Dryer vent fires are now the number one explanation for all home fires in the US, outpacing chimney fires. Dryer vents are one of those out of sight, out of mind things which you can’t provide ignore. When you understand that the lint trap throughout the dryer (only a new one), only removes or stops 80% of the lint – you can see now the value of cleaning your exhaust system once the year.
Dryer lint is highly flammable and under the best conditions may cause a dryer fire, often spreading through the vent system as well as spreads the hearth rapidly through out your home. As a dryer gets it’s job, about 1/2 a pound of water is taken away, lint is trapped with your lint trap, and air is forced through your dryer exhaust system. Throughout time, this excess lint backs up within your dryer plus the exhaust or venting system. Airflow is restricted, your dryer works harder and of course the motor overheats. With excess lint buildup, your dryer is currently a ripe candidate to produce a dryer fire.
Dryer Safety and Inspection Tips
1. Be sure your lint trap has no rips and also you clean it before each drying cycle. In case the lint is wet on your lint trap, it could suggest that it is time to clean your dryer vents. Also, the lint screen must be lightly scrubbed each week and washed with light dish washing soap.
2. Visually inspect your exterior vent hood to the side of your own home whenever the dryer is operating. Will be the flaps moving, can you feel any airflow? If it isn’t, it’s time to make your dryer exhaust system cleaned and your dryer inspected.
3. Inspect around your dryer for lint situated on the floor. It is a danger sign that your chosen dryer exhaust system must be cleaned.
4. In case your clothes are taking more than one cycle to dry, this is an indication that your chosen dryer exhaust system must be cleaned right away.
5. Never dry any clothes or rags which were soaked for every single flammables. It may cause an explosive situation as part of your dryer.
Dryer Vent Cleaning Recommendations
There are a number of online products available useful to wash your vents such as brushes with rods that can be linked to a top powered drill. Almost all of these products are inferior and engage in a lower than satisfactory work for dryer vent runs over 10′. It is necessary so that you can call a professional when doing dryer vent cleaning due to different situations that can and will be encountered. Some of these items are wrong vent types, loose or disconnected vents, or vents with too often angles and bends. A dryer vent cleaning professional usually has several types of cleaning equipment with regards to the situation. It is important for you to ask the dryer vent professional if they will do on site repairs or upgrades as approximately half of the roles encountered must have something of this nature.
Dryer Vent Repairs
Among the repairs that are usually necesary could encompass: rerunning or changing for getting dryer vent exhaust duct work, adding or changing a vent hood that exits the site of the construction, proceeding into the attic or crawl space steps to do repairs, cleaning a little distance from top of the roof starting from wherein the duct exits over the dryer, in addition to tearing into your wall or ceiling to correct a vent that arrived loose. If you are not a handy person who are able to do all the before mentioned repair items, allow it to to some dryer vent professional.
Remember, to forestall dryer vent fires in your home, have your dryer exhaust system cleaned once year. If you live in a condominium complex make certain your property manager knows the importance of dryer vent maintenance. Apartment owners also needs to make dryer vent cleaning in their units a priority.
Eco Smart Contractor services the following towns of Los Angeles County, Ventura County, Orange County and is readily available for repairs, cleaning, alterations and consultations: Call us at (800) 818-4167.