Asbestos Use in Appliances

Asbestos contained in household appliances or appliance components

Asbestos in Appliance Door Gaskets

Asbestos was used in some rope-type gaskets in some appliances. The last-use date for asbestos-containing gaskets will depend on the country where the appliance was manufactured or installed or both.

But in ordinary circumstances an asbestos-containing appliance door gasket that has remained undamaged should not produce a meaningful health hazard in the form of release of high levels of airborne asbestos.

This opinion is based on research articles cited include below.

Is a modern oven door gasket or white powder I see inside the oven an asbestos hazard?

First of all, congratulations for your work! Over the last few years, I have developed a completely irrational fear of asbestos due to suspicions I might have been exposed to it in the past. I now have OCD with this recurrent theme and my life has become harder.

I am writing today as I can not seem to find any information re: the dates at which asbestos stopped being used in ovens.

I have bought a condo and the oven and fridge were included with it so I kept them.

I am attaching a picture of the information in the oven door for your reference. In order to know if the oven has asbestos, I reached out to Frigidaire/Electrolux and their response was very evasive and anecdotal. I am thus reaching out to you to see if this oven contains asbestos.

I am worried because there is at times white powder in the oven when I cook with it. As I have brushed the oven with water and baking powder to clean it in the past, I suspect this is only that but the OCD has me doubting as always. I know this is irrational but it is also very suffering so I am reaching out for your help in reaching certainty.

Bottom line, I would like to know if my oven contains asbestos and, more generally, when we can know for sure appliances stopped having asbestos in them. Finally, when old appliances have asbestos, may you please tell me in which form/parts it is?

I am located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada if this makes a difference (asbestos was only fully banned in 2018 as I am sure you know) - Anonymous 2024/11/25

Answer: Asbestos from an oven door gasket is not likely to present a measurable asbestos exposure hazard

I'm not surprised that the manufacturer isn't going to give a clear answer to asbestos questions - their lawyers and their fear of litigation get in the way of, in my OPINION, even half-way reasonable service to their customers.

One cannot know, either, about asbestos content in both oven wall insulation (not visible, not accessible, not a hazard nor a question unless you're demolishing and disassembling the entire appliance) and in the oven door gasket.

When I researched the use of asbestos in modern appliance gaskets I found that because there are some exceptions in some countries, even today, we can't say with certainty that an appliance that has not been tested is absolutely asbestos-free.

But my OPINION is that regardless of its make-up, an oven door gasket wouldn't be likely to explain white deposits inside of an oven and in ordinary use would not be a detectable indoor airborne asbestos hazard in a residential property.

Bottom line

My opinion is that there is no meaningful health risk from the oven door gasket at your oven as you described it, and provided the appliance is kept intact.

Consider that worry about items like this may be a health concern of its own, so do what you can to rest easy.

Recommended Action

Try a simple spray cleaner, even glass cleaner, on cool oven surfaces to wipe off any such deposits if you can.

Don't take the oven apart nor chop, grind or saw the gasket. If you avoid such actions, even if the gasket did contain asbestos you're not making airborne dust of its contents.

Where to find more information about your appliance age

You can put some boundaries on the possible dates of manufacture of your oven by noting contextual information such as:

• The date of construction of the building where it was installed?
• The date the appliance was purchased if you can find invoices or bills of sale - from the oven door label we know at the very least that this oven was manufactured in or after 2008.
• The age of the actual oven appliance if the oven manufacturer will tell you that from its serial number?
  
  In your case the oven door label identifies Electrolux Home Products, Electrolux Canada Corp., Cambridge Ont H3H 2N7 Canada

Research on Asbestos in Appliance Door Gaskets & Similar Products

Although they were not looking specifically at oven door gaskets that might contain asbestos, this study supports that opinion

• Garcia, Ediberto, Daniel Newfang, Jayme P. Coyle, Charles L. Blake, John W. Spencer, Leonard G. Burrelli, Giffe T. Johnson, and Raymond D. Harbison. "Evaluation of airborne asbestos exposure from routine handling of asbestos-containing wire gauze pads in the research laboratory." Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 96 (2018): 135-141.

Other research into asbestos exposure from working with asbestos-containing gaskets or "asbestos gaskets" looked at potential exposure levels significantly greater than your oven door could present and did not report asbestos exposure levels that could possibly tell you to worry about your oven. For example:

• Mangold, Carl, Katherine Clark, Amy Madl, and Dennis Paustenbach. "An exposure study of bystanders and workers during the installation and removal of asbestos gaskets and packing." Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene 3, no. 2 (2006): 87-98.
  
