4
Safety and warnings
Lint
Accumulated lint in the dryer can become a fire hazard, it also reduces the efficiency of the dryer
by causing longer drying times and increased power consumption.
■
■
Clean the lint filter before every load.
■
■
Ensure the area around the dryer is clear of lint.
■
■
At regular intervals have the interior of the dryer cleaned of any accumulated lint. This must be
done by a qualified person for electrical safety.
■
■
If you change the mounting of the dryer from upright to inverted or vice versa, the dryer must
be cleaned internally by a Fisher & Paykel Authorised Repairer.
Spontaneous combustion
Important!
To reduce the risk of fire in a tumble dryer the following should be observed:
■
■
Items that have been spotted or soaked with vegetable oil or cooking oil are a fire hazard and
should not be placed in a tumble dryer.
■
■
Oil-affected items can ignite spontaneously, especially when exposed to heat sources such as
a tumble dryer. The items become warm causing an oxidation reaction in the oil. This oxidation
creates heat. If the heat cannot escape the items can become hot enough to catch fire. Piling,
stacking or storing oil-affected items can prevent heat from escaping creating a fire hazard.
■
■
If it is unavoidable that fabrics that contain vegetable oil, cooking oil or have been contaminated
by hair care products be placed in a tumble dryer, they should first be washed in hot water with
extra detergent – this will reduce, but not eliminate the fire hazard. The cool down cycle of the
dryer should be used to reduce the temperature of these items. They should not be removed
from the tumble dryer or piled or stacked while hot.
■
■
Items that have previously been cleaned in, washed in, soaked in or spotted with flammable
liquids or solids, eg petrol/gasoline, kerosene, dry cleaning solvents, vegetable or cooking oil,
waxes or other flammable or explosive substances should not be placed in a tumble dryer.
■
■
The dryer is not to be used if industrial chemicals have been used for cleaning.
■
■
Highly flammable substances commonly used in domestic environments include acetone,
denatured alcohol, petrol/gasoline, kerosene, some brands of spot removers, turpentine, waxes
and wax removers.
■
■
Fabric Softeners or similar products should not be used in a tumble dryer to eliminate the effects
of static electricity, unless this practice is specifically recommended by the manufacturer of the
fabric softener product.
■
■
Rubber backed articles, foam rubber (latex foam), clothes or pillows fitted with foam rubber
pads, fibreglass, shoes containing rubber, shower caps, babies waterproof napkin covers and
waterproof textiles should not be dried in the dryer.
■
■
Items containing rubber (also known as latex foam) or similarly textured rubber like materials
should not be dried on any heat setting. Foam rubber material can when heated produce fire by
spontaneous combustion.