbows equate to a vent line that is too long
and only 4 inch vent line is permissible. Clean the vent lines completely a
least once a year and scrub the lint filter with water and brush every few
weeks. Once every two years take the dryer apart and vacuum all excess lint
built up throughout the interior of the cabinet. Remember, it’s the lint that
first ignites to give you a fire. When the dryer begins to make noises it
should not, consider that a warning sign and a fire alert. Take the necessary
steps to have it repaired. There should be smoke detector installed above
clothes dryer. Never leave the house of go to bed with a clothes dryer in
operation. Please understand my passion on this subject and help me save lives.
Stay tuned.
