Thread Number: 60160
/ Tag: Modern Dryers
Dryer Fire Tonight!!!!! |
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Post# 828376 , Reply# 4   6/17/2015 at 12:07 (3,207 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY)   |   | |
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Terrible! I wonder could a contributing factor be lint build up in the dryer vent run or the dryer itself? Not the actual lint screen, but believe it or not, lint gets EVERYWHERE in the dryer (at least a lot of dryers, maybe not all).
We had a discussion about this on another thread. I have a Whirlpool Duet dryer, and when I take the bottom panel off every few years underneath is FULL of lint that I have to spend an hour vacuuming and cleaning. Lint itself a major fire hazard, and I thought most dryer fires were caused from lint build up within the dryer or the vent run, causing the dryer to overheat...Chemical reactions never occurred to me... |
Post# 828379 , Reply# 7   6/17/2015 at 13:11 (3,207 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)   |   | |
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I remember at least 25-years-ago when I was working at Arbor Drugs and there was a fire at a coin laundromat right near by it that we faced the back of...
Those who could rescue their laundry had everything in a bunch of damp-to-wet, still half-dirty/half-clean, half-wet/half-dry, etc. on the ground...
While the fire dept. put out what was most-likely caused by one or more of the driers igniting in more than just the chamber where the heat gets produced...
There was a sign on that back door of the laundry which was one of the entrances, as well as most-likely on the front of the building stating that 'Due To A Fire, that the Laundromat would be Closed'...
(It closed for Halloween, as well...!)
-- Dave |
Post# 828380 , Reply# 8   6/17/2015 at 13:20 (3,207 days old) by Iheartmaytag (Wichita, Kansas)   |   | |
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Since you mentioned that you had washed Kitchen towels and mitts, I am wondering if the cooking oil was what started the combustion process?
Every dryer manual I have read warns against drying that may have contained cooking oil as the temps of the dryer could lead to a fire. Just wondering if this is what happened. In that case I would almost say Whirlpool's assessment is accurate and they are not at fault. Time to call the insurance company. |
Post# 828382 , Reply# 9   6/17/2015 at 13:44 (3,207 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY)   |   | |
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Post# 828385 , Reply# 10   6/17/2015 at 14:13 (3,207 days old) by Iheartmaytag (Wichita, Kansas)   |   | |
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Post# 828386 , Reply# 11   6/17/2015 at 14:27 (3,207 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey)   |   | |
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well, there are definitely going to be questions asked.....and their going to want answers sorry to say.....
by both Whirlpool/Investigators and the Insurance Company..... THAT's the whole reason behind signs like this placed on machines, someone way before this incident has already done it, may be sued Whirlpool, and this is how they now get around it.......how do you think 'lid locks' all started, someone stuck their hand into a moving machine..... as mentioned, any hint of just something like simple vegetable oil, would be triggered as user error......these instructions are clearly printed on both the washer and dryer, and in the instruction booklet... yes, we have all done it, without actually thinking, same goes for washing regular work clothes from someone like a mechanic.....I do test loads all the time from a load like this......but there is always the potential for a fire to happen.....no one can predict which load is going to be the final straw...... some things don't add up, small enough of a blaze to be contained, yet massive damage.....and a dryer that caught fire, hot enough to melt plastic, but not the wiring, and yet the display still works....that's one rugged control board! relax and breathe, for the most part, everything will be alright.....any damage to the property will be repaired, a replacement dryer will be installed, and you'll be back on track in a few weeks......were all thankful no one was injured.... for anyone out there, this may be a good time to check your own vents, in and outside of the dryer cleaned of any lint, and check batteries of your smoke detectors, or install new ones..... you only have to have this happen once for a lesson to be learned, at least, don't leave the house with any appliance like a washer or dryer running, you can't be too safe.....we too have done this a millions times, but it only takes once....safety first.....
