Your Dryer Vent - A Household Hazard?

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, each year, over 12,000 fires that occur in residential buildings originate in clothes dryers. These fires result in about 15 deaths and 300 injuries. The main cause cited for these fires? “Failure to clean”. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission states that most of these fires began in the dryer vent or lint trap.

Where does all the lint come from?  As clothes are drying, the water from the clothes creates lint. Most of this lint is caught in the lint trap; however, some of the lint is also blown into the vent system and dryer vent hose. As this lint builds up, the amount of air that can travel through this hose is restricted. This lint, being highly flammable, can ultimately cause the dryer to overheat and catch fire.

So how do you know if it is time to get your dryer vent cleaned? There are many different signs that indicate your dryer vent might be building up with lint.

• First, it is taking longer for your clothes to dry than usual or they might not dry completely.
• Second, as you take your clothes out of the dryer, the clothes might be hotter to touch than usual.
• Third, the laundry room may become humid and warmer than usual. It also might smell as though something is burning while you run your dryer.
• Fourth, the outside of your dryer can become very hot.
• Lastly, the vent hood flapper located outside of your house is not opening when you are running your dryer. That means that there is something blocking the air from traveling from the dryer, through the dryer vent, and out of the house.

Regardless of whether you clean your lint trap regularly or not, if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, make sure you call Dapper Ducts to get your dryer vent cleaned!