Clothes Dryer Caution
09-24-2010, 07:12 AM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Seguin, TX
Posts: 558
I never leave the washer or dryer running while I'm out or asleep, but I have started the dishwaser and then went to bed.
Years ago we had a washing machine that vibrated really bad, left it running while DH and I went outside and were greeted on our return with water running out the utility room (back) door! The drain hose had loosened and flooded the entire room with soapy water! At least the floor got a good cleaning! :wink:
Years ago we had a washing machine that vibrated really bad, left it running while DH and I went outside and were greeted on our return with water running out the utility room (back) door! The drain hose had loosened and flooded the entire room with soapy water! At least the floor got a good cleaning! :wink:
09-24-2010, 07:20 AM
#12
Super Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: La Pine Oregon, USA
Posts: 5,907
Years ago, I went downstairs after hearing a loud KA-THUNK! DH was trying to get the sliding glass door back on track...we had to put it on twice. Then a neighbor stopped by to see our pond. WELLLLLL, all of a sudden I smelled something and KNEW I'd done it -- I'd left a frying pan on with grease!!! Burned my kitchen up. We had to leave for 2 weeks while repairs were being made. It was awful....NEVER want that to happen again! The good part was --- my 25 yr old kitchen got updated!!! :mrgreen:
09-24-2010, 10:37 AM
#13
Power Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SW Iowa
Posts: 32,855
Originally Posted by tlrnhi
I run the washer, dryer, dishwasher, you name it when I'm not home. Accidents can happen ANY time, that's why they are called accidents.
I left the house one day, came home to water running out the front door. Opened the door and there was a waterfall coming down the stairs. Entire downstairs, except for livingroom was flooded. What happened, you ask? The water hose to the toilet broke. There are/were drains in every room that has/had water running in it, but the water came out with such force that it knocked over the waste basket, everything came out and covered the drain so the water couldn't drain down. Took me and Courtney 4 hours of straight mopping and whatnot to clean up. Only lost 2 boxes of books, but even that wasn't bad...it could have been worse. It was an accident that could not have been stopped. Now, should I have turned the water off to all toilets at night and when I left the house? NOPE!! It was an ACCIDENT!! That's why there is insurance. I refuse to live in fear and that's what would happen if I were to run around and make sure everything was off and/or not running when I left the house or went to bed at night.
I left the house one day, came home to water running out the front door. Opened the door and there was a waterfall coming down the stairs. Entire downstairs, except for livingroom was flooded. What happened, you ask? The water hose to the toilet broke. There are/were drains in every room that has/had water running in it, but the water came out with such force that it knocked over the waste basket, everything came out and covered the drain so the water couldn't drain down. Took me and Courtney 4 hours of straight mopping and whatnot to clean up. Only lost 2 boxes of books, but even that wasn't bad...it could have been worse. It was an accident that could not have been stopped. Now, should I have turned the water off to all toilets at night and when I left the house? NOPE!! It was an ACCIDENT!! That's why there is insurance. I refuse to live in fear and that's what would happen if I were to run around and make sure everything was off and/or not running when I left the house or went to bed at night.
09-24-2010, 03:24 PM
#14
Super Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Merced, CA
Posts: 4,188
I never believed that my dryer needed anything more than me cleaning off the slip-in thin mesh on the top of the dryer. And of course it has an outside vent with a flapping cover that opens and closes with the heated air outflow.
Then one day I got a long brush to go under the fridge (gads, the amount of cat hair there scared me) and as for the dryer, it gave up enough to fill a good sized cushion if I'd wanted to make it.
Clean them out often, put it on your calendar. It may save money, it may save your house, it may save your life. It may save the lives of your family, all of whom are irreplaceable.
Then one day I got a long brush to go under the fridge (gads, the amount of cat hair there scared me) and as for the dryer, it gave up enough to fill a good sized cushion if I'd wanted to make it.
Clean them out often, put it on your calendar. It may save money, it may save your house, it may save your life. It may save the lives of your family, all of whom are irreplaceable.
09-24-2010, 04:08 PM
#15
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Quilting somewhere......
Posts: 2,591
That is something my Mom never did and made sure it was pounded into me and my sister's head. And making sure the lint filter was cleaned after every use. Several years ago, my sister found out thru her neighbor just how dangerous leaving a drying running unatteded could be.
Her neighbor's wife and 3 children left to go shopping or something like that. Her DH worked nights and was sleeping. She was using the dryer and left it running. Not long after they left, the dryer caught on fire. My sister was home, smelled the smoke and saw the neighbor's house on fire. She beat on the door til she woke up her neighbor. He was sound asleep and in danger of dying from being overcome by smoke. Their home was a total loss. (They lived out in the country.) But no lives were lost.
I WILL NEVER take a chance with leaving a dryer running. It just isn't worth the risk.
