Bathroom Exhaust Fan Fires

Lola from Topeka, KS wrote to me overnight:

"I would like to know if bathroom exhaust fans start fires if left
on too long. And if so, how long is too long?"

Lola, you bet they can start fires. How common is it and what are
the real causes? Well, you'd have to scour the NFPA records
database for those answers. But I can tell you that about five
years ago a neighbor's house 100 feet from mine had a fire caused
by an exhaust fan.

Lint buildup, worn motors, years of vibration fraying wires, etc.
are all possible causes of an exhaust-fan fire.

I would always defer these questions to your local fire prevention
officer. Just about every fire department has one. Fire service
personnel are some of the most helpful government workers out
there. They don't want to carry you out of your home, and will
almost always do a no-cost inspection to keep you safe. Call them
ASAP to see if they'll look at your fan.

 

You should consider installing a digital timer for the fan switch. That's what I have in all my bathrooms. The longest the fan can run in my home is one hour. 

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Meredith, NH 03253-0887, USA 

Posted via email from kleerstreem's posterous