I saw a poster on the window of an woodstove store that said Dryers were the #1 cause of house fires. I think it would be simple to have a heat sensor at the dryer notice unusual things and then activate an airbag or an extinguisher. Just possibly as this is the #1 source of fires house insurance could go down with one of these appliances or there could be a rebate program.-- beanangel, Jun 28 2017 Well, this seems practicable, reasonable, economical and useful. Nevertheless, [+].-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jun 28 2017 Self-acting extinguishing systems are Baked and WKTE ... in vehicles, in industrial equipment, in aircraft.
Probably not cost-effective compared to the price of the appliance.
[suggested-for-deletion], technology exists, not an innovation.-- 8th of 7, Jun 28 2017 The cheapest extinguisher on amazon.com is $12.75 The combination is about as novel as a "clock radio" Also, people might come up with an extra $25 or even $70 for a self extinguishing dryer, making this a profitable item. Hey, they get Volvos for thousands more for a slight safety perspective.-- beanangel, Jun 28 2017 // fireproof //
It wouldn't be "fireproof". It might be "self-extinguishing", but not fireproof. Fireproof is something quite different.
A proper total-discharge dry powder system is going to set you back a fair bit more than thirteen bucks ...-- 8th of 7, Jun 28 2017 [8th] Noted, also it should be nice smelling so the laundry area still smells "nice"-- beanangel, Jun 28 2017 //A proper total-discharge dry powder system//
Not necessary. Given that the typical starting point of the fire is probably well known and quite small, a simple CO2 cylinder with a meltable plug would be sufficient to stop maybe 90% of drire fyers before they got started, and 90% would be good enough.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jun 28 2017 What does the airbag do?
Also, this will need some kind of indicator on the dryer's control panel to indicate that it has been activated and the vent needs to be checked and the extinguisher needs to be replaced/refilled.-- notexactly, Jun 29 2017 I've read that the problem with a dryer is not so much the dryer itself as the lint filter, and the failure of the owner to clean the lint off the filter. Check yours now! And see if the lint doesn't look like a natural fire-starter material (just add enough heat, and ...).-- Vernon, Jul 02 2017 // the failure of the owner //
Yup. Humans, eh ?
<Nathan Spring>
"Humans are too intrinsically unreliable to ever be effectively replaced by machines"
</Nathan Spring>-- 8th of 7, Jul 02 2017 Why do driers have lint filters?-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 02 2017 Where else can you easily get a free supply of lint at home? Not much use fitting a lint filter to the fridge or oven.-- pocmloc, Jul 03 2017 //Well, this seems practicable, reasonable, economical....// So why is it in the halfbakery?-- xenzag, Jul 03 2017 Because if they don't, the lint gets trapped in the vent and becomes a fire hazard.-- RayfordSteele, Jul 03 2017 Oh dear, that would be very bad, wouldn't it ? Much better to trap it in a purpose-made lint filter, so it can catch fire there instead ...-- 8th of 7, Jul 03 2017 //the lint gets trapped in the vent and becomes a fire hazard// In which case, why is the vent designed in such a way as to trap lint, instead of being designed to - I don't know - vent it or something?-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 03 2017 If it didn't trap the lint, it wouldn't be a very good lint trap, and Trades Descriptions might get involved.-- pocmloc, Jul 03 2017 I can't help feeling that there's a breakdown in communication somewhere. My point is as follows:
(a) Dryers contain a lint trap to prevent lint getting into the vent.
(b) If there were no lint trap, the vent would get clogged with lint.
(c) The vent, therefore, is clearly designed in such a way that it would trap lint, were any to reach it.
(d) There seems to be no point in trapping lint anywhere. Therefore:
(e) Why not simply have a free flow of air out of the machine, so that no lint accumulates anywhere? If the dryer is vented to the great outdoors, then eventually the great outdoors will become a morass of lint, but this would take a very long time indeed.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 03 2017 The very nature of lint allows it to accumulate along the ductwork leading out of the machine, leading to a lint duct fire. Much better to eliminate the duct altogether such that lint floats around your house to amuse the cat.-- whatrock, Jul 03 2017 Well if you're going to that extreme, turn the entire dryer inside-out. Put the clothes outside of the dryer, outside of the house, and have a free flow of drying air surround the clothes communicating directly with the rest of the atmosphere. Then you could dispense with the lint trap (and perhaps also the motor, heater, control box and enclosure and drum, but that needs further investigation)-- pocmloc, Jul 03 2017 // eventually the great outdoors will become a morass of lint, but this would take a very long time indeed. //
Really ? The Nazca civilization vanished very suddenly, leaving almost no trace of their existence - apart from the rusty remains of thousands of badly-designed tumble driers, and an entire geological stratum of compressed lint.-- 8th of 7, Jul 03 2017 Ah, but a more detailed analysis reveals a very thin stratum that was formed in a very short period just before the Nazca civilisation ended. Neutron scattering and X-ray analysis has revealed that this stratum is in fact a layer of management.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 03 2017 If you were to turn the dryer process inside out you'd have to wear that also. Didn't anyone pass topology?-- RayfordSteele, Jul 04 2017 random, halfbakery