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SueS
Premium Member
join:2007-05-16
Macon, MO

SueS

Premium Member

[Appliances] Don't leave your house,

or go to bed with appliances running, other than those you need to like furnace and refrigerator. My husband and I both left yesterday evening with the dishwasher running. I got home first and found smoke coming out of the front of the dishwasher. I’m not sure how serious it could have gotten, had I not came home when I did.

After talking to an owner of an appliance store today, she said, this happens sometimes, but usually in the lower end models, and was surprised it happened in mine. The dishwasher was 10 years old.

I had to buy a new dishwasher, but it could have been much worse.
wth
Premium Member
join:2002-02-20
Iowa City,IA

wth

Premium Member

[Appliances] Re: Don't leave your house,

Make & model #?

SueS
Premium Member
join:2007-05-16
Macon, MO

1 edit

SueS

Premium Member

Doesn't really matter which one I have, because she said it happens to others as well, not just the brand I have.

It was the circuit panel on the front where you find the settings that was burning. My house still stinks today.

fluffybunny
@teksavvy.com

fluffybunny to SueS

Anon

to SueS
By that logic you shouldnt leave your computer running either or your light bulbs. Look fro the ower supply fire in the pcgames forum on this board. or the numerous light bulb fiores noted on this forum over the years.
anything electrical can cause your house to burn down. its the risk you take. you minimize it by not buying cheap stuff and hope for the best.

Ghastlyone
Premium Member
join:2009-01-07
Nashville, TN

2 recommendations

Ghastlyone to SueS

Premium Member

to SueS
I've learned my lesson on dishwashers. I went through 2 low end shitty models (both Maytag) because I cheaped out and didn't want to spend the money.

They both leaked, were loud as hell, and didn't clean very well.

This last November I spent the money on a Kenmore Elite, around $900. 45db rating, stainless steel pan, hidden controls, etc.

It is nice as hell, and virtually silent while running.

Dennis
Mod
join:2001-01-26
Algonquin, IL

1 recommendation

Dennis

Mod

There are two things I won't turn on and leave the house with....dishwasher and washing machine.

Our old GE dishwasher did this once, door didn't close all the way and the heating element kicked on but there was no water. I smelled it before anything happened thankfully.

»www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/ ··· -Hazard/

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

1 recommendation

battleop to SueS

Member

to SueS
We won't run the dish washer or washing machine when were not hone in case there is a leak and the stove/oven and dryer because of fire. I've never had a problem with any of these but I've had friends and relatives who have.

SueS
Premium Member
join:2007-05-16
Macon, MO

1 edit

1 recommendation

SueS to fluffybunny

Premium Member

to fluffybunny
said by fluffybunny :

By that logic you shouldnt leave your computer running either or your light bulbs. Look fro the ower supply fire in the pcgames forum on this board. or the numerous light bulb fiores noted on this forum over the years.
anything electrical can cause your house to burn down. its the risk you take. you minimize it by not buying cheap stuff and hope for the best.

I am trying to share a way to minimize your risks. It is up to you to do what you want with the info.
My dishwasher was high-end.
SueS

SueS to Dennis

Premium Member

to Dennis
said by Dennis:

There are two things I won't turn on and leave the house with....dishwasher and washing machine.

Our old GE dishwasher did this once, door didn't close all the way and the heating element kicked on but there was no water. I smelled it before anything happened thankfully.

»www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/ ··· -Hazard/

I would add a cloths dryer to your list.

mityfowl
Premium Member
join:2000-11-06
Dallas, TX

1 recommendation

mityfowl to SueS

Premium Member

to SueS
I won't leave the house but for a few minutes with the dishwasher or washing machine running either.

I once left the house with the washer running and it ran and ran and washed the clothes I had in it to death.

The washer has never done it again of coarse.
RickWakeman
join:2013-06-23
Springfield, MA

RickWakeman to SueS

Member

to SueS
Reminds me of this:

[video]

www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· [/video]
TheMG
Premium Member
join:2007-09-04
Canada
MikroTik RB450G
Cisco DPC3008
Cisco SPA112

TheMG to fluffybunny

Premium Member

to fluffybunny
said by fluffybunny :

By that logic you shouldnt leave your computer running either or your light bulbs. Look fro the ower supply fire in the pcgames forum on this board

The chances of the power supply in the computer failing and causing a house fire are extremely low, as long as you keep easily ignitable materials a safe distance from the rear of the power supply (a few sparks can sometimes shoot out the back during the failure). Generally speaking, readily flammable materials should be kept a distance from ANY electronic/electrical device, it's the wise thing to do.

I had a look at the thread you're referring to, and with my many years of experience dealing with electronics on a professional level, I can assure you that although the failure appears severe and dramatic and involves significant damage to the internal components of the power supply as well as having released large amounts of smoke, the chances of fire spreading outside the power supply were next to nil.

To begin with, the power supply's casing is steel. The circuit board as well as most of the components in the unit are made from materials that either will not ignite, or are flame retardant.