  Abstract excerpt: The results indicate that the 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) exposures of pipefitters and other tradesmen who performed these activities were below the current PEL and all previous PELs.
• Madl, Amy K., Katherine Clark, and Dennis J. Paustenbach. "Exposure to airborne asbestos during removal and installation of gaskets and packings: a review of published and unpublished studies." Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B 10, no. 4 (2007): 259-286.
  
  Abstract excerpt: In all but one of the studies relating to the replacement of gaskets and packing using hand-held tools, the short-term average exposures were less than the current 30-min OSHA excursion limit of 1 fiber per cubic centimeter (f/cc) and all of the long-term average exposures were less than the current 8-h permissible exposure limit time-weighted average (PEL-TWA) of 0.1 f/cc.
  
  The weight of evidence indicates that the use of hand tools and hand-operated power tools to remove or install gaskets or packing as performed by pipefitters or other tradesmen in nearly all plausible situations would not have produced airborne concentrations in excess of contemporaneous regulatory levels.

Asbestos Uses in Refrigerators

Above: patent discussing use of asbestos in refrigerator gaskets. [Click to enlarge any image]

Reader Question: Did the old 1927 GE Monitor top refrigerator have asbestos? - Alyssa 2018/03/11

Reply: Asbestos was not found mentioned in patent research for the 1927 GE Monitor Top refrigerator - illustrated above on this page.

Possibly, but my research did not find any mention of asbestos in the description of the GE monitor-top refrigerators.

The GE Monitor Top refrigerator was a major product development for General Electric and was widely sold and is still recognized world-wide.

I searched particularly for refrigerator insulation and for refrigerator gaskets and gasket patents associated with GE from 1925 - 1930 to see if those mentioned use of asbestos and did not find that indicator.

• Givens, Albert L. "Refrigerator." U.S. Patent 1,533,646, issued April 14, 1925. Original Assignee General Electric Co
• Griffiths, Richard T. "Packing gasket and method of making same." U.S. Patent 1,705,455, issued March 12, 1929.
• Sywert, Philip T. "Gasket." U.S. Patent 1,694,291, issued December 4, 1928. (I include an image from this patent)

Asbestos could also have been used as a refrigerator body or door insulating material, though I did not find that either (yet - I'm still researching).

Other patents from the same era such as Carrey (1930) do cite use of asbestos in the refrigerator construction.

• Carrey, John O. "Vacuous refrigerator and method of maintaining vacuum therein." U.S. Patent 1,747,969, issued February 18, 1930. Original Assignee C & C Engineering Company Inc.
  

  Excerpt:
  A U-shaped strip 24 of heat non-conducting material such as asbestos is placed over the bent edge 20 and a thin sheet 25 of lead is then placed over the U-shaped strip 24 and the whole is then forced into the pocket 23, and the assembled joint has the lead covering 25 bearing against the inner face of rebent edge 21 and the edge from edge 21 by asbestos covering 24.

Also Ballew (1925) describes use of asbestos in the refrigerator doors:

• Ballew, Neual W. "Vacuum-insulated container." U.S. Patent 1,561,769, issued November 17, 1925.
  
  Excerpt:
  The inner shells each contact with the outer shell only over a small surface at its front end.
• The doors 4:, where they contact with the outer shell may be lined with a suitable heat insulating material, such as cork or asbestos, not shown.

Asbestos in Freezers & Ice Chests

Asbestos in a1950s Ben Hur Ice Chest

We have an old Ben Hur chest freezer from the 50s. Do these appliances contain asbestos? - On 2020-02-10 by Sara

Reply by (mod) -

Sara,

Thank you for the.Ben Hur freezer asbestos question.

I don't know that specific brand and if you can give me photos of the logo of the chest and of any data tags, it would help me research its history for a more definitive answer to the asbestos question. You can post one photo per comment.

The place where it's possible to see asbestos-suspect materials on a freezer would be at the door gaskets.

It's possible that asbestos was used as insulating material, but most likely that would be sealed inside the metal walls of the freezer chest. You can't see that and it's harmless as long as you're not chopping the old ice chest apart.

Confirm that the insulation in this Ben Hur Freezer is fiberglass, not asbestos

Material in question. Looks like Fiberglass but not sure because of the age of this unit - On 2020-02-11 by Chuck Beams

Reply by (mod) -

Chuck that is almost certainly fiberglass.

We have not found any authoritative sources confirming the mixture of asbestos directly with fiberglass insulating batts or insulating blankets though asbestos paper was found on some mineral wool or rock-wool insluation batts or "blankets".

The most-common building (and perhaps appliance) insulating material that might contain asbestos is Vermiculite.

