Dryer vent fires are actually the number 1 cause of all house fires in the US, outpacing chimney fires. Dryer vents are a kind of out of sight, out of mind things you could’t afford to ignore. If you realize that the lint trap on a dryer (even a new one), only removes or stops eighty% of the lint — you possibly can see the importance of cleaning your exhaust system once a year.
Dryer lint is highly flammable and under the precise conditions can cause a dryer fire, usually spreading through the vent system which in turn spreads the fire rapidly all through your home. As a dryer does it’s job, about half a pound of water is removed, lint is trapped by your lint trap, and air is forced by your dryer exhaust system. Throughout time, this extra lint backs up in your dryer and the exhaust or venting system. Airflow is restricted, your dryer works harder and the motor overheats. With extra lint buildup, your dryer is now a ripe candidate for a dryer fire.
Dryer Safety and Inspection Suggestions
1. Make certain your lint trap has no rips and also you clean it earlier than every drying cycle. If the lint is wet in your lint trap, it may mean that it is time to clean your dryer vents. Also, the lint screen ought to be lightly scrubbed each week and washed with light dish washing soap.
2. Visually inspect your exterior vent hood on the side of your home when the dryer is operating. Are the flaps moving, can you’re feeling any airflow? If not, it is time to get your dryer exhaust system cleaned and your dryer inspected.
3. Examine around your dryer for lint on the floor. This is a warning sign that your dryer exhaust system must be cleaned.
4. If your clothes are taking more than one cycle to dry, this may very well be a sign that your dryer exhaust system needs to be cleaned right away.
5. By no means dry any garments or rags which were soaked with any flammables. It may possibly cause an explosive situation in your dryer.
Dryer Vent Cleaning Suggestions
There are some online products available that you need to use to clean your vents resembling brushes with rods that may be attached to a high powered drill. Most of these products are inferior and do a less than satisfactory job for dryer vent runs over 10′. It is important so that you can call a professional when doing dryer vent cleaning because of the different situations that can and will be encountered. A few of these conditions are flawed vent types, loose or disconnected vents, or vents with too many angles and bends. A dryer vent cleaning professional often has different types of cleaning equipment relying on the situation. It is crucial for you to ask the dryer vent professional in the event that they will do on site repairs or upgrades as approximately 50% of the roles encountered will need something of this nature.
Dryer Vent Repairs
Some of the repairs that may be wanted may include: rerunning or altering out the dryer vent exhaust duct work, adding or altering a vent hood that exits the site of the building, going into the attic or crawl area to do repairs, cleaning from the top of the roof starting from where the duct exits towards the dryer, and even tearing into the wall or ceiling to repair a vent that has come loose. Should you aren’t a helpful individual that may do all the earlier than mentioned repair items, leave it to a dryer vent professional.
Remember, to stop dryer vent fires in your home, get your dryer exhaust system cleaned once a year. If you live in a condominium complex make positive your property manager knows the importance of dryer vent maintenance. Apartment owners should also make dryer vent cleaning of their units a priority.
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