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Thread Number: 19635
Asbestos in Classic Dryers? |
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Post# 315512 11/17/2008 at 12:28 (5,630 days old) by moparwash  (Pittsburgh,PA ) |
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Post# 315516 , Reply# 1 11/17/2008 at 13:21 (5,630 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Did you actually find asbestos in the dryer? I would tend to doubt it's there, at least not in any quantity. The air flow on most dryers is good enough to prevent any overheating and need for heat shielding. If the dryer does overheat it's most likely due to a clogged exhaust vent or thermostat malfunction. When I find something I suspect is asbestos, I hold a piece (carefully, with tweezers) over a gas flame. If it burns it's organic. If it melts it's probably fiberglass. If it stays pretty much the same it could be asbestos. At that point only a microscopic analysis of fiber length can be sure. | ||
| Post# 315538 , Reply# 2 11/17/2008 at 15:29 (5,630 days old) by everythingold (Grand Rapids, Michigan) | ||
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| Post# 315560 , Reply# 4 11/17/2008 at 18:20 (5,630 days old) by christfr (st louis mo) | ||
hey,, have had 2 diff westy dryers apart a 49 an early 50s and a late 50s and yes all three of them had asbestos in them. the gasket from the heat tube to the drum is for sure. and since i have been working in a car service shop for 29 years back in the 70s and till the got rid of asbestos brake pads and shoes we were around the dust all the time. i know it was not a good thing. so like togg said there are many diff fibers in dryers back then that are of such a tiny size that they can cause lung issues so what i did was wear a nose mask as not to breath in any of the icky stuff and all the dust and wore gloves cause the westys also had fiberglass insulation and that sucks when it gets under the skin on your finger tips. so yea cover up and start a workin on that dryer. be sure and get the inner drum out and check for loose change and what evere else might be in there. i found all sorts of that stuff in this dryer here... good luck
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Post# 315565 , Reply# 5 11/17/2008 at 18:51 (5,630 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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Wouldn't necessarily recognize it, but | ||
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Post# 315612 , Reply# 7 11/17/2008 at 21:01 (5,630 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
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Yes, in the Westinghouse and...
Bendix also used asbestos gaskets in their heaters of the combo. Sometimes, not disturbing it is not an option. Elements go bad, air ducts must be cleaned and general service from time to time is required of any "classic" appliance. I haven't worried too much about the asbestos, I just use appropriate caution. I don't have a haz-mat suit or breathing apparatus, just wear gloves and a dust mask if you're concerned. You can also dampen the gaskets if they look unstable to prevent dust from becoming airborne.
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| Post# 315619 , Reply# 8 11/17/2008 at 21:29 (5,630 days old) by pturo (Syracuse, New York) | ||
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People should be more concerned with Radon, the number 2 cause of lung cancer. | ||
| Post# 315665 , Reply# 10 11/18/2008 at 06:19 (5,629 days old) by christfr (st louis mo) | ||
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Post# 316027 , Reply# 11 11/19/2008 at 15:21 (5,628 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains) |
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Well,
I can't speak for all slantfront Westies, but the dryer (early 1950's, can't yet say for sure) we have coming up next on our list definitely has asbestos wrapped ducts. My intention is to wrap them in one of those metalized acrylic adhesive tapes (used for heating ducts, mufflers, etc.) and leave the stuff alone. What on earth all this hysteria is about is totally beyond me. I can think of very few substitutes for asbestos which are as effective, stable, efficient, cheap...and not, themselves, dangerous. Wouldn't the black insulation in the GE dishwasher be bitumin? | ||
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Post# 316350 , Reply# 12 11/21/2008 at 20:22 (5,626 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Well, I'll have to recheck the infobase, but I was taught that the problem with Asbestos is that it produces fibers that are too short to be ejected from the lungs by cilia action but too long to be absorbed and disposed by cellular absorption. So they just stick around and irritate the tissues until they cause cancer. Yes, cancer can be caused just by irritation. That's why you should keep picking at it ;-). I had been taught that this fiber length was unique to, and characteristic of, asbestos, and nothing else. News to me that other materials can assume the same dimensions, naturally. With regard to brake shoes/pads. I was once taught that in service, these don't present as much of a hazard because the very high heat of braking tends to result in rounded ends to the fibers and they are not as hazardous as unheated fibers. What was dangerous about brake work was the practice of grinding a bevel on the edges of brake shoes; this released a lot of potentially dangerous fibers. I agree, there are more serious health hazards in many homes, but asbestos is not something to be casual about. | ||
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Post# 316352 , Reply# 13 11/21/2008 at 20:58 (5,626 days old) by volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH) |
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To heck with it all!
I'll take my asbestos shielded behind many layers of lead-based paint! I think that's the 2 biggies out of the way. Truth being that asbestos, while hazardous in a dust form, is a remarkable insulator and fire proofer. If it can be left alone, it's usually just fine. Of course, there's probably some nut out there who likes grinding asbestos with a belt sander and inhaling the dust... If you must disturb it, keep it wet so the dust is minimal and wear a mask! Respect asbestos! Lead was used as a base in paint for many MANY years/decades/centuries because it was a very good base for paint. JUST DON'T EAT IT!!! LBP was outlawed in the US in 1978 and honestly, if you haven't painted since then you really ought to consider sprucing up your place a bit. Maybe I'm wierd, but I love oil based paints. The clean up is not fun, but the paints tend to perform so well that it's worth the hassle. I hate putting things down on a surface that has been painted with latex based paint and having it stick, oil based paints don't do that! Sure, latex has its place(s) just not in my paint! Smile, it's only toxic, Dave | ||
| Post# 316423 , Reply# 15 11/22/2008 at 11:54 (5,625 days old) by everythingold (Grand Rapids, Michigan) | ||
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