Thread Number: 5004
Why it's important to keep that dryer vent clean! |
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Post# 110016 , Reply# 1   2/15/2006 at 21:54 (6,616 days old) by bingwsguy (Binghamton NY)   |   | |
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I shall pass this article along to those who think I am a nut for taking the vent hose off my dryer and vaccuuming it and the inside of the dryer out several times a year. Of course, you know I am justifying my obsessive compulsive cleaning habits too.... :) |
Post# 110061 , Reply# 3   2/16/2006 at 06:44 (6,615 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
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Post# 110065 , Reply# 5   2/16/2006 at 07:05 (6,615 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
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Post# 110096 , Reply# 7   2/16/2006 at 10:48 (6,615 days old) by parunner58 (Davenport, FL)   |   | |
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Years ago there was a 20/20(i think it was this show) episode of house fires. One segment was about people with Mr. Coffees with the timers that they went bad and burned the Kithcens. We never leave any counter top apps plug in. especially the coffee maker or toaster. The crock pot is the only exception. The other segment was on not cleaning the lint screens, Checking the vent hose, or the inside of the dryer. The irony was that one of the fires was from the dryer of the Fire Chiefs house. They rarely emptied the lint screen or checked the vent hose. I too check mine and clean it a few times a year.
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Post# 110114 , Reply# 9   2/16/2006 at 14:47 (6,615 days old) by dadoes (TX, U.S. of A.)   |   | |
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Where does one draw the line on safety vs. convenience? Fear vs. need? Think about the millions of electrical devices that are running everywhere. Computers and network equipment, water pumps and water heaters and septic systems and irrigation equipment, stoplights, ice machines, self-serve gasoline pumps, clocks, idle VCRs, refrigerators and freezers, security lights, air conditioning and heating systems, and on and on. Accidents happen. How many people are willing to kill the main electric feed to their house and go live in a cave? How many people disconnect their electric range after every cooking session? Those burner switches and oven thermostats can go wonky, too. Safety is a good thing, but paranoia is crippling. In my house right now, there are three candle warmers running. Two refrigerators, one with an ice maker that may trigger the water well to turn on during a fill cycle. A septic system with an aerator motor that runs for a few mins out of every hour and a sump pump that runs on a timer scheduled for 3:30 AM daily. A computer on a UPS (monitor is turned off). Two VCRs. Outside lighting run by a wall-switch timer that turns on at 6:30 PM, off at 4:00 AM. Several pieces of A/V equipment in stand-by mode. Four clocks. HVAC on a setback thermostat. A yard-sprinkler system that's set to Off mode but the timer is still powered. A blood-pressure monitor that's plugged in but off. Several lamps. Electric range, OTR microwave, and dishwasher all plugged in, "off" but actually in standby mode. Washer and dryer plugged in, "off" but also in stand-by mode. A tankless water heater in standby mode. I think that's everything. |
Post# 110235 , Reply# 10   2/16/2006 at 23:40 (6,614 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
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I personally would love to see "hard-power-down" switches on electronically controlled appliances. Especially electronically controlled ovens! I added a wall-switch to control the A/C outlet when I installed the separate line for it. This is a Whirlpool 10,000 BTU/h supplemental unit for the basement "dining hall/kitchen" The computer panel ARRIVED defective, thank you so very much! As such, I have very little faith in it/them. (No Jason that is not THE blue towel. LOL) |
Post# 110236 , Reply# 11   2/16/2006 at 23:41 (6,614 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
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Post# 110237 , Reply# 12   2/16/2006 at 23:44 (6,614 days old) by dadoes (TX, U.S. of A.)   |   | |
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Post# 110239 , Reply# 13   2/17/2006 at 00:02 (6,614 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
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They all now come with GFIs (Ground-fault[circuit]interruptors). UK==> Residual current interruptors. I had to add a grounding adapter (as a spacer) because the moulding of the wood paneling was in the way of that huge plug. (Yes the adapter has a screw-hole grounidng rpiece, and it is properly secured to the outlet plate-cover screw therby grounding the works). |
Post# 110392 , Reply# 14   2/18/2006 at 07:26 (6,613 days old) by stainfighter (Columbia, SC)   |   | |
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I think it was Sudmaster that offered the suggestion, in another thread, to actually wash and dry the dryer lint screen. Our Frig dryer was running a little long with cycle times so I thought I'd give this a shot; washed it with Dawn. Also windexed the moisture sensor. Viola!!! Like a brand new dryer. I always empty the lint screen after each use but never thought about washing the screen. Try it; it does make a difference.