It is this way because "normal" failure modes of electronic devices can include certain components getting very hot or burning up, it's a fact that we have to live with.

Those that like to leave bare computer hardware such as motherboards running outside of a case, sitting on top of a flammable surface (such as a cardboard box) take note: this is a VERY BAD IDEA, especially if left unattended!

Now, I'm not saying that fires resulting from computer don't happen, just that the risk involved is not as high as large appliances, which involve risk factors such as heating elements and/or water. Appliances such as clothes dryers carry additional risk factors such as lint, which is very readily flammable. Clothes dryer fires happen A LOT, and ones that ignite while no one is at home often result in complete property loss. While dishwasher and clothes washer fires are not as common, flooding definitely is.
tcope
Premium Member
join:2003-05-07
Sandy, UT

tcope to SueS

Premium Member

to SueS
The problem with the post is that you are one out of a million people who leave appliances running with no issues. That means the odds of any one person having this issue are so low that it's not practical to worry about such things. Thousands of houses burn down due to faulty electrical wiring. Do you trip your breaker box off every time you leave your home?

SueS
Premium Member
join:2007-05-16
Macon, MO

2 recommendations

SueS

Premium Member

Read my reply to fluffybunny.
The store owner said it happens sometimes. She did not give figures, but I will not leave the house with my dishwasher running again.
My sister in-laws house burned to the ground from a dryer. I am not stating that we should worry, but we can be more careful. The choice is yours.

bigflames
@optonline.net

bigflames

Anon

»www.theregister.co.uk/20 ··· _reader/
few sparks? lol

Fact is your house could settle on a wire, cause damage get hot start a fire, a mouse could but the insulation off a wire... appliance could catch on fire...

The thing with computer boards (like in appliances) is... you really have nothing to catch on fire...

Lint is VERY flammable.
TheMG
Premium Member
join:2007-09-04
Canada
MikroTik RB450G
Cisco DPC3008
Cisco SPA112

TheMG

Premium Member

said by bigflames :

»www.theregister.co.uk/20 ··· _reader/
few sparks? lol

As I said, there's always the RARE exception.

And yes, dodgy cheap no-name power supplies are at higher risk than quality units from reputable brands.

Just one more good reason to spend the extra money for better quality stuff.

Manufacturers of cheap crap often cheap out on using fire retardant plastic and such.

Fact is, almost ANYTHING could unexpectedly catch on fire. Your cell phone, your TV, your alarm clock (assuming people even use those anymore), etc. OMG, better shut off the main breaker to your house every time you step outside!

Obviously, there's a balance between risk and practicality, that's the point I was trying to make.

DarkHelmet
join:2014-02-21

1 recommendation

DarkHelmet to SueS

Member

to SueS

Re: [Appliances] Don't leave your house,

I think everyone agrees $#it happens. The question is: Do you allow that to run your life? I choose not to allow 'what ifs' to run my life. I'd never leave the house and live in a bubble if I did. As the OP said it's your choice if you want to allow stuff to control you or you choose to control them. I choose to control them.

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

1 recommendation

Lurch77 to SueS

Premium Member

to SueS
I recall years ago when I lived in Georgia. A plastic lid fell through the rack during wash cycle. It landed on the heating element for drying. It melted and started smoking. It never started on fire, but only because I caught it in time. Smoke and odor filled the house though. Glad I was home when it happened.
ke4pym
Premium Member
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC

ke4pym to bigflames

Premium Member

to bigflames

Re: [Appliances] Re: Don't leave your house,

said by bigflames :

The thing with computer boards (like in appliances) is... you really have nothing to catch on fire...

Lint is VERY flammable.

Not so much the board, but have you opened up power supplies before and seen all the dust?

To those that don't leave the oven on - how do you do a slow cook? Like a roast or a turkey? I feel bad for you!

The only thing I won't have running when I'm not at home is the drier. Everything else is game. The crock pot, oven, washer (it has a delay timer) bread maker, it's all fair game for being left on when I'm not there.

There's a reason they invented insurance.

Boricua
Premium Member
join:2002-01-26
Sacramuerto

Boricua

Premium Member

said by ke4pym:

There's a reason they invented insurance.

Yeah, and there's a reason they invented raising rates, getting blacklisted for too many claims, etc.

Annmarie

join:2000-11-11

4 recommendations

Annmarie to SueS

to SueS

Re: [Appliances] Don't leave your house,

I think it comes down to if you can avoid something serious by simply not flipping a switch til you get back home then why not?

DarkHelmet
join:2014-02-21

DarkHelmet to Boricua

Member

to Boricua

Re: [Appliances] Re: Don't leave your house,

said by Boricua:

said by ke4pym:

There's a reason they invented insurance.

Yeah, and there's a reason they invented raising rates, getting blacklisted for too many claims, etc.