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Post# 828413 , Reply# 13   6/17/2015 at 18:44 (3,207 days old) by askolover (South of Nash Vegas, TN)   |   | |
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Just a few weeks ago I had the very strong urge to replace the venting for my dryer. When I moved into this house, it did not have a laundry room....the washer was sitting beside the kitchen stove and the gas dryer was in the shed out back. My ex and I built a laundry closet and put everything in there...gas water heater, washer beside the WH (so I have TRUE hot water plus a booster in the washer) and a GE gas dryer. At the time, in a crunch we just ran foil dryer hose about 15 feet under the house to the outside wall. Well lately I've noticed it's taking much longer to dry stuff so it clicked in my brain (out of sight, out of mind) that I need to put in rigid piping...so I did. Still have a small section to finish off but the 15 feet of brand new well-insulated duct made a huge difference. It will be so much easier to clean with one of those brushes attached to a drill from outside. I'm anal retentive about lint in my dryer itself because my mother's old WP almost caught fire when I was a kid and a neighbor's house did when she put clothes in the dryer and left for work. It smoldered all day and caused a lot of smoke damage. Since then, I do NOT like to leave or go to bed with clothes in the dryer. We had a GE FF washer that the water valve got stuck too and we were outside....for just a short while and came in to find a creek coming down the hall where the washer was overflowing.
After a little rambling my final thoughts about the above post...my first instinct would be to think something with the electronic controls. There have been instances of dishwashers catching fire because of the boards, I've seen personally a washer that melted the front panel due to a faulty board. I REALLY DO NOT like electronics in washers and dryers. Some things are better left untouched. Let us know what they say. |
Post# 828433 , Reply# 16   6/17/2015 at 20:55 (3,207 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine)   |   | |
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I just bought a new flex aluminum duct to connect and replace to the old Maytag and get rid of the old vinyl pipe. I have a window right beside the dryer and just stick the vent out the window with panels in the winter that I made to seal and I just close the window on it and pull it out and put it away when the dryer is finished and lock the window. Several years ago, more like 30 ish, I had the same dryer connected to an outside vent where I lived before and forgot to hit the start button when the phone rang, remembered next morning and everything was froze solid, so alot of air leagage. My next door neighbor is a fire chief and he told me lint buildup is the main cause of dryer fires next to electrical issues and says you should only use your washer and dryer when you are there and just dont set it and take off somewhere and hope it works well. You could burn down or get flooded.
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Post# 828437 , Reply# 17   6/17/2015 at 21:27 (3,207 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)   |   | |
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Most of my dryers have notes about not drying clothes that have been in solvents but I have never seen anything about oil. I wash and dry a lot of things that have been in oil or solvent (I just washed a T-shirt that I cleaned with Gun Wash thinner as I had spilled some paint on it). I rinsed it quite well and let it dry before I washed it in the machine and it didn't smell at all, I felt it was safe to dry it in my 1965 Filtrator after but I'll be more cautious! |
Post# 828447 , Reply# 18   6/17/2015 at 23:23 (3,207 days old) by supersurgilator (Indiana)   |   | |
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DO u have any pics of the towels or of the machine? i'd be curious to see the damage it actually caused. |
Post# 828468 , Reply# 19   6/18/2015 at 07:50 (3,206 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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This fire was most likely spontaneous combustion from the heat and left over oils etc left in the clothing. It likely started AFTER the dryer shut off, there are many cases of this happening even when the dry laundry has been removed and is just sitting in a basket or pile [ which is really scary because you have no metal dryer to contain the fire at all.
Spontaneous Combustion does not happen often but it can. Everyone here including myself have washed and dried loads that we probably should not have. If you are ever tempted to dry questionable loads of old cleaning rags etc I would suggest drying them on a cooler temperature, and also don't try to dry them bone dry, leave them a little damp. A gas dryer is probably a little safer as well as you can't get things quite as dry because of the moisture put off by burning gas.
It would be interesting if WP could put in a fire detection feature that would turn on the mister of dryers that have the steam system with a cold water connection, as this could easily put out a fire like this.
It will be interesting to see if WP replaces this dryer, they might do it as a good-will gesture, but it is not likely a dryer fault, the good news is the insurance company will have to take care of all the damage which will likely include replacing the dryer. |
Post# 828488 , Reply# 22   6/18/2015 at 13:00 (3,206 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY)   |   | |
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with clothes drying. Speaking of keeping your vent run clean, mine vents through the roof and I HATE that. The first few years, I was constantly cleaning it. On another forum a long time ago I was posting about how I hated it and some lady posted a similar situation and resolution she and her husband had, which was to put a paint strainer in the short vent that connects the dryer to the wall, sort of like lining it like you would a trash bag in a trash can before you connect the vent from wall to dryer. I did this about 2 or 3 years ago and all lint that escapes the first filter gets caught in the paint strainer keeping the entire vent run clean for over 2 years now. I have easy access behind my dryer so I clean it every 2 weeks religiously. Clothes dry fast too. It's a PAIN but not nearly the pain of cleaning an entire vent run. This wouldn't work for most people but it seems to work great for me. But I'm always right here when clothes are drying and I'm the only one that touches the machines.
