Long Vent Dryers

'A Homeowner Should Know About Dryer Safety'

 When was the last time you cleaned your dryer vent?

“Anyone who is a homeowner should know about dryer safety,” said Joe Welter, a fire inspector with the Buffalo Grove Fire Department. Welter advised that the more often a dryer is used, the more often it should be cleaned out.

“Always clean out the lint trap,” he said. “The access panel should be cleaned out semi-annually, if not quarterly. The vent to the outside can get clogged with lint or animal nests, so it should be cleaned out as well.”

“You don’t want to use any appliance as a storage shelf,” Welter said. “Every appliance needs a space for ventilation, or it could malfunction.”

Welter also advised against running the dryer while no one is home. “You could risk having a fire by leaving the dryer running while you run errands,” he said.

“Lots of people don’t realize that fires can occur in dryer vents, and that it’s one of the leading causes of fires,” Ron MacFarlane, owner of Just Dryer Vents , said. MacFarlane has been cleaning dryer vents since 2002 and estimates that he has cleaned “almost 5,000 vents” in that time.

In addition to potentially starting a fire, dirty vents waste gas and electricity, and can prematurely run out the dryer. “If your clothes take longer to dry, or if there’s no steam coming out of the exit vent, or if you see lint around the dryer, then the dryer vent may be so full with lint that it needs to be cleaned,” MacFarlane said.

“About 35 percent of lint goes through the lint screens,” he said. “Eventually, every dryer vent pipe will get plugged. If you don’t clean your screen, then the lint builds up.”

According to MacFarlane, if a dryer is used by only one or two people, the dryer vent might not need to be cleaned for “two or three years.” However, if a dryer is used by family with two or more children, then the dryer vent should be cleaned every year.

“In general, the more fleece, towels and blankets you use, the more often you need to clean your dryer,” he added. He stated that he cleans the dryers in an animal hospital twice a year due to the animal hair in the towels.

The location of the dryer is also critical. If the dryer is close to the wall, it does not need to work as hard to expel the hot air. If the hot air has to travel through a long hose to the exit vent, or if the pipe has numerous elbows, much more energy will be required to push the hot air out.

How Services by the Dryer Vent Cleaning San Rafael Saves Consumers ...

The Dryer Vent Cleaning San Rafael Wizard can also perform some dryer repair services, like belts, pulleys and other adjustments. According to the Wizard, regular dryer vent maintenance can save money in the long run. “ Dryer Vent Cleaning is recommended every year,” said Rhonda, “so it doesn’t hurt to have this service done when you’re having your dryer repaired. In fact, dryer vent cleaning is often the cure when a dryer isn’t working efficiently.

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