See VERMICULITE INSULATION - home - for details.

The other common uses of asbestos in appliances included

• Asbestos-rope gaskets - ASBESTOS PACKINGS & GASKETS
• Asbestos-electrical wire insulation - on appliances where heat was a concern, such as electric irons and some stove top igniters
  
  ASBESTOS ELECTRICAL WIRE INSULATION

Where to find out about Ben Hur Freezers & the Ben-Hur Manufacturing Company

Do you know of a way I can get documentation on this Freezer or contact email, phone # . Does some else now own what use to be Ben Hur Manufacturing.

There has to be some trail left behind I would think just for the fact of the possibility that asbestos could have been used in appliances dating back to this time. From my understanding some fiberglass insulation was manufactured with asbestos as an ingredient.

Also is there a way to positively test the material to assure that we are safe and I can confidently dispose of the unit once I cut it up and get it out of the basement and who would be best suited to handle this for disposal.

Sorry for all the question answer stuff but I want to be absolutely safe not only for the occupants in the home but for environmental aspect. Thanks again for your help. On 2020-02-11 by Chuck Beams -

Reply by (mod) - Patent numbers can put approximate date on old appliances

Are there any patent numbers?

Followup by Chuck Beams

I don't see Patent numbers at all just this plate with model and serial info.

Also have a picture of the material in question as I did a small cut away to view it.

Freezer is Ben Hur Model 1755 -B Serial # 145795.

Reply by (mod) - History of the Ben Hur Manufacturing Co. & Ben Hur Freezers

Asbestos is not an ingredient if fiberglass insulation; they are separate materials;

There can, of course, be cross-contamination among materials depending on where they were manufactured, stored, used, etc.

You can certainly send a sample of your suspect material to a certified asbestos test lab.

In the ARTICLE INDEX given above you'll find an ASBESTOS TEST LAB LIST

More on the history of Ben Hur Freezers is found in some of the company's patent disclosures

Anderson, Leland J., and Stoner Charles Ward. "Combination freezer and dehumidifier." U.S. Patent 2,865,181, issued December 23, 1958. Application filed by Ben Hur Mfg Company

Donnelly, Daniel W. "Insulated wall construction." U.S. Patent 2,986,301, issued May 30, 1961. Application filed by Ben Hur Mfg Company

See inspectapedia.com/Appliances/Ben-Hur-Freezer-Patent-US2986301.pdf - this patent discusses freezer chest insulation - the word "asbestos" does not appear.

Followup Chuck Beams - asbestos was a possible insulating material in old freezers

Thank you so much for your hard work to find this information for me.

Although it does not specifically state which insulating material they used to pack the walls with, I would hope the material is not asbestos.

Another question would be is, would asbestos not be one of the options they employed in construction, and I quote "any desired type of heating insulation material" as stated in this patent at the time when these units were being constructed.

Reply by (mod)

Yes

Asbestos in Toasters & Toaster Covers

Asbestos was widely used in toasters in several forms including electrical wire insulation, toaster side insulation, and heating element carriers from about 1910 through the 1970's and in some toaster appliances even into the mid 1980's.

Asbestos was also used in toaster covers (Landry 1981).

Butler (1903) patented a hand-held bread toaster (not-electric) that used or might use asbestos as one of the early U.S. patents citing use of asbestos in toasters.

Asbestos was still being used in toaster appliances in 1982 (Zim 1982) and is described in baking and frying appliances in 1984 (Matz 1984).

• Anderson, Roy J. "Electric toaster." U.S. Patent 2,548,511, issued April 10, 1951.
• Barton, Ruth. "Household technology in Western Australia 1900-1950." Oral History Association of Australia Journal, The 7 (1985): 108.
  Excerpt:
  In East Fremantle, about 1910, they heated their iron on a flat piece of asbestos laid over the top of a primus stove rather than on ...
  
  See details at ASBESTOS PRODUCTS in AUSTRALIA
• Butler, Louis F. "Bread-toaster." U.S. Patent 743,688, issued November 10, 1903.
  Excerpt:
  This invention relates to the class of breadtoasters in which a wire-netting or analogous open-work metallic sheet is superposed upon a heat-transmitting plate of asbestos or other suitable fireproof material.
• Christoph, E.A., "Electric Toaster", U.S. Patent 1,393,427 , issued 10/11/1921
  
  Cites use of asbestos in the supporting board for heating elements in the toaster.
• Clark, Newman S. "Toaster." U.S. Patent 888,960, issued May 26, 1908.
  Excerpt:
  In the preparation of my device, I make a mixture composed of about 50 parts of fire-clay, 25 parts of clean sharp sand, 10 parts of asbestos, and 15 parts of wheat bran. This mixture properly moistened and adherent may be formed in molds into disks or plates of any suitable description.
• Hirshfeld, Harry A., and Allan G. Stern. "Electric toaster." U.S. Patent 1,645,327, issued October 11, 1927. [Illustrated here]
  Excerpt:
  ... waste asbestos board may be employed, and these parts shall be hereinafter referred to as asbestos boards or sheets, although not limited to i this material.
  
