It is all too easy to throw a load of clothes in the dryer and walk away without a second thought. Unfortunately dryer fires caused by a lack of maintenance or care are becoming increasingly common. Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service has responded to a number emergency calls involving residential dryers recently. Statistics from the Ontario Fire Marshal indicate dryer fires accounted for three percent of all residential fires across the province in recent years. One of the most common causes of dryer fires is the lack of maintenance. Dryers work by forcing hot air through the drum. That air carries lint with it. When we don’t clean our lint traps as often as we should, lint builds up on the screen and in other areas. This build-up can cause the dryer to perform poorly, operate at elevated temperatures, and possibly overheat - with dangerous consequences. Vent systems must also be checked and cleaned for the same reasons.

Dryer vent installation

• Read the dryer manufacturer’s instructions before you install the vent. Determine the straightest and most direct venting path to the outdoors to reduce the likelihood of lint accumulation in bends or elbows
• Use rigid or flexible ducting for venting, which is preferable to other duct products. Plastic or metal foil ducts are prone to kinking, sagging and crushing which leads to lint build-up. Plastic is also prone to ignition and melting
• The male ends of the duct should face the direction of the air flow. Do not connect exhaust vents with sheet-metal screws or other fastening means that extend into the duct. Metal foil tape to seal the joints is the preferred method

Do

• Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations in the use and care book on the safe use of your dryer
• Inspect and clean the lint filter before and after each load of laundry
• Regularly inspect the air exhaust to ensure it is unrestricted and the outdoor flap opens when the dryer is operating
• Turn the dryer off if you leave the cottage or when you go to bed
• Install a carbon monoxide alarm in the laundry room if you use a natural gas or propane dryer
• Ensure you have working smoke alarms on every storey of your cottage and outside sleeping areas
• Ensure you have a carbon monoxide alarm outside the sleeping area in your cottage if you have a fossil-burning appliance or if you have an attached garage

Do not

• Exhaust the dryer indoors
• Dry materials or fabrics saturated with chemicals, oils or gasoline (e.g. mops and fabrics saturated with wax, flammable solvents or vegetable oils). Even after washing, these substances can ignite during the drying cycle
• Dry natural or synthetic rubber, rubber-coated sneakers, galoshes, foam pillows or any garment with foam padding (e.g. blouses with shoulder pads, bras, bicycle shorts)
• Dry garments previously cleaned with dry-cleaning fluid