According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report,
there are approximately 10,000 annual residential fire losses in which the
source of the fire is in the clothes dryer or vent. Dryers are the third most
common type of equipment involved in fires, ranking behind stoves and fixed
area heaters. Clothes dryers can catch fire due to excessive lint build-up in
the exhaust pipe or inside the dryer; this lint build-up is often out-of-sight.
As a result, you should take the following steps to reduce the chance of your
dryer starting a fire.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions when installing the vent pipe.
- Keep the dryer vent clean and unplugged. Check for a plugged vent if the dryer does not dry clothes efficiently.
- Remove and clean the lint screen before each use.
- Keep all combustibles away from the clothes dryer.
- Hire a qualified technician to periodically inspect gas clothes dryers.
Get more personal lines insurance and risk management tips and ideas from IRMI.
Copyright 2008, International
Risk Management Institute, Inc.
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