I'm sure you have the same odds at winning the lottery or getting stuck by lightning then having an appliance fire claim twice. Too many claims just doesn't apply. It doesn't matter what type of claim if you have one you lose your no claim discount typically. I'd even argue that's still cheaper then buying a new appliance yourself. My worry would be the trouble to get repairs and possible lost stuff that can't be replaced like pictures or heirloom stuff.
DarkHelmet

3 edits

1 recommendation

DarkHelmet to Annmarie

Member

to Annmarie

Re: [Appliances] Don't leave your house,

said by Annmarie:

I think it comes down to if you can avoid something serious by simply not flipping a switch til you get back home then why not?

People can avoid accidents by not driving or choking by not eating. There's literally thousands of things that fall into this category. Where do you draw the line?

Not to mention the cascading impact every week for the rest of your life. Instead of being able to multitask like washcloths and dishes while grocery shopping now I need to spend more time at home just to babysit appliances? I can't even go into my own backyard and play with the kids for a few hours because heaven forbid my appliances might revolt on me. Not sure about you but adding debilitating limitations onto simple tasks for a fraction of a percentage chance doesn't seem very efficient. We don't have a ton of time on this planet why spend it needlessly like that? Why not just add a smoke detector and/or water sensor wired to a monitoring service by appliances? What if you run the appliance and take a nap? You run the same risk being home when a problem happens as being away but while you're away you can't die from it!

Hall
MVM
join:2000-04-28
Germantown, OH

Hall

MVM

said by DarkHelmet:

People can avoid accidents by not driving or choking by not eating. There's literally thousands of things that fall into this category. Where do you draw the line?

Not to mention the cascading impact every week for the rest of your life.

I have no doubt that we could point out plenty of "what ifs" to people who do those types of things. Along the lines of people who buy a truck "in case they need to haul something" or "help people move stuff". I had a former co-worker question (or criticize) me because I didn't have a chainsaw. I was telling a story about helping neighbors clean-up after a bad wind storm and having to use a handsaw or carpenters saw to cut tree branches. He asked why I didn't use my chainsaw. Told him I didn't have one and he said it would have been helpful to have one for this.... I pointed out that i "have no f*cking trees on my property".

garys_2k
Premium Member
join:2004-05-07
Farmington, MI

garys_2k to Annmarie

Premium Member

to Annmarie
said by Annmarie:

I think it comes down to if you can avoid something serious by simply not flipping a switch til you get back home then why not?

True enough, if it causes little to no inconvenience then I can see some benefit of letting it wait. But I can't imagine feeling the need to stay home and babysit appliances while they're running.

A friend of mine once went out of town on vacation and his thermostat stuck on the full heat setting. The temperature in the house went to a bunch over 100 F (the only thing cycling the furnace was the high limit, likely more than 150 F). It caused all sorts of damage to his wood floors, melted the plastic water line to the refrigerator that caused more damage.

Now, should we not go out because our thermostats fail in the heat mode, too? He doesn't, I never would.

Mr_Derp
join:2004-11-10
Plainfield, ON

Mr_Derp to SueS

Member

to SueS
What brand was it? Would be nice to share that tidbit if you could

ptrowski
Got Helix?
Premium Member
join:2005-03-14
Woodstock, CT

1 recommendation

ptrowski to bigflames

Premium Member

to bigflames

Re: [Appliances] Re: Don't leave your house,

said by bigflames :

Lint is VERY flammable.

Side note, I save the dryer lint you get from the screen and use it as a firestarter when I make a firepit. Works extremely well.

SueS
Premium Member
join:2007-05-16
Macon, MO

SueS to Mr_Derp

Premium Member

to Mr_Derp

Re: [Appliances] Don't leave your house,

said by Mr_Derp:

What brand was it? Would be nice to share that tidbit if you could

I don't think the brand is important, as I was told it happens in other brands and usually the cheaper models.

I had a high-end Kitchen Aid and was happy with the performance. My new dishwasher to be delivered and installed next week will be another high-end Kitchen Aid. I am not getting a different brand because of the accident, and I don't think this should effect what anyone chooses to buy either.

mackey
Premium Member
join:2007-08-20

mackey to Lurch77

Premium Member

to Lurch77
said by Lurch77:

It never started on fire, but only because I caught it in time.

On what do you base that assumption?

Although the heating elements can get hot enough to melt plastic, they don't get hot enough to ignite plastic. If they did, as plastic melts long before it ignites anything plastic on the bottom rack would get melted the first time washed.
tkdslr
join:2004-04-24
Pompano Beach, FL

tkdslr to SueS

Member

to SueS
I'm not impressed by Kitchen Aid's engineering.. Currently repairing a high end stainless steel dish washer.

KA used a flimsy poly flex cabling system to wire up the user interface panel. The poly flex cable corroded after 5years of usage right where it exits plastic housing to meet up with user switch/led flex circuit assembly. Trying to bypass, but one can't use a soldering iron(too hot) .. trying carbon based glue, but no good way to seal this fix against steam venting from unit.

The actual component which failed is just a few dollar, but since it was a custom job, you can't get it. The alternative is to replace the whole assembly(top panel) @150$+shipping+tax. And it will suffer the same fate in a few years..