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Post# 828490 , Reply# 23   6/18/2015 at 14:05 (3,206 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)   |   | |
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Post# 828496 , Reply# 24   6/18/2015 at 14:48 (3,206 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room)   |   | |
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Post# 828497 , Reply# 25   6/18/2015 at 14:52 (3,206 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room)   |   | |
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Good advice, and I think I've seen this suggested in years gone by in Dear Abby. It's something I try to be careful of, although I have to admit there have been times I've fallen asleep while waiting for a dryer to finish. Having read the above, I'll be trying to avoid naps like this in the future!
Then, I suppose in our rush-rush-rush world, there is a temptation to fling clothes into a dryer, hit start, and dash off to do the week's grocery shopping, watch the kid's sports team, whatever. Usually, one is OK...but if there is that one time in a million event, it can be a real mess. As this thread shows. |
Post# 828499 , Reply# 26   6/18/2015 at 14:55 (3,206 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room)   |   | |
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Post# 828516 , Reply# 29   6/18/2015 at 17:38 (3,206 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)   |   | |
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Post# 828522 , Reply# 30   6/18/2015 at 19:21 (3,206 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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Remember that this type of fire can happen long after the dryer stops or even when the clean laundry is sitting in a basket, so it may make little difference whether you run the dryer while you are asleep or gone, BUT if you are going to wash and dry questionable loads you probably should stick around and remove and fold items immediately when they finish drying.
Why do we have more dryer fires in the US compared to Europe?
Who knows for sure but it probably has something to do with the fact that Americans actually have dryers and dry almost everything in their dryers that we wash. Dryer ownership and usage of dryers in Europe is a small fraction of what we have in the US.
John L. |
Post# 828542 , Reply# 31   6/18/2015 at 22:03 (3,206 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)   |   | |
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I'm wondering if static electricity can ignite a fire if there's a presence of a solvent in the machine?
Also, I'd think clothes impregnated with solvents or oil would be more likely to start a fire in a condenser dryer, since it recirculates the air and dries at higher temperatures (I'm not talking about the heat pump type!) than a vented dryer.
But then, isn't that kind of dryer much more popular in Europe than it is here? |
Post# 828615 , Reply# 33   6/19/2015 at 10:54 (3,205 days old) by Iheartmaytag (Wichita, Kansas)   |   | |
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Post# 828624 , Reply# 34   6/19/2015 at 13:12 (3,205 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY)   |   | |
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Post# 828682 , Reply# 35   6/19/2015 at 21:15 (3,205 days old) by harpon (Jacksonville)   |   | |
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I had an older style 220 volt receptacle catch fire a couple of years ago out in the detached shed I have set in.. I had fair warning, it had been crackling when I first turned the machine on just a bit, but as it hadn't worsened I hadn't paid it much mind. I think I did check it a little more frequently, and it was as I was checking it that I saw it had in fact sprung to flames and was melting down the plug and receptacle as the machine ran on. It was obviously some kind of grounding problem with the plug and outlet. The receptacle was attached to a bare wooden stud in the shed, so it may have caught that on fire and the whole shed-
When I replaced the cord and receptacle with a newer four pronger, I also made sure I got a heavy coat of latex paint on the wall stud. Aluminum foil would help too I guess, but not a peep of a problem with it since.. So anyway ,I never leave the dryer unattended for long now, and I'll never let the one in my house bathroom running if I leave even though it's only a 110 volt converted Space Saver- I'm sure the lower voltage is less capable of starting a fire as fast, but it's just not worth the risk. |
Post# 828715 , Reply# 36   6/20/2015 at 01:22 (3,204 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA)   |   | |
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Post# 828727 , Reply# 37   6/20/2015 at 07:19 (3,204 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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The reason electrical outlets sometimes fail and heat up or burn on electric dryers and other constant high draw appliances is poor connections between the prongs of the cord and the mating female contacts in the outlet or loose or poor connections where the house wiring attaches to the outlet.
