Protecting Your Family - Need to Know House Fire Dangers

Protecting your family is very important; therefore, I have some important information about house fire dangers that you need to know about. Many people believe that house fires are all cooking related, but the fact is that many of the everyday appliances we use in our homes are fire hazards. As a matter-of-fact, the September issue of ShopSmart magazine will identify what appliances cause the most house fires and what you can do to minimize the dangers for your home.

Appliances that Cause Common House Fire Dangers:

Dryer

More and more home fires are related to the gas clothes dryer. When lint builds up or blocks the dryer vent on gas dryers, it can easily ignite and burn the whole home down in minutes. Over 8,000 home fires are caused by lint build up in gas dryers.

To help prevent lint fires, never run your dryer when you’re asleep or away from home. Clear your lint filter before each use and clear the vents of clogs on a regular basis. You can also install a carbon monoxide alarm if you are using a gas dryer for added protection.

Stove

The stove is the leading cause to house fires due to burners that turn on themselves and gas oven’s that have a delayed ignition. Other stove fires are caused by grease being left turned on after use. There are more than 16,000 stove related fires each year.

To help prevent stove fires, make sure you turn off everything when you are finished cooking. Never delay this important step and stay in the room while food is cooking.

Refrigerator

Several house fires are caused by faulty wiring in the refrigerator each year. Wires short circuit or the control board can over heat. Over 1,500 fires were started by refrigerators last year.

Help prevent refrigerator fires by knowing exactly where your plug is in case you have to unplug it quickly or which circuit breaker is the fridge.

Microwave

Some home fires have been caused by microwaves that turn on by themselves. If you see your microwave blink the code “PAN” or “F2”, unplug it immediately. There were over 1,500 fires cause by microwaves last year alone.

You can help prevent microwave fires by removing all food from it when not in use. Check your digital display several times a day for faulty error messages. And, most importantly know how to unplug your microwave or which circuit breaker it runs on.

Dishwasher

Dishwasher fires are usually caused by the circuit board shorting out or the heating element catching fire. Last year over 1,000 fires were caused by the dishwasher.

You can help prevent dishwasher fires by never running your dishwasher when you’re away from home or asleep. And, know which circuit breaker runs your dishwasher so you can turn it off quickly in case of an emergency.

Toaster

Faulty wiring in toasters can cause them to turn on randomly. Over 900 house fires were due to the toaster or toaster oven.

Help prevent toaster fires by keeping the unplugged when not in use. And, if you see damage to the cord, replace the whole unit.

While these appliance dangers can be scary to think about since we use them on a daily basis, the good news is that out of all the millions of appliances that are sold each year, the numbers of actual fires are minimally low.

These house fire dangers are brought to you by: Tom Kile – your real estate resource for Amarillo, TX and surrounding communities.

Originally posted at: http://allamarillohomes.info/protecting-your-family-need-to-know-house-fire-dangers/