Her neighbor's wife and 3 children left to go shopping or something like that. Her DH worked nights and was sleeping. She was using the dryer and left it running. Not long after they left, the dryer caught on fire. My sister was home, smelled the smoke and saw the neighbor's house on fire. She beat on the door til she woke up her neighbor. He was sound asleep and in danger of dying from being overcome by smoke. Their home was a total loss. (They lived out in the country.) But no lives were lost.
I WILL NEVER take a chance with leaving a dryer running. It just isn't worth the risk.
09-24-2010, 04:26 PM
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: New Bern, NC
Posts: 515
I must say I am guilty of leaving my dryer and washer on when I go to work. I know neither of those are good things.
I had a similar experience as Cathy. I had a dryer that would get very hot and it smelled like a mouse or something crawled up in it and died then was heating up when the dryer was on. My husband looked at it several times and couldn't find anything. Finally I said I know there is something inside this thing. He pulled it out from the wall and looked at everything still nothing. Then by accident he put his hand on the plug of the cord while it was plugged in. It was hot as a firecracker. He replaced the plug on the cord and thought all was well. A few loads later it did the same thing. So off to Lowes we went.
Being the sweetie that he is we got both a washer and dryer with quite a few more bells and whistles than what I had. The new ones were delivered and all was well again. Well, not really. About 2 dryer loads later, the same smell. It was not the dryer at all it was actually something in the electrical outlet in the wall itself. Oh the old washer and dryer, they were already on their way to the dump.
I had a similar experience as Cathy. I had a dryer that would get very hot and it smelled like a mouse or something crawled up in it and died then was heating up when the dryer was on. My husband looked at it several times and couldn't find anything. Finally I said I know there is something inside this thing. He pulled it out from the wall and looked at everything still nothing. Then by accident he put his hand on the plug of the cord while it was plugged in. It was hot as a firecracker. He replaced the plug on the cord and thought all was well. A few loads later it did the same thing. So off to Lowes we went.
Being the sweetie that he is we got both a washer and dryer with quite a few more bells and whistles than what I had. The new ones were delivered and all was well again. Well, not really. About 2 dryer loads later, the same smell. It was not the dryer at all it was actually something in the electrical outlet in the wall itself. Oh the old washer and dryer, they were already on their way to the dump.
09-27-2010, 01:47 PM
#17
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 1,882
A neighbor put her stove in the cleaning mode left the house and it completely burned out the interior of her house. I really think she wasn't thinking because they go up to almost 600° and you have to be so careful with the spills inside before you start it.
09-28-2010, 09:25 PM
#18
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Myrtle Beach, SC
Posts: 8,103
Originally Posted by tlrnhi
I run the washer, dryer, dishwasher, you name it when I'm not home. Accidents can happen ANY time, that's why they are called accidents.
I left the house one day, came home to water running out the front door. Opened the door and there was a waterfall coming down the stairs. Entire downstairs, except for livingroom was flooded. What happened, you ask? The water hose to the toilet broke. There are/were drains in every room that has/had water running in it, but the water came out with such force that it knocked over the waste basket, everything came out and covered the drain so the water couldn't drain down. Took me and Courtney 4 hours of straight mopping and whatnot to clean up. Only lost 2 boxes of books, but even that wasn't bad...it could have been worse. It was an accident that could not have been stopped. Now, should I have turned the water off to all toilets at night and when I left the house? NOPE!! It was an ACCIDENT!! That's why there is insurance. I refuse to live in fear and that's what would happen if I were to run around and make sure everything was off and/or not running when I left the house or went to bed at night.
I left the house one day, came home to water running out the front door. Opened the door and there was a waterfall coming down the stairs. Entire downstairs, except for livingroom was flooded. What happened, you ask? The water hose to the toilet broke. There are/were drains in every room that has/had water running in it, but the water came out with such force that it knocked over the waste basket, everything came out and covered the drain so the water couldn't drain down. Took me and Courtney 4 hours of straight mopping and whatnot to clean up. Only lost 2 boxes of books, but even that wasn't bad...it could have been worse. It was an accident that could not have been stopped. Now, should I have turned the water off to all toilets at night and when I left the house? NOPE!! It was an ACCIDENT!! That's why there is insurance. I refuse to live in fear and that's what would happen if I were to run around and make sure everything was off and/or not running when I left the house or went to bed at night.
However, it's extremely unlikely that me or my family will die from a broken water pipe, hose, etc. Fire, on the other hand, can be a silent thief; the smoke alone can kill you. So we have smoke detectors, close our bedroom doors at night and don't leave appliances running when we're not home or when we're going to bed. Small, absolutely free, precautions.
However, since the kitchen hose incident, we turn the water off in the house when we go on vacation. It only takes a few minutes, doesn't hurt anything and could save us a world of trouble. I admit that could be considered extreme, but, like I said, it doesn't cost anything, so why not?
09-28-2010, 11:32 PM
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: york county, PA
Posts: 940
My husband is an insurance agent and he said you'd be surprised about the number of home fires that started in a clothes dryer. I clean the filter every load and never leave the house with it running. I do run it when I go to bed. Now the dishwasher - never thought about that catching fire. I'll be running that only when I'm home now, too.
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