Credits: Social Media
Exhaust fans in your bathroom are a fire waiting to happen, says firefighter
A firefighter warned his wife about exhaust fans in the bathroom, which he calls a house burner because of the amount of fires it causes.
Theres no escaping the mind-numbing trends and videos on TikTok, but if you use the app correctly, you could be provided with expert advice free of charge. If you dont use Gen Zs favorite app, how are you to know about the dangerous pan lying dormant in your cupboard?
Bathroom fans are a fire waiting to happen
TikToks Jess (@unhingedreviewswjess) is married to a firefighter of 17 years who recently told her about the overlooked feature in your home that causes fires.
It’s this right there, the exhaust fans in your bathroom, she told the camera. My husband is a firefighter of 17 years and he calls this a house burner. In his opinion, it is the most dangerous fire to happen in your house.
While the fans themselves are not particularly dangerous, if youre not cleaning them properly it dramatically increases the risk. That means taking them apart and thoroughly cleaning them, not just wiping the exterior.
A lot of people are saying that its candle fires, dryer vent fires, or kitchen fires or even space heaters. While I agree that any fire left unattended is a potential house burner, a fire in the crawl space of your home is not easily detected OR put out, she captioned the post. When the fire department arrives they will most likely drop the ceiling to put the fire out. Its too dangerous to put a body in the crawl space. The above-mentioned fires can sometimes be addressed if discovered quickly.
Jess’s husband said that years of dust and grime can accumulate in the fans and start a fire from the increased heat. This then travels up into the attic and crawl space, meaning you wont know about the flames until its too late.
Think about all the dry, flammable materials in the attic of your home, Jess cautioned. Only use them when needed, dont use them for more than 15 minutes at a time, turn them off before you leave the house.
People had no idea that bathroom fans were so dangerous
Jesss husbands cautionary tale was a huge shock to the TikTok community as many followers flocked to the comments. Many admitted to leaving their fans on for long periods.�
One person said: Our vents go to the outside, not the attic. It annoys me that I can smell the outside in my bathroom, but now Im thankful!
My landlord literally has them wired into the same switch as the bathroom light switch. so every time we turn on the bathroom lights they come on, another said with a crying emoji.�
A third wrote: Just coming back to say you made me clean mine, Ive lived here over 10 years and never cleaned it. It was packed full of fluff and drywall. Now it actually sucks air. It usually just rattles. Thank you!
Now youve got another task to add to your ever-expanding list of DIY cleaning hacks.
