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Thread: Fire Hazard

  1. #1
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    Default Fire Hazard

    #3 son is a Firefighter/Paramedic in Victoria, TX. They have had a rash of house fires lately. He told me tonight that several of them were started when people were not at home from clogged dryer vents. The homeowners would turn on the dryer and leave for work or whatever and the fire would start.

    If I hadn't cleaned ours last week I would be doing it tomorrow.

    Alan


  2. #2
    Senior Member WolfVanZandt's Avatar
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    It's amazing how many folks don't realize that you have to check your oil and tires, clean out your fireplace - that their carnivore and omnivore pets aren't vegitarians...that they should stop looking at their phone long enough to cross s busy intersection.... I sorta wonder how some folks live into their 20s.
    True enough, my final home is still out there, but this is most certainly my home range and I love it. I love every rock I fall off and tree I trip over. Even when I am close to dying from exhaustion, a beautiful sunset doesn't lose it's power to refresh and inspire me and that, in itself, is enough to save me sometimes.

  3. #3

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    I never run the dryer if I am not there, washing machine yes. dryer no.
    A man full of grits is a man full of peace.

  4. #4

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    My buddy is retiring from the fire department soon. He's seen it all in house and commercial structure fires. He comes over and doesn't really nag me about fire hazards in my house... yes he nags me. It's good to have friends. Especially professionals. He even sent two of his underlings to my house a long time ago because I didn't have smoke detectors. They said they'd install them for free. I asked, "Did Mac------ send you?" Na.. na.. na... no. They were bad liars. I let them put them up. I hope my buddy gave them extra credit for gettin' 'er dun. lol

    Sadly a house a couple blocks down burned the other day. They suspect space heaters
    Last edited by madmax; 01-31-2020 at 03:40 PM.

  5. #5

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    Nope, never run the dryer if I'm not there - and awake. I might go out in the back garden, where I could see smoke coming out of the vent. Cleaning that thing is a chore.
    The washer is fair game though. If I leave it and something goes wrong, it's no different than any other part of the plumbing system giving it up and flooding the basement. Had one the other night, pin hole in a copper pipe. It was just a fine mist that I only saw by chance as it was blowing across a light. Weirdest thing. Cost me $300. And the plumber took the copper after putting in PEX.
    If we are to have another contest in…our national existence I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's, but between patriotism & intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition & ignorance on the other…
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    Coffee pots and toaster ovens burn down their fair share of houses too. Several years ago we stopped leaving them plugged in.

    But we've never walked off and left the dryer running. Plus I clean the vent regularly.

    Gutters are another regular cleaning project for me. I have live oak trees and pine trees so they fill up quick. It's like having a tinder box all the way around the house. About once a month I go up and blow them out.



    Alan

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    They make gutter covers that really work. I put them on my gutters 20 years ago and no more gutter cleaning. I bought mine at Lowes. Those plastic covers that snap in place. Just cover the ends so birds can't get inside.

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    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    I went the other route and cut down all the trees near the house!

    Those d@%& plants were trying to kill me! Every time a storm came through a limb would bounce off the roof or smash a window.

    As for the dryer, it never runs alone.

    I started unplugging the coffee pot once but the need to remember to plug it back in was beyond my coping skill level. Wake up, put coffee in the machine, press the button, fifteen minutes latter there is still no coffee!

    I'm not a morning person. The coffee pot stays plugged in.
    If you didn't bring jerky what did I just eat?

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    Senior Member WolfVanZandt's Avatar
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    Yeah, the coffee that happens when you forget to put grounds in, or the filter is pretty startling, too.
    True enough, my final home is still out there, but this is most certainly my home range and I love it. I love every rock I fall off and tree I trip over. Even when I am close to dying from exhaustion, a beautiful sunset doesn't lose it's power to refresh and inspire me and that, in itself, is enough to save me sometimes.

  10. #10
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    I may give the gutter protectors a try. Pine needles have a way of clogging up anything.

    Alan

  11. #11
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Oooh. I don't have pine trees. My neighbor has Maple trees and I had a birch in front but had to have it removed two years ago. The covers have a screen over them but they tend to come off after a few years. The covers still work but the screen would keep out the pine needles.

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