ASBESTOS HOME APPLIANCES

Appliances

Portable dishwashers, toasters, clothes driers, popcorn poppers, broilers, electric blankets, slow cookers, and similar small appliances all have had parts made with asbestos-containing materials, which could give off fibers when the appliance is being disassembled for repair.

The use of asbestos in these appliances is declining and newer items may have none. Consider discarding these items in an approved manner instead of repairing them.

Some older hair driers and portable heaters, where the coil-wrapping and insulation contain asbestos, may still be in use. These driers and heaters should be discarded. Manufacturers voluntarily recalled hair driers containing asbestos in 1979, since laboratory tests of these hair driers showed that asbestos fibers were being released during their use.

Some older models of freezers and water heaters may have asbestos in the insulating blanket within the metal cover. These should not pose a hazard in normal use. Discard in an approved manner.

In general, when asbestos is used in appliances, it is in parts which will probably not result in the release of asbestos fibers during use, with the exception of hair driers and portable heaters where air currents pass over the material. It is unlikely that other asbestos components in these appliances present a significant health risk, unless dismantled.