O/T dumb ? about dryers

BethNY · July 2007

Hey girls. Sorry for the dumb question, but whenever my mom's not around this is the next best place to come for answers.
Growing up my mom always said, never leave the house with the dryer on, b/c there could be a fire.

Well, in this day and age, with the smart technology brand new dryer that I have, does that theory still hold true?

I'm hoping someone is going to say, Yes Beth, run the dryer, and then go leave for your hair appt. so it will be all done when you get home!!
However, I'm guessing you guys are going to tell me better safe then sorry-- but seriously? How many dryers really start fires???

purplemb · July 2007

Beth,
FYI...it is usually the lint in the Dryer vent & Screen that causes the fires, or electrical issues...its always best not to leave anything on...( son is a fireman)
MB

ravdeb · July 2007

It is definitely best not to leave the dryer or washer or dishwasher on when you are not in the house. But, I do it anyway...

roseg · July 2007

I do more laundry than you can imagine and I go off and leave the dryer on, as well as going to bed with the dryer on!

It's a good idea to clean the lint trap frequently. That's what can catch on fire. If the dryer seems to be drying more slowly than usual then I take the pipe off the back and shake all the lint out of it. Depending on how well it's vented to the outside it can get kind of full.

The dryer MUST be vented to the outside!

My iron turns itself off so I never worry about that, and I keep my smoke detector batteries current.

gwenn · July 2007

I run them all when I leave! My mom was the opposite. She did not like the noise so she would start everything right before she left for work. It is true, the lint is highly flamable.

Member_of_the_Club · July 2007

I don't want to say where I got my expertise in this area (a former job) but I know a lot about this particular topic.

Lint is a culprit in many dryer fires but not the only one. More serious problems involve overheating within the unit itself, which can happen because of the heat generated coupled with electrical problems.

I leave dryers on when I go out because I don't want to be a slave to my housework but dryers do cause fires.

It is a good idea when you go on a long trip to unplug your toaster and coffeemaker for the same reason. There have been incidents where they turn on by themselves because of an electrical problem and overheat.

Don't even get me started on electric blankets.

Anonymous · July 2007

Hey, good info.....
My house is always in a perpertual state of re-modeling.....wonder if I start leaving my appliances running when I leave if it would fix that problem .....Im just teasing ladies ....

My mom taught me the same thing about never leaving the house or going to bed with any appliances running so I guess Im a slave to my house work .....

JustOne · July 2007

My sister went to work one day with her dryer on and when she returned home it was still running! It got stuck on on but luckily the heating element burnt out also. This was years ago and an old time dryer. That sure could have been a disaster though.

I never leave any appliance on anymore when no one is around. We ruined and had to replace a brand new laminate floor in the kitchen when the dishwasher overflowed when no one was home. grrrr

~Pam

BethNY · July 2007

So I was so excited to get my hair highlighted I forgot to take the wash out of the washer... lol

Just a little friendly Earth tip-- if you leave your coffee pot and toaster plugged in even when they are not on, they are still using (wasting) energy. You could lower your energy bill, and help the earth by unplugging them.

As for the dryer, I guess now that I'm home I realize the laundry could have waited... but like the rest of you, I don't want to be a slave to housework either.
(I have girls night out tonight!!!!!!)

Anonymous · July 2007

If I unplug the coffee pot then I'd have to set the clock again. How lazy is that!

No, I don't leave my dryer on when I'm gone. I have four cats and I don't want anything happening. However, something could happen anyway.
Shirley

Chattypatti · July 2007

My "on" switch on my dryer starting sparking now and then when I turned it on and the guy who fixed it said it could have shorted out at anytime and started a fire! I never leave my dryer on. My washer has also "flooded" out on my laundry floor a few times...no reason yet...must be my haunted house! I never leave any appliances on. I had a friend whose kitchen started on fire from a plugged in (but not on) toaster. Go figure.

djd · July 2007

I had an experience about (yikes!!) 20 years ago that made me a believer in turning off all major applicances before I leave the house...

