35 replies to this topic

[Bill Z]

We have 3 in the house- Kitchen , Garage and Laundry room as well as one in the car and two in the truck...

same here for ones in the house, two of my cars have one each

Have never had to use the ones in the house, but did use two on a burning car on the side of the freeway two different times...

I've never used one of my own fire extinguishers, but i did use one at work to put out a very small fire. After the initial burst, the plastic that was burning re-self-ignited, 2nd shot cooled the plastic down below the auto-ignition point, but it made a mess of the wire bonder. I was awarded a stuffed animal for my efforts by my co-workers, a dalmation wearing a fireman's hat with my name on it

Good to have around---
And - they dont get outdated that I know of - as long as the pressure gauge is in the green area....

If they are a dry powder type, you may want to periodically shake them. I've heard if they sit for extended periods, the powder settles and they may not work properly.

[Agent_007]

About how much did it cost to get your vents cleaned?

I don't remember exactly but it was around $130 or so. They also made some recommended changes to the exhaust connection from the dryer to the wall and outside wall vent cover which I implemented myself.

Gina owns the local operation and she's incredibly kind and nice. Let her know I sent you and see if she'll take some off her standard price. I do recommend her to all my clients for preventative maintenance.

[stacycam]

Is that something we can do ourselves? Last year we heard about a fire caused by the dryer vent, so my husband did something behind the dryer. I don't think he spent that much time, but he said it looked good. I'm just wondering if possibly clogs could occur in areas that are inaccessible to us, that we may need special tools for.

I've pretty much stopped using the dryer when we go to sleep at night, just in case.

[maggiesmom]

If anyone hears of what the family may need in this terrible time please post and let us know. I am getting ready to have a garage sale and have clothes and other misc stuff that I would rather give to someone in need than sell.

Thanks

I have a lot of girl's clothes(6 and 6x) and shoes(size 13-1) if anyone knows if they need them. My daughter just had a major growth spurt and we have had to get rid of a lot of things, I woul dbe happy to donate her stuff to this family.

[hopeanelli]

Is that something we can do ourselves? Last year we heard about a fire caused by the dryer vent, so my husband did something behind the dryer. I don't think he spent that much time, but he said it looked good. I'm just wondering if possibly clogs could occur in areas that are inaccessible to us, that we may need special tools for.

I've pretty much stopped using the dryer when we go to sleep at night, just in case.

We have had them cleaned professional a few times since our little fire but every 3 months we take our big yard blower-- pull out the dryer and make a tight fit around the hole and blow it out and every time a big huge clump comes out. The vent of this house is the worst it goes up and over our downstairs bathroom so in the fall when it's getting cold and the dryer is being used and the shower is being used it gets damp in the duct and then it drys and makes for a huge ball stuck in there. I have learned my lesson, we also take the back of the dryer off and vacuum that out a few times a year and I clean the lint screen every other dry. Better to be cautious that little fire scarred the heck out of me and I also don't turn it on when we are going to bed nor do I let it run when I am not at home just to scared it will happen again.

[stacycam]

Hmmm, I'll have to ask my husband if he used the blower. I clean my lint screen after every dry, so I'm in that habit. I think I'll start vacuuming behind the dryer whenever I vacuum under the fridge.

[normajean]

I was just standing behind a woman at Raleys and she was "purchasing" a ton of food, Raleys management was donating a lot as well (looked like a bunch of fried chicken, potato salad, etc). She said she was getting a meal together to feed "the family that just lost their house yesterday in the fire on Cobb".

Sounds like someone is organizing something.....does anyone have any leads on what we can do, and who or how we contact someone if we'd like to help?????

[Agent_007]

Is that something we can do ourselves? Last year we heard about a fire caused by the dryer vent, so my husband did something behind the dryer. I don't think he spent that much time, but he said it looked good. I'm just wondering if possibly clogs could occur in areas that are inaccessible to us, that we may need special tools for.

I've pretty much stopped using the dryer when we go to sleep at night, just in case.

here's what i learned.

the dryer is blowing moist particles into the vent ducts. newer homes (mine) have duct runs of 20+ feet. there are no dryers on the market rated to blow particulates through two 90-degree turns and then 20'. the moistened particulates settle in the ducts and over time build up (just like clogged arteries.)

eventually the duct is too clogged to vent efficiently.

auger-type vent cleaning appears to be more efficient than just "blowing" in the duct.

spend the extra bucks and get your ducts cleaned with some device that scrapes the duct walls.

what's $150 or so every few years to save $100,000's plus heartache and possible catastrophic loss?

[stacycam]

Great. Thanks for the information. It definitely sounds like a worthwhile expense.

[Bill Z]

Drove by it today, just to show my son what fire can do. I explained to him that all their clothes, all their toys, everything inside the home was destroyed. And that's why children shouldn't play with fire & matches.

[Andrea V]

Does everyone know where their home fire extinquisher is right now?? Does everyone in your family know where it is? Is it outdated?

If they were home and had a chance to put it out, but not the means, that would be really sad.

No Idea....

[mattyx]

yes, i once did the blower manuever and sealed it up plus i shop vac the vent as far as I can go on both the dryer side and the wall side, but the guy who came out ran a line or hose from an air compresser that had a ball with holes in it on all side all the way up and clear to the vent exit, basically loosening and pushing out as it went.

much like an artery cleaning or snaking a toilet line..... cleaned out way more than the blower did....

he said the same thing as below...the run is running way to high up, then a 90 turn, then another bunch of feet to the exit.

i pay very close attention to our dryer and how it is working after that.....

here's what i learned.

the dryer is blowing moist particles into the vent ducts. newer homes (mine) have duct runs of 20+ feet. there are no dryers on the market rated to blow particulates through two 90-degree turns and then 20'. the moistened particulates settle in the ducts and over time build up (just like clogged arteries.)

eventually the duct is too clogged to vent efficiently.

auger-type vent cleaning appears to be more efficient than just "blowing" in the duct.

spend the extra bucks and get your ducts cleaned with some device that scrapes the duct walls.

what's $150 or so every few years to save $100,000's plus heartache and possible catastrophic loss?

[pet lover]

Did anyone else see that? Around 3:30 or so, smoke like crazy. RUMOR, I have no facts, just rumor says it was a house on Cobb, close to Folsom Hills. A family named Hunt lives there. No confirmation, no details, just that is what is being tossed around the streets.

I sure hope it was smaller than it looked and that no one was injured. My prayers are with the family, if in fact it was a home.

All of the family made it out safely. A male, not sure if it was a homeowner, was working on the dryer. He went inside to get something and when he went back to the garage it was already full of smoke. He evacuated his house and went over to warn a family with very small children to evacuate when two explosions went off. That is when the house was consumed with fire. The family lost everything. Their church, LDS, is providing some assistance as well as neighbors in the area are taking up collections for giftcards, etc. I learned all of this from a work memo so I assume it is factual.

[stangage70]

Is that something we can do ourselves? Last year we heard about a fire caused by the dryer vent, so my husband did something behind the dryer. I don't think he spent that much time, but he said it looked good. I'm just wondering if possibly clogs could occur in areas that are inaccessible to us, that we may need special tools for.

There are tools available. I am thinking of getting a "LintEater" from Gardus. You can find them on Amazon.com

http://www.linteater.com/



One might need the extension kit for some homes.