Chimney Care Company's Blog
Why you should have your dryer vents cleaned annually
What in-home fire risk do the National Fire Protection Association, FEMA, the Chimney Safety Institute of America and countless home-advice experts all warn against? It is your clothes dryer. Clothes dryers are a leading cause of home fires in the United States.
Each year, clothes dryers are responsible for as many as 15,000 home fires, totaling more than $230 million in property damage. The risk of a clothes dryer fire increases each winter. So what can you do to lower your risk of a fire sparked by a clothes dryer? You should get your dryer vents professionally cleaned.
Lint buildup and your dryer
Most homeowners assume that they take care of their dryer by cleaning the lint trap in between each load of laundry. While this is an important step to reduce your home’s risk of a clothes dryer fire, it’s not enough. As you dry your clothes, towels, and linens, lint bypasses the lint trap. The lint, still damp from the dryer clings to the walls of the dryer vent. The layer of lint covering the vent walls continues to grow as the damp lint sticks to itself. Eventually, your dryer vents become completely clogged, and that’s where the danger is.
Clogged dryer vents and fires
So how do clogged dryer vents lead to fires? When your dryer vents are clogged, your clothes dryer can’t “breathe.” Hot air builds up within the dryer and dryer vents. The dryer’s heating element then overheat and ignite, which lead to a devastating fire. The flammable lint itself can catch fire due to the extreme heat of the dryer. To avoid the risk of a fire caused by your dryer vents, the National Fire Protection Association and the Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends having your clothes dryer vents cleaned by a professional at least once per year.
Professional dryer vent cleaning
You can perform a quick cleaning around your dryer’s vents to lessen the buildup of lint and keep your dryer running efficiently. To effectively clean your dryer vents of lint buildup, you need a professional dryer vent cleaning. Professional dryer vent technicians use high-powered rotating brushes and vacuums to clear your vents completely of lint. The rotating brushes free the lint from the walls of your dryer vents, while the vacuum sucks the loosened lint from the vents.
The risk of dryer vent fire rise each winter; don’t put your home at risk! Call the Chimney Care Co. to schedule your professional dryer vent cleaning to reduce fire risk today!