My (now EX-) husband and I moved to a new apartment. We had only been livng there for about 1 week when I ran the dishwasher for the first time.

Long story short - I heard a strange "crackiling" noise in the wall and decided to call 911. After a dramatic response that included cute firemen climbing over my balcony and the entire neighborhood coming out to see what was up, the Fire Department informed me that the wiring to the dishwasher was faulty. Had I not been home and/or called them, the entire building would have been in flames!

JoanofArdmore · July 2007

Well, and electric appliances can go bum anytime.They USUALLY dont.

I would never leave my dryer, or my gas oven/stove on and leave the house because I always had a companion animal...Poor prisoner, locked inside the house?I hated the though of something going wrong.

You don't, I think, have a companion animal, so--no fear (your neighbors can fend for themselves!They're not locked in.)

abbadoodles · July 2007

jpann, I used to leave my decrepit, old car unlocked at work in hopes that someone would steal it. Nope, that didn't work, either.

I *always* unplug any heat-generating appliances, including irons, curling irons, hair dryers, toasters, etc. I've heard it's not a bad idea to unplug the TV, too. No, I don't do it. Just throw caution to the wind......

Tina

Anonymous · July 2007

Tina, Ive had vehicles like that too....leave it unlocked, windows rolled down...keys in the ignition ....nope, didnt work for me either ....

I live in a small rural town that has pretty much zip for a crime rate....maybe I should have thought to do that when I was in larger towns shopping He, he!!!

Lately Im lucky to remember to unplug my curling iron!!!! Just yesterday my son hadnt left for the day yet and I got 1/2 way to work and couldnt remember if I had unplugged it or not so called to have him check...

About 10 yrs ago I had friends that lived in a rented rural farm house...they had picked up a stray dog and their young kids got attatched to it so they had it in the house one night (thank god), if it werent for that dog they may have all died in the fire...their oldest son (about 8 at the time) woke to the dog raising kane and went to investigate...the entire house was on fire, they got out with just their jammies!!!!! The fire was caused by faulty wiring...the house hadnt been lived in for awhile and I guess the newer appliances over heated the wiring and caused the fire...the fire dept said that it appeared to have been started at the pluggin where the drip coffe maker was....

Jule

ravdeb · July 2007

Well, when my dh went out of town one time when the kids were little, my middle son got up in the morning and went downstairs and came running back up to tell me there was water all over. The dishwasher pipe can detached and it flooded the house (we have ceramic tiles so no carpet damage). THe dishwasher wasn't even on. So, anything can happen.

I can't hear my dryer when it's running so even when it's running when I'm home I don't think I'd notice if it kept on running. I often forget I have clothes in the dryer. Nope..I still turn the thing on before I run out the door except on cleaning day when I'm home anyway.

JoanofArdmore · July 2007

Yikes! Ravdeb, good thing no water damage!

I was at April Cornell's once when a distraught woman came in crying.She was badly in need of retail therapy because the hose on her washer had burst.Her whole finished basement was ruined. The workmen were there pumping her basement.

The machines that use water?The water is stopped by a mechanism in the machine.It is always turned on(the water).When you turn the washer etc, on, the selected water enters.
The hoses get old, rot, and can burst, holding the water out.This is what happened to her.They came home to find the basement 2 feet under water and water still running.

My plumber put special, strong braided hoses on my washer, here in the condo.
And he ALWAYS installs a shut-off valve for my washers.
Who wants trouble?

jasmine · July 2007

I have trouble leaving with just the crock pot plugged in. I never leave the house with anything running except a clock.

iodine · July 2007

My house burned to the ground when I was preschool age. We had no insurance. I leave nothing on.

As an adult, we've had more than 6 major water related problems in this house. Ripped out all the carpet 4 times. First time was only 3 months after we moved in and the ins. was new and worthless. I leave nothing running.

It's just not worth it to me.

I have even drove all the way home from work once to make sure my curling iron was off.(just once. then bought one that turns itself off)

O/T dumb ? about dryers

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