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Did you know that washing machines are more likely to burn down your home than any other appliance?
That’s just one of the unnerving, reassuring, or simply fascinating facts from the infographic below, based on a fire safety quiz held by FIREX International.
The survey used to create this infographic was conducted in 2014 and this infographic was one of the most popular pieces of content on IFSEC Global that year.
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I didn’t know that. So sprinklers are from being 100% reassuring in a fire situation…
XL700 Mike
January 24, 2014 5:29 am
The sprinkler figure given does not match other commonly quoted facts on this subject. What is the source for it? Failure rate of a head is often given as 1 in 14 million. Even summed up across a large array, this could not reach 5%, which is effectively what ‘only 95% reliable’ implies. I do not think insurers would gamble on such poor odds. Fire doors used as cross corridor smoke break doors only need to meet 20 minutes fire resistance. Few manufacturers bother to make 20 minute units, as it is the rare application, so 30 minutes are used… Read more »
SunitaT
January 29, 2014 12:26 pm
It is kind of a surprise that washing machines are the most likely appliances to cause fire. One would have guessed some other more intensive electrical appliance instead. I wonder what are the reasons for washing machines being most likely to set the house on fire? Detailed information about this fact would be useful.
SunitaT
January 29, 2014 12:26 pm
@ XL700 Mike, this is some serious difference in figures. One in 14 million makes it only 0.000007 percent which is not even a fraction of 5 percent. Your figures make sprinklers quite reliable. Regarding the question of operational temperature of sprinklers, I think 68 degrees should not be a problem at a place on fire.
Sunita, it’s the combination of a heating element (to heat the water), friction (from the drum spinning) and build-up of fluff (fibres from the clothes).
@Mr Evans – I assume that’s because the fire was kept low by the sprinklers but the smoke filled the room with poisonous gases which were trapped in the room which might have choked her to death.
@SunitaT- I read on another article that washing machines were the most dangerous appliances at home as it would easily cause fire. You could never image a washing machine causing a fire.
The Sprinklers did not operate and stayed imoperative whilst the smoulder developed between ambient and 68 Degrees.
That is the reason for the fatality.
Sprinklers were never by design a “Life Safety Syem” they are by agreement with Engineers ans BASFA a property protection System.
Over 75% of Fatalities and Injuries are caused by “Smoke Inhalation”
Creative
February 17, 2014 1:59 pm
The problem with washing machines is that most people leave them operate on their own.
When using a kettle, oven or grill for example you are normally near by, if the signs of a fire become evident you can take usually control/extinguish the fire before it becomes too serious.
Occasionally you may leave the house with the oven on, but people do it all the time with washing machines. Therefore it could be that are less washing machine fires overall (than other appliances) but there are more serious consequences as a result; as the fire is not noticed and controlled.
Did you know Sprinklers do nothing below an operational temerature of 68 degrees and then only 95% effective
A woman died from smoke inhalation in a fully sprinklered room in a Care home! What out Wales!
I didn’t know that. So sprinklers are from being 100% reassuring in a fire situation…
The sprinkler figure given does not match other commonly quoted facts on this subject. What is the source for it? Failure rate of a head is often given as 1 in 14 million. Even summed up across a large array, this could not reach 5%, which is effectively what ‘only 95% reliable’ implies. I do not think insurers would gamble on such poor odds. Fire doors used as cross corridor smoke break doors only need to meet 20 minutes fire resistance. Few manufacturers bother to make 20 minute units, as it is the rare application, so 30 minutes are used… Read more »
It is kind of a surprise that washing machines are the most likely appliances to cause fire. One would have guessed some other more intensive electrical appliance instead. I wonder what are the reasons for washing machines being most likely to set the house on fire? Detailed information about this fact would be useful.
@ XL700 Mike, this is some serious difference in figures. One in 14 million makes it only 0.000007 percent which is not even a fraction of 5 percent. Your figures make sprinklers quite reliable. Regarding the question of operational temperature of sprinklers, I think 68 degrees should not be a problem at a place on fire.
Hi Ashfire
I was not aware there had been a fatal incident in a residential premises, do you have any further details?
Thanks
Hi
where is the statistic taken from that sprinklers are 95% reliable?
Sunita, it’s the combination of a heating element (to heat the water), friction (from the drum spinning) and build-up of fluff (fibres from the clothes).
@Mr Evans – astonishing information on sprinklers I never knew that it only operate above 68 degrees and that’s just 95% effective.
@Mr Evans – I assume that’s because the fire was kept low by the sprinklers but the smoke filled the room with poisonous gases which were trapped in the room which might have choked her to death.
@Adam Sanders – I too was under the impression that we could trust sprinklers 100% in case of a fire.
@XL700 Mike – yes surely insurance firms will have problems with this figure, but I’m sure experts know what they are talking about.
@SunitaT- I read on another article that washing machines were the most dangerous appliances at home as it would easily cause fire. You could never image a washing machine causing a fire.
@SunitaT- Do we need to have a blazing fire for the sprinklers to turn or? Or would an average heat turn it on?
@Hochiki- thanks for explaining how it happens. Is this the same for front load and top load washing machines?
No Shehan
The Sprinklers did not operate and stayed imoperative whilst the smoulder developed between ambient and 68 Degrees.
That is the reason for the fatality.
Sprinklers were never by design a “Life Safety Syem” they are by agreement with Engineers ans BASFA a property protection System.
Over 75% of Fatalities and Injuries are caused by “Smoke Inhalation”
The problem with washing machines is that most people leave them operate on their own.
When using a kettle, oven or grill for example you are normally near by, if the signs of a fire become evident you can take usually control/extinguish the fire before it becomes too serious.
Occasionally you may leave the house with the oven on, but people do it all the time with washing machines. Therefore it could be that are less washing machine fires overall (than other appliances) but there are more serious consequences as a result; as the fire is not noticed and controlled.