We all heard how an oven and stove set ablaze many houses. We’ve seen in the news how candles started a fire when left unattended. We know overloading plugs can cause a spark and turn your home into ashes. You’ve been taught about common causes of fire at home like the cases we mentioned earlier. However, they never teach you about unexpected fire hazards that are always there, but you probably ignore. Below, let’s take a look at some of these surprising fire hazards that threaten your home in Salt Lake City.
Lint buildup in your dryer vent
Here’s an important fact: only 40% of lint gets captured in your dryer filter. The rest of the lint gets caught in your dryer vent. As lint builds up in the dryer vent, it becomes a fire hazard. According to a report by the Consumer Products Safety Commission, obstructed dryer vents in homes cause as many as 25,000 accidental fires every year. To prevent a fire from happening, schedulea regular dryer vent cleaning session in your Salt Lake City home.
Liquid dripping on dishwasher wires
Ovens and stoves are not the only culprits for appliance-caused fires. Dishwashers can also set your home ablaze. Faulty dishwashers cause about 500 fire cases each year, according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission. Water dripping out of a dishwasher’s compartment can coat its electrical wires, which can cause sparks at home. Always check if the dishwasher is operating correctly, and never leave it running when leaving your home.
Animal-caused fires
Pet owners should take extra measure to ensure their furry friends don’t turn on the stove accidentally or cause trouble in the kitchen. As much as you love our pets, they can put your home at risk if you don’t take preventative measures. Pests like rats and mice can also chew on electrical wires, so make sure you put out traps for them. Always keep your home clean, especially the trash, so you don’t attract these pests. Even pigeons can accidentally drop a cigarette down your chimney in a freak accident.
Sunlight hitting glass items
Don’t leave empty jars on windowsills or in direct sunlight. When the sun hits jars or any other glass items at a precise angle, it can get hot enough to start ablaze. Although rare, there are cases when sunlight refracted by glass caused fires in a few homes. So, be careful when deciding where to place your glass decors. Always place them somewhere in the shade to prevent the sun from reaching them.
Furniture combustion due to pyrolysis
Exposing wooden furniture in the sun or heat in a prolonged time can break it down and make it combustible. This is caused by a chemical reaction called pyrolysis. While you think your piece of wood is safe because it withstood heat for a long period now, eventually, it can turn into a fire hazard. To prevent this from happening, ensure that wooden furniture and walls are kept in a safe distance from heating equipment and the sun.
While these unexpected fire hazards don’t pose as much danger as the common causes of fire, they can still set your house ablaze. Don’t just ignore them. Now that you know these threats take the preventive measures to save your home from turning into ashes.