This type of failure can result in a home fire if there is enough flammable material very close to the outlet or outlet box, but usually it just burns itself out and the appliance stops running, Note; this type of poor connection fault will almost NEVER trip a circuit breaker since while the outlet is burning the electrical draw is actually less than when the dryer is operating properly.
This type of event is not a grounding issue, it would probably not help much to paint the wood next to the outlet box or add aluminum foil near the box. The best way to make this type of electrical connection safe is to use a large enough STEEL box and make connections carefully and be sure they are tight. The other thing that can be done for a 240 volt electric dryer is to use the heavier 50 Amp outlet and cords that electric ranges use while still using a 30 Amp Circuit breaker in the main panel. A 120 volt electric dryer is probably even more dangerous and likely to have this type of over heating event at its outlet for several reasons.
1, a 120 volt dryer has to run much longer while drawing a near maximum load on the plug and outlet.
2, 120 volt outlets are often even more poorly constructed and assembled, often cheap 15 amp outlets are used instead of heaver duty 20 amp type. Every year there are thousands of home fires due to overheated outlets and cords from using portable electric heaters, luckily 120 dryers are not that common in the US, but we still regularly see overheated outlets on 120 volt dryers. Just last week I ran a service call on a 120 volt WP 24" Thin Twin that stopped running due to a burned up outlet. |
Post# 828752 , Reply# 38   6/20/2015 at 09:04 (3,204 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey)   |   | |
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well that sort of makes sense at what JohnL says.....when you take clothes out of the dryer, sometimes theres a static charge still there.....once you pull them out to fold, all that static is gone....
stuff you don't give much thought to, until something like this arrives, and then there are possibilities of stuff like this happening.... same could be said for fueling your vehicle, not just stop smoking, but any sort of spark can start an explosion......how many times have you grabbed the handle of your vehicle, and got a shock? certain floor materials when you walk across them, and then to grab the sink or fridge, not realizing you built up a charge on yourself.... like rubbing a latex balloon against your hair......wait, this brings up a fast question of latex and static build up from ones body.....but I can't ask that here... |
Post# 828862 , Reply# 43   6/21/2015 at 07:21 (3,203 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea))   |   | |
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Linseed oil is notorious for spontaneous combustion. But lo, so are food oils. While the dryer temp is well below ignition temp, it's enough to accelerate oxidation which is exothermic, the same process that ignites linseed.
Cotton wicking greatly enhances this. Just like it's rather difficult to ignite lamp oil or candle wax without a wick. None of that makes it 'your fault'. Funny thing is, if you'd soaked those kitchen items in gasoline then laundered them in hot where the detergent got hold of the food oil, the gasoline would have dissolved the cooking oils and the hot water would have vaporized the gasoline volatiles. Theoretically. Not saying to do that. Have to say, the temp/time/detergent concentration were insufficient to remove cooking oil below the threshold where this could happen. But that determination is scientific well beyond what you 'should have known'. The chef 'should' have sopped the oil with paper towels sealed in airtight metal containers, just like furniture refurbishers 'should' do with linseed oil. |
Post# 828865 , Reply# 44   6/21/2015 at 07:36 (3,203 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)   |   | |
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Thinking back, I don't know whether that laudromat fire could have been caused by any kind of oil in clothes or simply, by my theory that one vent line, or more, may have not properly, routinely cleaned...
There were piles of peoples' rescued laundry on the ground outside, and no sobbing people, taking on the quality of people or pets having to be rescued in the small blaze...
My dryer recently quit heating and while I thought that it was the igniter which quit working, the repair man repaced a small metal oval-shaped disc, which was a thermal fuse...
He also took gobs, and gobs of lint out of the lower area where all the dryer's workings are--filling a waste basket w/ enough lint and other dust, that I was aching for it to be garbage day, also telling us to let him know, if our laundry still doesn't get completely dry...
I have a tool kit w/ a vacuum cleaner attatchment, and a few brushed to at least go into my dryer's line trap, but really wonder about the quality of my duct work...
So I'm left to always be home when any long-term drying is being done... I would like to someday dismantle our dryer's venting, if not put in some new piping altogether... (I find my self using the "Touch-Up" on the dial for a few loads; I like my clothes hot when I take 'em out!)...
-- Dave
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Post# 828880 , Reply# 45   6/21/2015 at 10:13 (3,203 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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If I found a bunch of smoldering smoking laundry you bet your a.. that I would douse it with water or a fire extinguisher and get it out of the house as fast as possible, and it may not be the safest or wisest thing to do but I would still try to get that stinking mess out of the house as fast as possible, next thing I would do[ if possible ] would be getting the dryer out of the house.
