- Joined
- Dec 3, 2009
- Messages
- 11,032
- Reaction score
- 300
- Location
- Kingsport, Tennessee
- My Bike Models
- Former '82 GL1100 "The Slug"
Just when things seem to be going badly around here, it just got worse. I am blessed in that my company closed our New Jersey office about 18 months ago and allowed me to work from home! (That is a blessing because I cannot be late for work!)
Throughout the day, I can do other things while working in my office and threw in a load of laundry. About an hour later, it kinda smelled funny around the house. Went to the first floor where the laundry room is and recognized the smell of burning wires right away! :shock:
Unplugged the washer and dryer right away, turned off the gas, but no signs of smoke, just strong odor. :roll:
Pulled out the clothes, pulled out the unit (Kenmore HE3 gas dryer, 12 years old) and started taking the top cover off. Smell increased real fast! No flames though!!!
Pulled the unit apart and found almost 2" of lint all over everything inside of the dryer (floor, wires, motor, sides) and it was all BLACK! :shock:
Apparently, one of the wires chafed through on the frame and melted the ground wire, but not enough to pop a breaker. The fire swept from the burner on the right across the underside of the drum and up the left side. Believe it or not, the lint was thick enough that it actually protected almost everything almost like insulation. It could have been much worse! :whip:
Because the fire happened with the unit running, the blower keep putting out the flames (leaking blower seal). Pulling the power removed the source of the heat which was the melting wires. Surprisingly, the vent pipe was not clogged at all, but where the lint filter is in the front, the blower pulls the hot moist air through and it was in the turn from the blower to the exit pipe that it was clogged 80% (and we clean our lint filter after every load!) :head bang:
Throughout the day, I can do other things while working in my office and threw in a load of laundry. About an hour later, it kinda smelled funny around the house. Went to the first floor where the laundry room is and recognized the smell of burning wires right away! :shock:
Unplugged the washer and dryer right away, turned off the gas, but no signs of smoke, just strong odor. :roll:
Pulled out the clothes, pulled out the unit (Kenmore HE3 gas dryer, 12 years old) and started taking the top cover off. Smell increased real fast! No flames though!!!
Pulled the unit apart and found almost 2" of lint all over everything inside of the dryer (floor, wires, motor, sides) and it was all BLACK! :shock:
Apparently, one of the wires chafed through on the frame and melted the ground wire, but not enough to pop a breaker. The fire swept from the burner on the right across the underside of the drum and up the left side. Believe it or not, the lint was thick enough that it actually protected almost everything almost like insulation. It could have been much worse! :whip:
Because the fire happened with the unit running, the blower keep putting out the flames (leaking blower seal). Pulling the power removed the source of the heat which was the melting wires. Surprisingly, the vent pipe was not clogged at all, but where the lint filter is in the front, the blower pulls the hot moist air through and it was in the turn from the blower to the exit pipe that it was clogged 80% (and we clean our lint filter after every load!) :head bang:
