Clothes Dryers Lint Can Cause Fires
Lint Build-Up is Often Overlooked
Fires in dryer exhaust vent ducts pose a serious risk to consumers. In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a consumer product safety alert. According to CPSC, annually there are 15,500 fires, 10 deaths, and 310 injuries due to dryer exhaust vent fires. These fires result in millions of dollars in property loss.
As more homes have clothes dryers and are built with tighter construction, the proper operation of the dryer becomes critical. Clothes dryers are exhausting air from the house while they are in operation. Gas dryers are also venting the products of combustion in addition to the moisture from the clothes. Lint in the exhaust system can easily become fuel as temperatures rise and the vent duct becomes restrictive. Dryers may be located in an area where they must compete for combustion air with gas-fired water heaters and furnaces or boilers. This can lead to life-threatening malfunctions on the part of the heating equipment.
Because the clothes dryer vent duct is usually a 4″ diameter (per industry standards), the slightest amount of deposit can greatly reduce the ability to exhaust. When it starts taking longer to dry the clothes, the problem is not usually the dryer, but rather the exhaust system. Optimum airflow is the key to effective dryer performance. When clothes are given the appropriate amount of air, they dry quicker and are subject to less tumbling. This results in less wear on the clothes and less use of electricity or gas – saving you money.
Posted by Angelo Pagnotti Jr. on Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Whether it’s your home or rental property or even an entire apartment building, Angelo’s Cleaning can handle the job. We use up-to-date cleaning equipment and techniques for all types of dryer vent cleaning issues. Don’t let your lint problems burn you up! Call us at (610) 935-7557 or (610) 436-6663 for more information and to schedule an appointment or simply visit our conveniently detailed page dryer vent cleaning and check out our specials!
Wondering how often you should have your dryer vent professionally cleaned?
Take this Clothes Dryer Vent Cleaning Test
- Does your dryer receive light use? (0 points), normal use? (5 points) or heavy use? (10 points)
- Is your vent up to 10 feet long? (0 points), 11 to 20 feet long? (5 points) or longer? (10 points)
- Does your dryer vent have one 90 degree elbow? (0 points), two elbows? (5 points), or more? (10 points)
- Do you have a full-size dryer? (0 points) Or a smaller stacking combo-unit? (10 points)
Add up your points:
Score: 0 to 10 points – Recommend cleaning every 2 to 3 years.
Score: 15 to 25 points – Recommend cleaning every 1 to 2 years.
Score: 30 to 40 points – Recommend cleaning every 6 months to 1 year