We had a customer on Capital Hill who had a full sized WP Gas TT where the dryer caught fire, when I went by the house to investigate a few hours after the fire I found the entire machine sitting in the front yard, The DC Fire Men disconnected the gas, water etc and carried the hot smoldering machine out of the house. |
Post# 828907 , Reply# 46   6/21/2015 at 15:06 (3,203 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Local Laundromat was run by a bunch of, well basically 'young adults" who seemed to care little to nil about the place beyond getting paid. Every other week it seemed the FDNY was there to put out dryer fires. Was told by another resident in my street that routine nightly maintenance (cleaning out the lint traps) was not being performed.
Laundry has long since closed, renovated and reopened under new workers (Chinese visa immigrants), who make sure the lint traps are cleaned nightly. |
Post# 828919 , Reply# 49   6/21/2015 at 16:46 (3,203 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey)   |   | |
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some things don't add up......
while true, dryer fires can happen, whether through lint, or oil substance on clothing...and a chance of static charge.....anything is possible the one thing THAT isn't making sense......all this 'hype' over the dryer fire, which seems more intense after the incident....more so than the actual time of events to call the fire dept.... normal people would be hysterical/upset at the moment of the actual fire.....not afterwards.... that would be my biggest question....Why wasn't the fire dept called?.....especially for a business..... we had a local Laundromat that seemed to catch fire at least once every other month......and always in the middle of the night...and seemed like no sooner insurance paid and it was repaired, it would catch fire again....the last time it happened, the fire dept was in no hurry to put it out, normally you would watch them run in and put it out immediately.....this time, they checked for bodies inside, and it wasn't until it was engulfed in flames did they start to pull out the hoses......I think they got tired of the same incident, over and over.. |
Post# 828940 , Reply# 52   6/21/2015 at 19:45 (3,203 days old) by Dustin92 (Jackson, MI)   |   | |
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Well, I'll add to my last post, the daughter's car is at the house now, so she may be staying there tonight... |
Post# 829140 , Reply# 54   6/23/2015 at 05:52 (3,201 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea))   |   | |
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Depends what the oil is. Car oil? It specifically does NOT oxidize at dryer/engine temps. Apparently (from what I read) it is the ongoing accelerated oxidation that 'spontaneously' ignites linseed and some food oils. They won't do that in their containers. Only when applied to a wick/rag that gives oxygen a large surface area. Some will ignite WITHOUT any heat source (dryer). It's all in the nature of the oil.
It's general good practice never to turn one's back on any appliance that generates concentrated heat. Furnaces and waterheaters have redundant safeties specifically so you can sleep with them running. Dryers have redundant safeties for the heat the machine generates but it does not take into account any heat the load itself might generate. |
Post# 829210 , Reply# 55   6/23/2015 at 12:46 (3,201 days old) by Kitty ()   |   | |
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Everything. car oil, Jet engine oil. Kerosene (jet fuel), alcohol, methyl ethyl keytone, hydraulic oil acetone, etc. you get the point : a very dangerous flammable mix |
Post# 829464 , Reply# 57   6/25/2015 at 02:48 (3,199 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY)   |   | |
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LAUNDROMATS!
In the mid 1990s, I briefly worked at a Texaco in Maryville, TN (part of Knoxville) It was on Hunt Road and it had a laundromat and a grill! Two of us worked at night from 3 to ll pm. One of us had to clean the grill area and the other had to do the laundromat. I HATED doing the laundromat. Opening those dryer panels and sweeping all that lint away...But it was done EVERY night. Cleaning the washers, and bathrooms in the laundromat. I hated that part of working there. I only did it for a few months. I can't imagine any laundromat neglecting to clean those dryer lint screens, because they were always covered with lint! I'm not surprised there are fires in laundromats that are too lazy to clean them. |
Post# 829470 , Reply# 58   6/25/2015 at 05:01 (3,199 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea))   |   | |
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IINM the exact wording of the warning is "use with fabrics washed in water only" with no mention of what the fabrics contained before they were washed. It's not really your fault the detergent left enough cooking oil to oxidize and self ignite. The legal 'reasonable person' could not have foreseen that.