  The supporting parts for the above described base are formed of wire. each support comprising asingle piece. of wire bent to form a horizontal, laterally extended top part 4
  
  having vertical portions 5, bent at 6 to engage around the strip 3 and thereafter bent downwardly and upwardly to form legs 7
  
  It will be understood that these supports may be detached, for packing purposes, so as to reduce the bulk of the device. Arranged in the same horizontal plane with the top parts 4 of said supports are other horizontally arranged, laterally extended wires 8 having vertical partis 9 and parts 10 bent around the strips 3.V
  
  The end wires and intermediate wires are used to receive, for instance, bread and the like vto be toasted, the edible being supportedqby said wires free of the heating element. The heating element, which 1s designated 12, is supported by hook-like parts 13 of staples 14.
  
  The staples 13 pierce the uppermost asbestos sheet or plate, are extended horizontally thereunder, as at 14', are passed up through said upper sheet of asbestos, and are clamped over the top surface of said upper asbestos sheet.
• Hall, T., "Bread or Other Toaster", U.S. Patent 689,182, issued December 17, 1901 - cites use of asbestos in the parts of this non-electric toaster.
• Landry, Jean-Guy. "Cover for use on a toaster." U.S. Patent 4,254,695, issued March 10, 1981.
  Excerpt:
  The cover is preferably made of two layers of metal 26 and 28 and a layer of heat-insulating material 30, such as asbestos, is sandwiched between the two layers 26 and 28 at the top of its embossed portion.
• Lemaster, Charles A. "Toaster." U.S. Patent 1,661,294, issued March 6, 1928. - Cites use of asbestos in the supporting board for heating elements in the toaster.
• Matz, Samuel A. "Equipment for Frying, Baking, and Drying." In Snack Food Technology, pp. 231-250. Springer, Dordrecht, 1984.
  Excerpt:
  Sheet material composed essentially of asbestos fibers and binders can be used as both insulation and a structural component. In this case, an outer covering is not necessary … FIG. 18.2. Toaster oven.
• Snyder, Paul V. "Electric toaster heating unit." U.S. Patent 3,283,128, issued November 1, 1966.
  Excerpt:
  In perhaps its simplest form, the heating unit of the invention includes a relatively stiff resistance heating wire formed into a sinous series of loops which are secured at -their ends to an elongated support strip of insulation material such as asbestos.
• Zirn, Rudolf F., and Erich Karlsen. "Insulating container for cooking food." U.S. Patent 4,323,167, issued April 6, 1982.
  Excerpt: This disc 9 may be made of asbestos, rubber, glass fiber reinforced plastic or like heat-resistant and inexpensive material.

Asbestos in Hair Dryers

Information on asbestos use in hair dryers is now found

at ASBESTOS USE in HAIR DRYERS & IRONS

Asbestos in Clothing Irons & Hair Curling Irons

Information on asbestos use in clothing irons and curling irons is now found

at ASBESTOS USE in HAIR DRYERS & IRONS

Asbestos in an Old Vending Machines, Insulation or Flash Guards

Information on asbestos use in vending machines is now found

at ASBESTOS USE in VENDING MACHINES

Other Possible Sources of Asbestos Used Within Appliance Components

• Asbestos in Coffee Pots
  
  Asbestos was used in electrical wire insulation and insulation in some electric coffee pots.
• Asbestos in portable electric heaters
  
  Asbestos was widely used to carry electric heating elements, in heat-resistant wiring, and possibly in other components in electric heaters manufactured (in the U.S.) up to 1974.
• Asbestos in large vs small Appliances - research
  
  Hwang, Sung Ho, and Wha Me Park. "EVALUATION OF ASBESTOS-CONTAINING PRODUCTS AND RELEASED FIBERS IN HOME APPLIANCES." [PDF] Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association 66, no. 9 (2016): 922-929.
  
  Abstract: The purpose of this study was to detect asbestos-containing products and released asbestos fibers from home appliances. The authors investigated a total of 414 appliances manufactured between 1986 and 2007. Appliances were divided into three categories: large-sized electric appliances, small-sized electric appliances, and household items.
  
  Analysis for asbestos-containing material (ACM) was performed using polarized light microscopy (PLM) and stereoscopic microscopy.
  
