Chimney Care Company's Blog
When was the last time you have your clothing dryer vents cleaned?
Keeping your clothing dryer vents cleaned is an incredibly important part of your home maintenance. Clean dryer vents help to prevent the dryer from overheating to cause a fire. A clean dryer vent also runs more efficiently while saving you time and money, as it takes less time for it to dry each load of laundry. When was the last time you had your dryer vents cleaned? How do you know it is time to get your clothing dryer vents cleaned?
The experts in the industry recommend getting your dryer vents cleaned at least once every year. However, if you do more laundry than the average household, your dryer vents might need to be cleaned more often. If you struggle with remembering the last time you had your dryer vents cleaned, then it is likely that it’s time to schedule a dryer vent cleaning. Here are some signs for a clogged dryer vent.
Signs of a dysfunctional Dryer Vent
- Longer dry times. One of the first signs that your dryer vents need a cleaning is longer than normal dry times when doing a single load of laundry. When your dryer vents are clogged, you’ll have to run additional dryer cycles for your clothes to dry completely. A single load of laundry shouldn’t take longer than 30 to 40 minutes to dry, and heavier loads of towels or linens shouldn’t take more than 50 minutes to dry.
- Lint buildup. Your dryer could be bogged down with an accumulation of lint. When dryer vents are clogged, you might see lint collecting around the lint trap, on the floor behind the dryer, or even outside around your dryer vent exhaust.
- An overheating dryer. When your dryer vents are clogged, your dryer can’t vent and cool itself as it should. As a result, the dryer will overheat while running. A dryer that’s hot to the touch, or if there is a heat build up in your laundry room when your dryer is running. These are both signs of clogged dryer vents. You might also notice that the clothes coming out of the dryer seem unusually hot.
- Strong smells in the laundry room. There are a variety of smells as a result of clogged dryer vents. While the dryer is running, you might smell a strong burning odor while the dryer overheats, or the smell of your dryer sheets seem unusually strong. If clothes sit damp in the dryer for a long time, your laundry or your laundry room might also take on a musty smell.
Call the Chimney Care Co. Professionals
Clogged dryer vents can put your home at risk of potential dangers such as a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. If it’s been awhile since you last serviced your dryer vents, or if you have noticed some signs that your dryer vents have become clogged, call the professionals at Chimney Care Co. to schedule your dryer vent cleaning today!
The benefits of pellet stoves
If you’re looking for a better way to heat your home — whether you’re looking to replace an existing fireplace or stove or looking to supplement your furnace with a more efficient heating option — you should consider a pellet stove. Pellet stoves burn dehydrated wood pellets, or sometimes other bio-fuels like corn or cherry pits. A lot of people choose a pellet stove because of its ease of use and because they are very environmentally friendly. Here are some other benefits of pellet stoves.
They provide convenient and consistent heat
Pellet stoves burn wood, so they have the warm glow and ambiance of a traditional wood-burning fireplace, but they’re easier to use. The wood pellets are often sold in 40-pound bags, which are simple to store and can be purchased as needed.
The pellets are placed in a hopper fitted with an automatic auger. The auger feeds additional pellets as needed. Depending on the size of the hopper, pellet stoves can usually burn up to 24 hours without being refueled or tended. Many stoves also come with automatic ignitions. Some stoves can be programmed to help control the heat output in your home.
They burn hotter than wood and are environmentally friendly
Because pellets are made from dehydrated wood particles, they burn hotter and are more efficiently than traditional firewood. Pellet stoves are highly efficient, with some models boasting efficiencies as high as 90 percent.
Pellet stoves are a favorite heating choice of environmentalists. Because they burn so hot, they release fewer pollutants than other heating sources. The wood pellets are often made from wood byproducts, which helps to reduce waste. Wood is also considered a “carbon neutral” fuel by environmentalists. They release equal amount of carbon into the atmosphere as when trees would die and decompose naturally.
They are super versatile
The options for pellet stoves are endless. There are ornamental ones that add style to your home, or you can find more utilitarian models that can fit in a utility space to pipe heat into your home. We also have pellet stove inserts that can fit into an existing fireplace space, or we can built into a custom hearth to mimic the look of a traditional wood-burning fireplace. Pellet stoves come in a variety of sizes to fit any home, and they can provide heat for any space.
If you think a pellet stove is a good option for you, call the Chimney Care Fireplace and Stove showroom. Our experts can answer all your questions about it. They can show you some options to help you find the best pellet stove that fits your heating needs.