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Post# 829493 , Reply# 59   6/25/2015 at 07:33 (3,199 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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Martin posted WPs fire warning in reply #11, this warning is on ALL WP laundry products for many years now.
While it is always good to keep duct-work and lint filters clean on any clothes dryer, NOT doing so does not cause many dryer fires, dryers today have plenty of safeties built-in to prevent dangerous operation.
This unfortunately is operator error, [ it could have happened to any of us including ME ] and the lesson I hope we all learned is to never attempt to dry clothing that had cooking oil or linseed oil on them unless you are completely sure that they are completely clean. |
Post# 829498 , Reply# 60   6/25/2015 at 07:59 (3,199 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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"It's not really your fault the detergent left enough cooking oil to oxidize and self ignite."
Cannot speak to modern times, but for ages laundry/housekeeping manuals gave specific warnings about things contaminated by flammable substances. Specifically such things were *not* to be machine dried unless or until one was absolutely sure all traces of oil, grease, fat, or whatever had been removed. This was on top of the warnings about using "home dry cleaning" solvents or spot removers then putting such treated items into a dryer. It wasn't that long ago that housewives were using gasoline or kerosene to "dry clean" items at home. Then of course you had shop rags, rags your husband used when working on the car or some such, if your husband's job involved being in contact with petrol substances and so forth. Restaurants are a particular worry because staff often use napkins or towels to clean up oil/fat spills. If those items are not disposed of/stored properly prior to laundering and or that process is not carried out properly you can have problems. www.semissourian.com/story/177813... Many operating Laundromat or whatever business think doing restaurant/kitchen linen is nothing special. However it is a well known fact employees of such places often grab whatever is at hand (napkin or towel) to clean up any sort of spill. If these things are sent to the laundry and the operators do not know/understand what they are getting, again you can have problems. |
Post# 829540 , Reply# 61   6/25/2015 at 14:54 (3,199 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room)   |   | |
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>she is waiting for a call back from Whirlpool to find out if they can give us a good discount on a new dryer.
I hope they do. It would be a nice gesture. One thought: if they balk, they could perhaps be persuaded by starting an on-line petition requesting a good deal on a dryer. It seems to me that insurance should cover this sort of thing, although filing claims can sometimes result in higher premiums. |
Post# 829548 , Reply# 62   6/25/2015 at 15:49 (3,199 days old) by jerrod6 (Southeastern Pennsylvania)   |   | |
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So if we get a bit of butter, olive or vegetable oil on a tablecloth I guess we are supposed to hand wash it and let it hang to dry? |
Post# 829565 , Reply# 63   6/25/2015 at 17:03 (3,199 days old) by Logixx (Germany)   |   | |
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Post# 829580 , Reply# 64   6/25/2015 at 20:10 (3,199 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)   |   | |
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Post# 829587 , Reply# 66   6/25/2015 at 21:50 (3,199 days old) by Gusherb (Chicago/NWI)   |   | |
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Through that whole video I was hoping he'd close the dryer door as to not feed more oxygen to the smoldering clothes, and I was appalled that there wasn't a fire extinguisher handy or that the guy didn't use one. This post was last edited 06/25/2015 at 23:35 |
Post# 829592 , Reply# 67   6/25/2015 at 22:24 (3,199 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Terribly difficult to remove from textiles. Mainly because they are hydrophobic substances (repel water) that it often takes more than detergent/soap and water to totally shift.
Anyone who has gotten a mark from salad dressing or other oily substance on a blouse or shirt, laundered and saw the mark "gone" after coming out of the wash; only for it to reappear after drying with heat (tumble dryer or ironing) knows what one means. A solvent is what is required to shift oils since they can get around the water repellent bit. Historically a whole host of what we now know are nasty chemicals were used both commercially and domestically to deal with oil/fat marks. Benzine, 1.1.1. Trichoroethylene, perchloroethylene, naptha, and other substances derived from petrol including using straight gasoline. Indeed the great claim to fame for Fels and other "naptha" soaps was that bit of chemical (some soaps used benzene) shifted oils quite well. Even today commercial laundries will often dry clean linens and garments with heavy oil/fat marks (more than can be simply just done on the spotting board), then launder by traditional methods and then dry/iron and or press. The dry cleaning solvents deal quite well with oils. Massage therapists have a very hard time finding detergents that will shift oil from their linens. There are additives and or detergents sold to commercial laundries that are meant to deal with heavy oil stains. The formulas in such circumstances normally involve multiple washes (often at high temperatures) in an attempt to shift oil. |
Post# 829595 , Reply# 68   6/25/2015 at 22:38 (3,199 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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What has become known as "dry cleaning" was invented by a Frenchman?