  Air sampling was performed to measure airborne concentration of asbestos using a phase-contrast microscope (PCM).
  
  The results of the analysis for ACM in appliances show that large-sized electric appliances (refrigerators, washing machines, kimchi-refrigerators) and household items (bicycles, motorcycles, gas boilers) contain asbestos material and small-sized electric appliances do not contain asbestos material.
  
  All appliances with detected asbestos material showed typical characteristics of chrysotile (7–50%) and tremolite (7–10%). No released fibers of ACM were detected from the tested appliances when the appliances were operating.
  
  This study gives the basic information on asbestos risk to people who use home appliances.
  
  Implications: All appliances with detected asbestos material showed typical characteristics of chrysotile (7–50%) and tremolite (7–10%).
  
  No released fibers of ACM were detected from the tested appliances when the appliances were operating.
• Asbestos in Electric Motors: Asbestos Compound for encasing motor windings -
  
  see ASBESTOS ELECTRICAL WIRE INSULATION
• Asbestos electrical wiring insulation -
  
  see ASBESTOS ELECTRICAL WIRE INSULATION
• Asbestos Fabrics & Textiles & Cloth -
  
  see ASBESTOS TEXTILES
• Asbestos Felt was used in products such as acoustical liners, noise insulation, adhesives, plastics.
  
  The properties of asbestos felts are described in table 9.2 found
  
  at ASBESTOS in PLASTICS
• Asbestos in Filters  are discussed in detail
  
  at ASBESTOS FILTERS
• Asbestos in appliance insulation - possibly,
  
  see ASBESTOS INSULATION
• Asbestos in light bulbs, Light bulbs, lamps, room deodorizers & fragrance dispensers are discussed
  
  at LIGHT BULB ASBESTOS USE

Our complete list of products and materials that made use of asbestos is found

at ASBESTOS LIST of PRODUCTS

Note that asbestos may be present in still other substances and even products, not by its deliberate use or design, but because it occurs naturally, such as asbestos that is found in some talc powders (amphibole asbestos).

CONTACT US to add items and photographs to this list of asbestos containing materials used in or on appliances.

Asbestos in Appliances, Research

• Hwang, Sung Ho, and Wha Me Park. EVALUATION of ASBESTOS-CONTAINING PRODUCTS & RELEASED FIBERS in HOME APPLIANCES [PDF] Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, Volume 66, 2016 - Issue 9: A Special Issue of JA&WMA on NOAA's 7th International Workshop on Air Quality Forecasting Research (IWAQFR)
  
  Abstract:
  The purpose of this study was to detect asbestos-containing products and released asbestos fibers from home appliances. The authors investigated a total of 414 appliances manufactured between 1986 and 2007.
  
  Appliances were divided into three categories: large-sized electric appliances, small-sized electric appliances, and household items. Analysis for asbestos-containing material (ACM) was performed using polarized light microscopy (PLM) and stereoscopic microscopy. Air sampling was performed to measure airborne concentration of asbestos using a phase-contrast microscope (PCM).
  
  The results of the analysis for ACM in appliances show that large-sized electric appliances (refrigerators, washing machines, kimchi-refrigerators) and household items (bicycles, motorcycles, gas boilers) contain asbestos material and small-sized electric appliances do not contain asbestos material.
  
  All appliances with detected asbestos material showed typical characteristics of chrysotile (7–50%) and tremolite (7–10%).
  
  No released fibers of ACM were detected from the tested appliances when the appliances were operating.
  
  This study gives the basic information on asbestos risk to people who use home appliances.
  
  Implications: All appliances with detected asbestos material showed typical characteristics of chrysotile (7–50%) and tremolite (7–10%). No released fibers of ACM were detected from the tested appliances when the appliances were operating.|
  
  Excerpt:
  … In this study, asbestos was not detected in the air around the asbestos-containing products when the products were in use, because ACM was firmly seated in the inner parts of the …
• New Jersey, ASBESTOS, A GUIDE for NEW JERSEY RESIDENTS [PDF], NJ Department of Health & Senior Services, Consumer, Environmental & Occupational Health Service Indoor Environments Program PO Box 369 Trenton, NJ 08625-0369 Phone: 609-826-4950 Fax: 609-826-4975 state.nj.us/health/iep  - retrieved 2023/05/06, original source:  rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu
  
  "As long as an appliance that contains asbestos is not broken or improperly used, it should be safe. With normal use, it is unlikely that the asbestos in these products will create a hazard.
  
  Don’t attempt to repair any of these appliances yourself, take them to the manufacturer or dispose of them."