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Post# 110460 , Reply# 15   2/18/2006 at 16:59 (6,613 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)   |   | |
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Post# 110524 , Reply# 16   2/19/2006 at 00:14 (6,612 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California)   |   | |
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"Appliance Service News had an article a few years ago,about a service tech working on a Whirlpool dryer.After fixing the problem,he took the blower and vent assembly apart,to clean it,and found a live 12GA shotgun shell,in the vent near the blower." Well, someone has to work on the Vice-President's appliances. |
Post# 110540 , Reply# 17   2/19/2006 at 01:31 (6,612 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)   |   | |
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I wonder how that shotshell got in there??If it had passed thru the blower or heater--???I keep mine in their boxes. |
Post# 110934 , Reply# 22   2/20/2006 at 20:35 (6,611 days old) by bingwsguy (Binghamton NY)   |   | |
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I have a client who works for the local Electric and Gas company who told me that one of the top causes for house fires is the dryer. People don't clean the vent or under it often enough. |
Post# 111219 , Reply# 23   2/21/2006 at 17:23 (6,610 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
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WOW. Remind me of something that happened to me. My neighbors in the co-opeative apt (NYC version of a condo)had keys and were allowed to use my W&D. Utilites were a flat-rate charge by magt and were un-metered to indivisual tenants. Anyhoo. Mr. pretty-boy police officer neighbor left bullets in his pocket. Wifey washed and dried uniforms. LIVE ROUNDS WERE TUMBLING IN MY DRYER. I was cooking at the stove immediately next to the dryer, as it was running. [GOOD for them if all their clothes smelled like onion and garlic]. It's a miracle my jingle-bobs were not shot off. |
Post# 111311 , Reply# 24   2/22/2006 at 05:19 (6,609 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)   |   | |
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Dont forget that even the best of dryers have their problems. On my dryer there was recall / replacement of a faulty batch of dryer sensors, unfortunatly it didnt happen in time for me, I loaded the dryer and set Auto programme2, which gives a normal dry sensor programme. I went back upstairs to the office, 3 floors away, and about an hour later was aware of a burning smell, house is tall and the kitchen / utility act like a chimney, the stairs being in the centre of the house. I started to walk downstairs and could hear this very loud rumbling noise, and could see a blue haze etc..legged it into the laundry and the dryer had overheated, (faulty sensor) the clothes where smoking, the elements glowing red at the back, the bottom panel had come off on one side due to the plastic holding bracket had melted, the panel was rattling on the floor as the drum turned hence the noise. I couldnt touch the clothes by hand, behind the lower panel the condensor fan and chamber had distorted with heat and the condensor cover panel was open as the tabs had warped. Couldnt fault the service, dryer quickly exchanged along with the matching washer because of the differnce in stainless steel. Just goes to show sometimes even the best appliances /cars /consumer goods fail simply because of one small faulty part. It certainly made me re-think my appliance work practices. Steve, GFIs in UK = RCD, Residual Circuit Device (tend to be hard wired) or RCB Residual Circuit Breaker, a portable plug in device used for outside appliances like garden tools/power tools...or my antique washing machines n vacs etc... |
Post# 111325 , Reply# 25   2/22/2006 at 07:25 (6,609 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
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Post# 111379 , Reply# 26   2/22/2006 at 10:49 (6,609 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)   |   | |
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Post# 111422 , Reply# 27   2/22/2006 at 15:06 (6,609 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI )   |   | |
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Post# 111914 , Reply# 30   2/25/2006 at 09:09 (6,606 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI )   |   | |
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Post# 114098 , Reply# 32   3/8/2006 at 14:15 (6,595 days old) by dadoes (TX, U.S. of A.)   |   | |
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But like I said in another thread if you get caught using dryer sheets in a new Whirlpool or one of their products you void the warrenty. Whirlpool will not replace or fix the dryer. That's interesting. Whirlpool used to include a sample package of dryer sheets in their new machines. Apparently they don't do that any more? |
Post# 114174 , Reply# 33   3/9/2006 at 02:33 (6,594 days old) by spinout (Phoenix)   |   | |
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Maybe the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing... Or it's some sort of co-op promotion. Wouldn't be the first time I've seen that happen. |
Post# 114216 , Reply# 35   3/9/2006 at 10:56 (6,594 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)   |   | |
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