After a maid upset an oil lamp onto a table cloth , Jean Baptiste Jolly noticed after the oil dried the affected area was cleaner than the untreated portion. The maid's name is lost to us but M. Jolly gave us "nettoyage ŕ sec" (dry cleaning). It is this association with France that gave rise to the marketing of "French" dry cleaning which you still see used today. Persons simply sought to cash in on the cachet of the associations with France and French culture to set that method apart from general laundry (with water). Today of course it is all rubbish; Chinese, Korean, American, French, German whatever the nationality of the operator all dry cleaning works with the same process. The common industry joke about "French" dry cleaning is that it will cost the customer more for the exact same process. |
Post# 829617 , Reply# 71   6/26/2015 at 04:24 (3,198 days old) by aquarius1984 (Planet earth)   |   | |
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And yet its so different on this side of the pond...
Any Branded and Supermarket own label detergent is capable of removing grease and oils and our washing machines are capable of utilising this. Having worked in restaurants, fish and chip shops, pubs etc etc a simple task of putting laundry in to a low water using FL machine without pre treating anything, adding a good quality detergent and NO ADDITIVES, and setting the dial for a hot wash has never left oil residue on kitchen linen and we have never had a fire from our cooler lower wattaged dryers when they have dried. Perhaps its time for american detergents to catch up big time with ours and for this daft notion poor performing machines that rely on the user to do 3/4 of the job (which isnt an automatic in my eyes) do be completely phased out. It really cant be that difficult to have wiring installed so you guys can have heated low water usage FL's that actually do the job properly first time over any TL or HE TL. Maybe time to drop the heat in the dryers too to stop these fires happening. Very rare to read of a dryer fire here yet its so common over there. |
Post# 829626 , Reply# 72   6/26/2015 at 05:11 (3,198 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Post# 829630 , Reply# 73   6/26/2015 at 05:58 (3,198 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea))   |   | |
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Oh, that's the NEW warning. Sorry, I never owned anything that new.
Motor oils don't oxidize (to the point of self-ignition) at laundry temperatures. Robert, have to agree (some) US dryers get too hot. I had a 90's Kenmore where I had to throttle the gas down. It got so hot it scorched the detergent scent. Quite unpleasant effect. Detergents, I think we all strongly suspect P&G dumbs-down their stuff specifically to sell you additives. I mean, there are more flavors of Tide than there are of Lay's chips fer gawdsake. |
Post# 829904 , Reply# 74   6/27/2015 at 23:44 (3,197 days old) by askolover (South of Nash Vegas, TN)   |   | |
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Post# 829936 , Reply# 77   6/28/2015 at 09:19 (3,196 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Dryers is that they do not get "hot" enough. As such drying times are longer and even then things emerge "damp" but not dry. Of course to many "dry" means scorching hot. *LOL*
We are speaking of both vented and condenser dryers. Friends had a Bosch Axis they hated the thing with a passion. Sadly the "Euro" units were the only things that would find into the laundry area of their NYC condo apartment. Think European electric dryers top out at around 3kW of power. OTOH American versions go to 5kW or more. |
Post# 829946 , Reply# 79   6/28/2015 at 10:56 (3,196 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Pipe:
www.geappliances.com/search/fast/... American consumers complaining about Bosch dryers: www.amazon.com/Bosch-WTV76100US-A... |
Post# 829953 , Reply# 80   6/28/2015 at 13:42 (3,196 days old) by Logixx (Germany)   |   | |
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Yes,condenser dryers get really hot. The front of my Bosch gets almost too hot to touch - I still dry almost anything on high temp without issues. Don't know how hot vented dryers get, but I since they have smaller drums and smaller fans, a 3 kW heating element shouldn't be too bad.
As for GE: a common complaint from reviewed.com seems to be that they get too hot. More than 180F in some cases. |
Post# 830000 , Reply# 81   6/29/2015 at 00:42 (3,195 days old) by askolover (South of Nash Vegas, TN)   |   | |
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Post# 830013 , Reply# 82   6/29/2015 at 07:32 (3,195 days old) by Logixx (Germany)   |   | |
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