Your dryer saves you a lot of time and effort, and it works hard with each loads of laundry. People don’t often associate their clothes dryer being a potential safety hazard. However, similar to your chimney and fireplace, your dryer ventilation also needs annual inspection to keep your home safe. In Fact, a report done by the United States Fire Administration (USFA) states that there are nearly 3,000 dryer fires every year. They are causing on average about 100 injuries, 5 deaths, and nearly 35 million dollars in property loss.
The most frustrating thing about this statistic is that one-third of these fires could be prevented by taking simple, preventative measures. At Old Smokey’s, we take fire safety seriously. That’s why we offer professional dryer vent cleaning to protect you!
The Dirty Truth
When you use your dryer, warm air is produced to aid in drying your clothing. This warm air is pushed through your clothes and out of the back of your dryer through a ventilation outlet as exhaust. Attached to the ventilation outlet is a duct that guides exhaust outside of your home. Through the drying process, lint is also created. Most of this lint is caught by your dryer’s lint trap. However, some lint can makes it past the lint trap and get caught in your dyer’s ventilation. Over time, the lint accumulate in your ventilation can get clogged. Once your vent is clogged, excess heat and gases can’t escape your dyer, which can cause it to overheat and catch fire. Although clogs formed by lint are common, your ventilation can also get clogs from debris and animal nesting.
A clogged dryer vent can also cause carbon monoxide gas to leak into your home. Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas created by burning natural gas. It can lead to a number of health issues including lethargy, headaches, passing out, and even death. Another, less serious issue caused by clogged dryer vents is decreased efficiency of your dryer. If your clothes aren’t drying as well as they usually do, it is an indicator that you have a ventilation issue that needs to be addressed immediately.
Get your vents checked!
If it’s been a while since you’ve had your dryer vents checked, or your dryer isn’t working as well as it used to, you need to get a dryer vent inspection or cleaning. In fact, the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) suggests getting an annual inspection. Call Old Smokey’s at 260-424-0009 or schedule an appointment online today!