Households urged to add tumble dryers to cleaning list to avoid fires
Couple’s home destroyed after tumble dryer catches on fire
UK homes could be at risk of tumble dryer fires with figures revealing that millions of Britons never clean their appliances’ lint filters.
A survey of more than 4,500 UK adults found that one in 20 (five percent) admitted they never clean their tumble dryer’s lint filter which is the equivalent of two million people across the country.
One in 12 only cleans their lint filter once a year or less which could leave them at risk of a lint build-up which could ignore and lead to a fire.
Now, Britons are being urged to clean their tumble dryer filters after new financial figures revealed how costly a tumble dryer fire can be.
Figures from Admiral Home Insurance found that the average insurance claim for a tumble dryer fire over the last three years was a whopping £25,000.
Tumble dryers do account for a large number of appliance fires in the UK.
In fact, in the last five years, fire services across England have attended more than 3,200 tumble dryer fires which equates to almost two per day.
Giuseppe Capanna, a product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First said one of the “easiest ways” to reduce the risk of a tumble dryer fire is to clean the lint filter after every use.
He said: “Forgetting to clean your lint filter isn’t just potentially costly, it could put you and your home at risk.
“Lint is very flammable, and an excessive build-up could cause a fire that not only causes severe damage to your home but also puts you and your family’s life at risk.”
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Research by Electrical Safety First found that tumble dryer owners are increasing their risk of tumble dryer fires in several ways by not cleaning their lint filters and using extension leads to power their dryers.
Shockingly, 40 percent of UK tumble dryer owners admitted to using extension leads.
However, extension leads can be overloaded if there are too many high-power appliances connected to it. The extension lead can begin to overheat which can lead to a fire. Electrical Safety First is urging households to plug their tumble dryers directly into a wall socket.
One in seven respondents has also admitted to using their dryers overnight when their response time in the event of a fire is reduced.
Almost one in 10 also admitted to not having working smoke alarms in their homes which means they don’t have a warming system in place if a fire occurs.
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Claire Charlton, head of household claims at Admiral, said tumble dryer fires can be “devastating”.
She added: “If the fire spreads, it can result in thousands of pounds of damage.
“Nobody wants to see their home ruined by a fire, so taking some time to ensure you clean your lint filter regularly can prevent heartbreak further down the line.”
Electrical Safety First has shared 10 rules to follow when using and maintaining a tumble dryer:
- Register all appliances with the manufacturer for easy safety recall contact.
- Check for product recalls using Electrical Safety First’s online portal.
- Clean the lint filter after every use.
- Read the manufacturer’s instructions to check whether other parts of the appliance also need to be cleaned regularly.
- Check for scorching or burn marks and loose or worn wires in the tumble dryer.
- Avoid overloading the dryer and take any large items to a dry cleaner.
- Allow all drying programs to complete fully.
- Do not stop the dryer mid-cycle unless removing items quickly and leave the door open.
- Do not put clothes contaminated with combustible substances in the tumble dryer.
- Avoid, where possible, leaving appliances, including tumble dryers, on overnight and unplug or switch them off when going out.
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