Washing machine time delay - Fire risk?

EssexExile

Assuming you have smoke detectors, then running the machine while in bed is the same as running it while in the lounge watching telly. If a fire does occur they'll let you know!

However, I spent 13 years repairing domestic appliances and never came across one that caused fire damage to the house.

CSI_Yorkshire

EssexExile said:

However, I spent 13 years repairing domestic appliances and never came across one that caused fire damage to the house.

As a contrary anecdote, I see about one a week.

Given how many millions of appliances are out there though, it's still a really really small chance.

daivid

I happily run mine overnight and when out. If it catches fire at night the smoke alarms will tell me, if it catches fire when out no one will be around to get hurt (and would be warned by the smoke alarms upon return). There’s no logical reason that machines are more likely to catch fire if unattended just that the fire may develop more before any alarm is raised, as my house is detached I don’t believe anyone is being put at greater risk if I run the machine unsupervised. The risk to the individual seems extremely low, I've never had a machine catch fire and don’t know about anyone I know having had a machine catch fire. On the other hand the Fire Brigades probably know about near enough every machine that has caught fire and these may form a substantial proportion of their call outs, so for them warning people not to run machines unsupervised is worth it, before considering the increased risks to others if a machine catches fire in a block of flats.

DullGreyGuy

CSI_Yorkshire said:

DullGreyGuy said:

katejo said:

subjecttocontract said:

Friends of ours had a washing machine fire. They turned it on and went shopping, it caught fire, a neighbour called the fire service. They arrived back home in time to see considerable damage to their house. It took them a year to get it rebuilt and sorted. We've stopped turning washing m/c, dishwasher or tumble drier on if we are going out.

I avoid leaving a washing machine or dishwasher on while out. I don't have a tumble dryer. I have wondered whether an insurer might refuse to pay out when a machine has been left unattended when operating. I don't set my oven to turn on when I am out for the same reason.

Not unless you had a known fault and decided to carry on using it anyway. 

"Compliance with manufacturer's instructions" is an interesting aspect though - most toasters (for example) have specific instructions to not leave unattended whilst operating, even to the point of a warning being embossed on the case.  Haven't checked a washing machine manual recently, there's not been the need on any of my cases.

It's not normally a term of Home Insurance. There will be a general comment about taking reasonable care to prevent losses but the number of poorly balanced paint pots, chip pan fires or TVs knocked over by toddlers etc the bar is fairly low and would take a brave insurer to universally decide that using the timing function on a washing machine isnt to be used without a specific term. 

Torry_Quine

I am on economy 7 so use my washing machine overnight at the cheaper price. I wouldn't use it if not in though. 

subjecttocontract

I have solar panels so use my dishwasher & washing m/c in the middle of the day when I'm at home and the sun is at its highest. So the cost is £0.

carly

Been running my washer and dishwasher at night for approx 20 years without a problem. 

chrisw

I don't have a problem with running the washing machine at night but I avoid the dishwasher. A neighbour's dishwasher caught fire due to the cables going into the door breaking through flexing and shorting. I suppose there's no logical reason why this risk should be any greater than a motor overheating for example.

I guess it comes down to an individual's perception of risk and experience.

Alnat1

I frequently run the dishwasher/washer overnight. Hubby gets up early for work (3.30am) and swaps the clothes from washer to dryer, it's all done when I get up. We have a HP type dryer that's lower heat and clear the fluff after each use. I don't consider it a big risk. 

Many leave the heating on overnight, a mix of gas/electric/water could cause all sorts of fires, floods and explosions but folks don't seem to worry about that.

daveyjp

After having a 4 year heat pump dryer dismantled don't assume clearing the filters means there is no fluff inside.  I was astonished, the engineer wasn't and said the most he has taken out of an old dryer was two bin bags full.