October is Fire Prevention Month

​October is Fire Prevention Month and Dapper Ducts wants to make sure you do some of the quick and easy things around your house that will keep you and your family safe.
 
Did you know that 3 out of every 5 deaths from home fires happened in homes with no working smoke alarms?  I’m sure you’ve seen the reminders on highways signs that the two times we change the clocks each year are also the perfect reminders to check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.  Now smoke and CO detectors are good for 10 years and that is definitely worth the peace of mind knowing you are protected.
 
Dryer vents are also a big source of home fires.  Frequently, dryer vents aren’t cleaned on a regular basis (Dapper Ducts recommends annually) and if you run a few dryer cycles in a row, the buildup of lint and debris in the dryer vent duct can get hot enough that it may actually ignite and cause a fire.  Always clean your lint trap, but you also need the duct that vents to the exterior of your home cleaned by a professional.  We also frequently see that builders and contractors are not using the proper materials for dryer vent ductwork leading to increased likelihood of fires as well.
 
And of course we can’t talk about fire prevention if we don’t mention your chimney. If you regularly light a fire in your fireplace, creosote builds up on the walls of your chimney.   Over time, this buildup can become the source of a fire as it is quite flammable.
 
We are not trying to scare you, just want you to take the steps within your power to prevent a fire.  Definitely get your dryer vent and chimney cleaned once each year to be on the safe side. If you are not sure about the last time your dryer vent or chimney was cleaned, you should contact Dapper Ducts to schedule a service.