The last week in 2011 I inspected a home in Madison, MS and found a safety issue that, if not maintained, can not only be unhealthy but could possibly take your life. A clogged dryer
vent can also increase your energy bill because it takes so much longer to dry the laundry. Statistics show that more than 15,000 residential house fires a year are caused by poorly maintained dryer vents.
The home I inspected had a vertical, schedule 40 PVC pipe installed in the wall that terminated through the roof. Peeking into the vent just behind the dryer, I noticed lent build-up.
Here are some tell-tale signs of trouble ahead.
- It takes longer than normal to dry your clothes. A clogged vent restricts the air passage and allows less air to move to the outside.
- Are your clothes still damp after repeated drying cycles? A sure sign of a clogged system.
- Your clothes are extremely hot or you have an excessively hot dryer cabinet can also signal a clogged vent.
- Lent around your dryer vent or a dusty film on cabinets, the dryer and the wall surface behind your dryer.
- Look just inside the dryer door and note any lent build-up on the door, just around the door’s seal.
Here are ways to keep you dryer safe from lent build-up and protect your property.
- Clean the dryer lent screen every time you use the dryer.
- The exhaust vent should be as short as possible and have limited bends and turns to allow sufficient airflow.
- Are you building a new home? Try to take into account for exhausting the dryer vent. Place the laundry room and the dryer location on an outside wall.
- Dryer vents should be inspected at least every 2-3 years (depending on usage). WHIRLPOOLS’S RECOMMENDATION
For added protection your laundry room should be equipped with a fire extinguisher and working smoke alarms placed near the clothes dryer.
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